The Missouri Southern International Piano Competition

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Today, I heard the most complicated and wonderful pianist I have ever heard in my life! In Joplin, Missouri, where I live, there is a biannual piano competition at a university called Missouri Southern State University. 35 pianists from around the globe are invited to come and play for judges. There is a junior division for those 17 and under and a senior division for those 18-30 years in age. In the senior division, the grand prize winner gets $30,000 American dollars and a debut at Carnegie Weill Recital Hall. The girl who won in the senior division was just barely 18 years old! And mum said her playing was magnificent! She was so good that the person who was second to her was not even worthy to be second to her! The judges gave one 1st place, one 3rd place, and 3 Honorable Mentions. This girl's name was Jie Chen. I am posting her picture here:

Today, she returned from Carnegie and and gave a performance entitled,
"Return From Carnegie". I hadn't seen her before, so I asked mum to take me. Was I suprised to see she a petit young lady just a head taller than me! She was sooooooo great! Her whole body moved with her hands in a graceful motion, and it looked like she was both attacking the piano and gently stroking it. And she looked like she was going to fall off the bench quite a few times. I was in such a good mood after her performance that I was the first to stand up for the standing ovation. She played us an encore because we gave her a standing ovation. I was a bit intimidated by her playing though.
At the reception afterwards, I saw her and she autographed my CD. Her hands were all red as she signed it. I told her I am playing piano also and she smiled and said this: "You are a pianist also? Maybe someday you will go to Carnegie Hall and play, like me!"
It was truly a magnificent performance! I wonder what next year's will be like.