MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1928
$2 The Year
FINALS IN CHICAGO PIANO PLAYING CONTEST
Fifteen=Year Old Girl Declared Champion Amateur Junior Pianist of Greater Chicago by Jury of Notable Musicians
at Event Attended by Appreciative Audience in Palmer House
Before an audience of 2,500 who thronged the
grand ballroom of the Palmer House on Monday
night this week, the finals of the Second Annual
Chicago Children's Piano Playing Tournament
were held. The number and appreciative character
of the audience were significant of renewed interest
•in piano study; the remarkable ability of the youth-
ful contestants evidence of the realization of an
opportunity by earnest teachers.
Charles E. Byrne, admittedly the originator of the
piano contest thought, appropriately was chosen to
give the introductory talk. It added to the enthusi-
asm of his hearers when he told them that the
contest movement, which had a hopeful beginning,
was now not only national but universal in its
scope.
The judges were three pianists of international
distinction—August Cottlow, known to the iuterna-
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All contestants were given several months' time in
which to practice their selections of music and then
placed in a preliminary piano test.
Eighty-eight preliminary tests were held and a
total of 616 silver medal winners chosen. A series
of district tests then cut the winning list down
to 119. These winners were awarded gold medals
and then placed in the semi-finals.
Twenty-one winners were chosen in the semi-
finals—the same 21 who competed against each other
Monday night for the much coveted title of "Cham-
pion Amateur Junior Pianist of Greater Chicago."
Three different classifications were represented;
seven contestants in each division.
A first, second and third award was made in each
of the three divisions. The pianist who, in the opin-
ion of the judges, was the best of the three division
winners, was given an additional cash award of $500.
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GREAT AUDIENCE AT THE PIANO CONTEST FINALS.
tional public since his childhood; George Liebling,
well-known composer and pianist, and Charles
Naegele, one of the country's foremost musicians.
All expressed their astonishment at the virtuosity
displayed by the contestants.
Champion Is Declared.
Johanna Siragusa, 15, of 6544 Newgard avenue,
won the title of "Champion Amateur Junior Pianist
of Greater Chicago." She was unanimously ac-
claimed the winner in the final contest over twenty
other boys and girls who had fought their way to
preliminary championships in competition with some
6,000 other aspirants in the second annual Greater
Chicago Children's Piano Playing Tournament,
sponsored by The Herald and Examiner.
In addition to the grand prize of $500, she will
receive the $500 prize as winner of the third division
contest.
Eight other winners were announced, making three
each in the three divisions. The first division con-
sisted of pupils of the first six school grades, the
second of pupils of the seventh, eighth and ninth
grades, and the third of pupils of the last three years
of high school.
Extent of Contest.
Six thousand boys and girls attending public, paro-
chial and private schools were entered in the Second
Annual Greater Chicago Children's Piano Playing
Tournament which was conducted by the Herald
Examiner and the piano industry.
Teachers of the prize winning contestants re-
ceived silver loving cups.
The Executive Committee.
Here are the men who made up the executive
committee of the Second Annual Greater Chicago
Children's Piano Playing Tournament:
Harry B. Bibb, president, The Piano Club of
Chicago and western manager Sonora Phonograph
Company.
James T. Bristol, president, James T. Bristol Co.,
and vice-president, Bankers-Commercial Security
Co., Inc.
Gurnee R. Brownell, manager, Tuning and Repair
Departments, Lyon & Healy.
Charles E. Byrne, vice-president and general man-
ager, Steger & Sons Piano Manufacturing Co.
Roy J. Cook, vice-president and general manager,
Cable Piano Co.
Eugene Farney, manager, Chicago Division, Ru-
dolph Wurlitzer Co.
H. H. Fleer, vice-president and manager, Piano
Division, Lyon & Healy.
Emil Garber, contest manager, Herald and Ex-
aminer.
Chester F. Gregory, department manager, Cable
Piano Co.
Henry D. Hewitt, sales manager, M. Schulz Com-
pany.
E. C. Hill, Starck Piano Co.
Walter Kiehn, advertising manager, Gulbransen
Company.
A. W. Koch, general manager, Music Trades In-
dicator.
G. S. McLanghlin, manager, Lyon & Healy Branch
Stores.
A. R. Nealy, department manager, Baldwin Piano
Company.
D. R. Nealy, assistant department manager, Bald-
win Piano Co.
Roger O'Connor, manager, Chicago Branch, Kra-
nich & Bach.
Lathrop Ressequie, manager, Artists' Department,
Baldwin Piano Co.
Adam Schneider, formerly treasurer, Julius Bauer
& Co.
Don Steger, Steger & Sons Piano Manufacturing
Company.
Chris. G. Steger, president, Steger & Sons Piano
Manufacturing Co.
Henry E. Weisert, vice-president, Bissell-Weisert
Piano Co.
Eugene Whelan, sales manager, W. W. Kimball
Company.
Those Who Gave Support.
Thirty-four music houses who contributed toward
the support of the Second Annual Chicago Piano
Playing Tournament are as follows:
Baldwin Piano Company; Bissell-Weisert Piano
Company; Cable Piano Company; Central Gulbran-
sen Store; Chicago Piano and Organ Association;
Carl Fischer, Inc.; Charles Frederick Stein; Gamble
Hinged Music Company; Aug. Gross Piano Com-
pany; Grosvenor Music Store; Gulbransen Company;
Justin Brothers: Matt Kennedy; Kranich & Bach;
W. W. Kimball Company; Lyon & Healy, Inc.;
Meyer & Weber; Midwest Piano Company; Moist
Piano Company; Piano Club of Chicago; Reichardt
Piano Company; Rosenberg Brothers; Schiller Piano
Company: M. Schulz Company; J. P. Seeburg Piano
Company; Simonson Piano Company; P. A. Starck
Piano Company; Steger & Sons Piano Mfg. Co.;
Straube Piano Company; Clayton F. Summy Com-
pany; Tonk Manufacturing Company; Walldren's
Storage Warehouse Company; W^itzel Music Com-
pany; Rudolph Wurlitzer Company.
PRESIDENT OF MASON &
HAMLIN CO. BACK FROM TRIP
Henry L. Mason Reports Cheerful Experiences in
the Middle West and South.
Having returned from an extended business trip
of i'we weeks throughout the middle west and the
south, Henry L. Mason, president of the Mason &
Hamlin Co., New York, reported that the dealer
in every city in which he visited was interested and
alert over the new American Piano Company fran-
chise. Mr. Mason reported several sales which he
himself made to prominent citizens and musicians,
and in various cities he was entertained royally
by the dealers.
In Birmingham, Ala., he was the guest of honor at
a banquet attended by seventy-five of the leading
musicians of the city, whom he addressed at length
on music in general and on the Mason & Hamlin
pianoforte in particular.
The month of May, 1928, Mr. Mason reports, is
the largest month in orders and shipments of Mason
& Hamlin units, both Mason & Hamlin straight
grands and Mason & liamlin grands with Ampico,
in all the years of the company's existence.
STRAUBE CONVENTION RESULTS.
The Straube Piano Co., Hammond, Ind., is achiev-
ing satisfactory results from the exhibit of its line
at the recent trade convention in New York. Two
of the Straube instruments especially drew contin-
uous attention—the Sonata model grand and Style
"L" upright.
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