Brief History of CCIC

The Corpus Christi International Competition for Piano & Strings, Inc, has undergone numerous metamorphoses as it has grown and blossomed into a musical event to be reckoned with.

The Corpus Christi Music Teachers' Association created the contest in 1970 as a venue for their students to hone their skills. By 1979, the "Corpus Christi Young Artist Contest" presented 12 contestants, with nine teachers represented, including cellist and teacher Mary Mayhew. Pianist and teacher Joan Allison was a judge in the piano solo and piano concerto divisions. Mayhew and Allison were not yet String and Piano Chairs (respectively) of the contest. The Board incorporated the Competition in 1981, calling the organization the Corpus Christi Young Artists' Competition, Inc.

"When I took over as 'String' Chair in 1986, we were then allowing brass and woodwind instruments to enter the 'instrumental' division," said Mary Mayhew. "Joan Allison took over as Piano Chair the same year. That year we gave four $500 concerto prizes, one for each division. Now our two top prizes are $5000 each. We've come a long way!"

When it appeared evident that the competition needed to be honed, Mayhew and Allison decided to narrow the entries to strings-which included violins, violas, cellos, double basses, harps and guitars-and piano. Each entrant played a solo piece and a concerto movement. "I think I accepted everyone who entered then," remembers Mayhew. "It was a while before we had to start being seriously selective."

Joan Allison agrees. "When I became involved with the CCYAC, it was more of a local-regional Competition. The most accomplished contestants in the piano divisions were from some of the larger universities in Texas that had strong music programs. As we set our sights on enlarging the scope of the Competition, we decided to advertise nationally in well-known music publications and to use the College Music Society mailing lists to spread the word about our endeavors. We decided to invite world-class judges to critique the contestants; as soon as we accomplished that, we began to get entries from the various conservatories in the US and even from European conservatories. This has led to widespread recognition of the Corpus Christi International Competition amongst musicians all over the world."

The organization retained the name Young Artists' Competition until 2004, when the Board changed the name to Corpus Christi International Competition for Piano and Strings, Inc.

"We felt that we needed officially to include the word 'international' in the Competition title, and people were frequently confusing the Competition with young painters," said present Competition President Beverly Ann Randolph. We feel that we are one of the best music competitions in the world, and we have a national and international reputation. We have had contestants representing 30 countries and five continents, besides entrants from all over the United States. We average about three times the entrants that they can accept."

Competition Time Line

Event Year	Winner(s)	Judges
February 17-19, 2006	First Place Strings: Rachel Harding, violinist First Place Piano: Michael Bukhman Second Place Strings: Noah Geller, violinist Second Place Piano: Yury Shadrin	Bonnie Hampton, cello Kathryn Plummer, viola Kathleen Winkler, violin Enrique Graf, piano Joseph Schwartz, piano Ralph Votapek, piano
February 18-20, 2005	First Place Piano: Christopher Guzman First Place Strings: Amy Lee, violinist Second Place Piano: Sun-A Park Second Place Strings: Liana Gourdjia, violinist	Michael Lewin, piano Ilana Vered, piano Adam Wodnicki, piano David Neubert, double bass Irene Sharp, cello Milan Vitek, violin
February 20-22, 2004	First Place Strings: Erin Keefe, violinist First Place Piano: Anna Polusmiak Second Place Strings: Ui-Youn Hong, violinist Second Place Piano: Alexander Seredenko	Atar Arad, viola Stephen Clapp, violin Norman Fischer, cello Anne Epperson, piano Bryce Morrison, piano Daniel Pollack, piano
February 21-23, 2003	First Place Piano: Chu-fang Huang First Place Strings: Angie Cheng, violinist Second Place Piano: Eugenia Choi Second Place Strings: Chang Ho Lim, violinist	Martin Jones, piano Tamas Ungar, piano Vivian Weilerstein, piano Javier Calderon, guitar Jeffrey Solow, cello Donald Weilerstein, violin
February 22-24, 2002	First Place Strings: Julie Ann Smith, harp First Place Piano: Amy Jiaqi Yang Second Place Strings: Stephen Fang, cello Second Place Piano: Young-Ah Tak	Paul Ellison, double bass Sidney Harth, violin Eleonore Schoenfeld, cello Jerome Rose, piano John Salmon, piano Ann Schein, piano
February 22-25, 2001	First Place Piano: Esther Park First Place Strings: Jia Lei (Jenny) Li, violinist Second Place Piano: Kimball Gallagher Second Place Strings: Jing Li, cello	Lydia Artymiw, piano Yves Henry, piano Ian Hobson, piano Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, cello Roland Vamos, viola Kathleen Winkler, violin Maestro Maurice Peress
February 25-27, 2000	Young Artist Winner: James Li, piano	Kurt Sassmannshaus, violin Yolanda Kondonassis, harp Peter Rejto, cello Joseph Banowetz, piano Constance Keene, piano Ralph Votapek, piano Maestro Cornelius Eberhardt
February 26-28, 1999	Young Artist Winner: Sarah Carter, cello	Natalya Antonova, piano Daniel Pollack, piano James Tocco, piano Paul Katz, cello Karen Tuttle, viola Almita Vamos, violin Maestro Cornelius Eberhardt
February 20-22, 1998	Young Artist Winner: Caroline Campbell, violin	Javier Calderon, guitar Stephen Clapp, violin Hans Jorgen-Jensen, cello Joseph Schwartz, piano Abbey Simon, piano Adam Wodnicki, piano Maestro Cornelius Eberhardt
February 21-23, 1997	Young Artist Winner: Marisa Gupta, piano	William Black, piano Martin Jones, piano Nina Svetlanova, piano Jeff Bradetich, double bass Sidney Harth, violin Eleonore Schoenfeld, cello Maestro Cornelius Eberhardt
February 23-25, 1996	Young Artist Winner: Nurit Bar-Josef, violin	Norman Fischer, cello Milton Katims, viola Kurt Sassmannshaus, violin Enrique Graf, piano Ian Hobson, piano Grant Johannesen, piano Maestro Robert Lyall
February 24-26, 1995	Young Artist Winner: Trent Hanna, piano	Panayis Lyras, piano Bryce Morrison, piano Ralph Votapek, piano Stephen Clapp, violin Carroll McLaughlin, harp Irene Sharp, cello Maestro Cornelius Eberhardt
February 25-27, 1994	Co-winners: Malin Nystrom, violin Alejandro Vela, piano	Howard Beebe, violin Wayne Crouse, viola Peter Rejto, cello Edward Auer, piano Jerome Rose, piano Ann Schein, piano Maestro Robert Lyall
February 19-21, 1993	Young Artist Winner: Vadim Gluzman, violin	William David, piano Constance Keene, piano James Tocco, piano Owen Carman, cello Mahlon Darlington, viola Fredell Lack, violin Maestro Cornelius Eberhardt
February 21-23, 1992	Young Artist Winner: Karel Kosarek	Javier Calderon, guitar Nathaniel Rosen, cello Charles Treger, violin Anthony Di Bonaventura, piano Caio Pagano, piano Daniel Pollack, piano Maestro Cornelius Eberhardt