(happy music) - The Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation has presented its world famous competition in Utah for 48 years.

And here to tell us all about this year's competition is executive director Kary D. Billings.

Hi, Kary.

Thanks for being back.

And this is exciting because you haven't been live for six years.

- Six years, yes.

Three years ago we had a competition for younger pianists, but it was online only.

We couldn't go around the world then and they couldn't come to us.

But now they're back here in Utah.

They're coming.

- Because we need live music.

(laughs) - Live music is the best.

There's no substitute.

Live is exciting and really what we want in that experience.

Yeah.

- Yeah.

And you had so many people enter this competition.

- We had over 330 apply from 40 countries.

Sadly, we couldn't hear them all.

120 we heard live in performances around the world.

And now a fewer number are coming, but 37 are coming to Utah very soon.

- Yeah, and so people can hear them again, they're from around the world.

- Yes.

- And will they be in Rose Wagner again?

- Yes.

They'll be performing at least twice in Rose Wagner.

And then we'll cut down to 12 and then we'll cut down to three, it is a competition.

- [Mary] Yes.

- And three will perform in the final round at Abravenel Hall.

- And that's Abravenel Hall, which is so exciting to see.

- With the symphony, yes.

- Okay.

So the 28th and 29th?

- Yes.

- Like what kind of music, the 28th?

The piano music.

- Well, it's two evenings.

They'll perform twice.

The first evening is Mozart and Beethoven.

The next night it could be anything, from all the great Romantics, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff.

Really just something that really represents the whole greatness of the piano world.

- That's wonderful.

And you are still looking for host families for these participants?

- Yeah.

Pianists come to Utah and they need a place to stay and to practice.

And we need people in Utah to really be their cheering section and their families while they're here.

And Utah is known for how wonderful they are in hosting, you know, welcome guests.

- Yeah, and then they would host between June 15th and June 30th?

- Yes.

For a full two weeks the end of June.

- Okay, all right, well, great.

Kary, thanks so much for being here.

I'm so excited you're live again.

Thanks.

- Thank you.

- And if you'd like to know more about the Gina Bachauer International Piano Festival, it will be June 16th to 29th from one to nine p.m. daily.

But the 20th and 29th, remember, are at Abravenel Hall.

That's when the finalists perform.

To find out more, go to bachauer.com.

That's bachauer.com.

I'm Mary Dickson.

Thanks for watching Contact.

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Hi, I'm Mary Dickson.

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