Graduate student wins 4th in Colombian piano contest
calendar icon04 Oct 2023
Lincoln, Neb.--Lina Maria Luisa Marin-Diaz, a first year D.M.A. student in piano performance in the Glenn Korff School of Music studying with Professor of Piano Mark Clinton, won 4th prize at the 20th Concurso Nacionales De Piano (National Piano Competition) in Colombia.
“I felt very grateful because all the competitors were very strong, the majority of them are university professors, people with a lot of experience and interpretive level,” Marin-Diaz said. “It was an honor to compete with the best pianists in the country, especially being the youngest competitor.
Out of 150 applicants, Marin-Diaz was one of 11 participants selected to participate in the live semi-final round in Bucaramanga, Colombia, and advanced to the final round with five other performers. In the first round, her repertoire included the Danzas Argentinas Op. 2 by Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera, the first movement of the Sonata in F major by Dmitri Kabalevsky and the Bambuco “Ancestro” by Colombian composer Germán Darío Pérez. In the final round, her repertoire included the Toccata and Fugue in E minor by Johann Sebastian Bach, the third movement of the Sonata No. 17, Op. 31 No. 2 in D minor by Ludwig van Beethoven and the Danza “Malvaloca” by the Colombian composer Luis Antonio Calvo.
“I’m very proud of Lina Marie’s accomplishment as a prize winner in the international piano competition in Bucaramanga, Colombia,” Clinton said. “Success in national and international competitions is an important part of building a flourishing career as a performer, and Lina Maria is well on her way. She’s a shining example of the quality graduate pianists we have in the Glenn Korff School of Music, and it’s sure that we’ll hear more good things from her in the future.”
Marin-Diaz said the competition helped her improve as a pianist.
“It is a very great motivation to continue striving to be better every day,” she said. “It was a very enriching experience as a person and as a professional pianist. I am very proud of the pianistic level of my country and my progress.”
Marin-Diaz began her musical studies in Ibagué, Colombia, at an early age. She debuted as a concerto soloist with an orchestra at the age of 10. She was also the principal pianst for the Conservatorio del Tolima Orchestra, the Conservatorio de Ibagué Orchestra and the Universidad del Tolima Orchestra. She was the collaborative and chamber music pianist and a piano instructor on the faculty of Arts and Education at the Conservatorio del Tolima.
Marin-Diaz has a bachelor’s in music degree in piano performance from the Conservatorio del Tolima and a master’s in music degree from the University of Delaware. She also holds a degree in Law from the Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, and a LLM in Administrative Law from the Universidad del Tolima.
Marin-Diaz is an award-winning pianist from different International music competitions in Austria, England, the U.S. and Colombia. She will debut in the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City next year.