Four Hands Are Better than Two

The concept is something like doubles tennis for pianists: Every two years, piano teams from all over the globe meet in Miami for the Dranoff International Two Piano Competition. This year 10 duos (that’s four hands playing two pianos at once, times 10) are vying for $55,000 in prize money...

By Mara Leventhal

March 13, 2008

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The concept is something like doubles tennis for pianists: Every two years, piano teams from all over the globe meet in Miami for the Dranoff International Two Piano Competition. This year 10 duos (that’s four hands playing two pianos at once, times 10) are vying for $55,000 in prize money. The pressure is intense, the competition is fierce, and ultimately each pair is only as strong as its weakest half. Something about it all sounds like a future Wes Anderson project. Is it the fact that there are two sets of twins -- American maestros Susan and Sarah Wang and Germany’s Humburgers, Richard and Valentin? Which twosome will persevere? Will it be Polina Grigoryeva and Yulia Yurchenko from Russia, or brothers Victor and Luis del Valle from Spain? All of them battle teams from South Africa, Israel, China, Japan, Serbia, and the UK.

The ivory-tickling tourney culminates today at 4 with the Grand Finals Concert at the Lincoln Theatre. The top three teams will pound the keys with harmonious precision alongside the Florida Classical Orchestra. Tickets start at $30. Student discounts are available. For tickets, visit www.dranoff2piano.org.
Sun., March 16, 4 p.m., 2008

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