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Pianists and singers face off in ‘Classical Idol’

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Tired of the cheesy interpretations of the pop music songbook that take place each season on the ‘American Idol’ stage? Well, there’s a different music competition rolling through Los Angeles: The Jose Iturbi International Music Competition. But you won’t catch these contestants singing renditions of Aretha Franklin or Queen. Musical juggernauts like Brahms, Rachmaninoff and Gershwin are more likely to be found in this repertoire.

The week-long competition, dubbed ‘Classic Idol’ and named after the classical musician and composer who was big from the ’30s to the ‘70s, is open to the public and kicked off earlier this week at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall with 48 competitors from around the world.

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“It began as a way to continue the legacy of my godfather,” said Donell Dadidgan, co-founder of the competition and founder of the Hollywood Museum. “Showcasing tomorrow’s classical superstars today is one way of doing that.”

The competition, now in its third year, is open to pianists and singers who are 17 to 32 years old. Hundreds apply each year; but only 24 are chosen to compete in each category. Oh, and did we mention the competition awards the largest cash prizes (more than $250,000) of any classical piano and singing competition?

The number will be whittled down, leaving six pianists and six singers to compete in the final rounds Friday night and Saturday (get your tickets now; seats tend to fill up). The winner in each category will receive $50,000. And two People’s Choice prizes (one for each category) of $3,000 will be voted ‘live’ by attendees of the final competition round.

Read more about the competition in Friday’s Calendar.

-- Yvonne Villarreal

José Iturbi International Music Competition, UCLA, Schoenberg Hall, Westwood. Final round for singers, 7 p.m. Friday. Final rounds for pianists, 1:30 and 7 p.m. Saturday. $25 per session. (310) 825-2101 or www.tickets.ucla.edu or www.joseiturbifoundation.org.

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