Pianists from Peru take first in annual competition (VIDEO)

Two area piano students captured first place in the 47th annual Granquist Music Competition in Geneva.

Elisha Li and Lucy Kleczewski, both of Peru, won their duet division for Beethoven’s “Allegro Molto from Sonata in D Major.” They scored 99 out of a possible 100 to best the field.

Li and Kleczewski are students of Stacy Konczak, owner of Maestro & Mi Music Academy in La Salle.

“It’s a privilege to be their teacher and to see them grow, not only as people but as musicians as well,” Konczak said. “Their love of what they do is what made the amazing performance that they gave at Granquist.”

In addition, Li captured second place in her division for her solo, DeBussy’s “Arabesque No. 1.” She is a 2017 graduate of St. Bede Academy and will attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the fall. She plans to major in interdisciplinary health sciences with a concentration in aging and on a pre-physical therapy track.

Kleczewski is a 2017 graduate of Trinity Catholic Academy in La Salle and will be a freshman at St Bede in the fall. She plans to attend a one-week piano program of Illinois Summer Youth Music, hosted by the U of I this July.

The Granquist competition was established in 1970 by Herb Granquist. The annual competition is now one of the largest music contests in the state of Illinois.