The Van Cliburn Foundation has put up a YouTube Contest for 35+ y/o amateur pianists.
You'll find more info at the VCF YouTube page and at Van Cliburn website.

Very interesting. Are you going to enter, Alfonso?

Why not? Even leaving out the competitive side of the event, it could be fun for all the senior pianists here at PS submitting their best efforts for a wider appreciation. However I have to find a grand somewhere since digital pianos are not allowed.

That is very ambitious. The level of this competition is staggeringly high, to the point I'd almost not call these people amateurs anymore. More often than not, they have completed a full conservatory training, and are only amateurs because they chose to earn their living doing something else.

Well, it would actually be ambitious if you believed to have a chance to win or if you submitted something too difficult for you (which is a distinctive amateur mistake).
I think that a good bunch here could have a try without too much hassle. You choose something you know you can play reasonably well, shoot your performance, possibly redo the shooting is something goes wrong, upload the clip on Youtube and you are done. Pretty easy, isn't it.

Ah yes that would be easy enough, if one doesn't expect to be accepted. Otherwise, it can't be just 'something, played reasonably well'. There's "amateurs" out there playing larger-than-life works by Alkan, Liszt, Kapustin, ... you name it. Live and without one flaw

Well, this UTube contest is not even comparable to the real thing (ie the Van Cliburn IPCOA). You don't have to play before an audience and the jurors. Take it as a personal achievement, not a competition. Why bother?

Oh, I was not aware it is not the 'real thing'. I'll have to read it better. In that case there may be hope yet for some of us. Now for you to buy a grand and for me to buy a camcorder

The very notion of a contest for amateurs is a gross anachronism.

Sign me up!

Oxymoron, I think you mean.

Curse my youthful figure, I can't play for a few more years.

My teacher,Tamas Ungar is the head of the Piano Texas festival at Ft Worth,which is also the location of both the pro and amateur piano competitions

Anyone entered the contest this year? If anyone would like to see my own effort go to:

http://www.youtube.com/vancliburnfounda ... tbEeeVCKOA

As we all record pianos at some time or other here are the technical details: Zoom H2, internal front mics, low sensitivity, 48kHz / 24bit, around 4 feet from the piano edge at head height (reasonably close as it was a small room). The piano (not my own) was a 6ft Steinway, though not a classic of its type.

Enjoy!

Good luck, Peter. And nice job on your video.

And this is really nothing important, but I briefly scanned down through other videos and think it's a little funny about that one man who made his video while wearing a hat.

Peter, I too wish you the best for the YT contest. I listened to many of the entries and to me you rank high among them.

Monica, did you know this?

Yes, I do know of it. It is something I have been tossing around for a few weeks now. I am very torn and can't make up my mind. Part of me thinks it would be really neat to perform in a place like that, surrounded by many other piano enthusiasts and possibly playing on a Fazioli. The other part thinks I am not good enough to compete and also my nerves may get the best of me and I'm not sure my wrists could hold up. So...well...I dunno...