Snowy Range Piano Competition, a regional piano competition for young artists of ages 16 to 19, who are residents of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Montana and Idaho sponsored by the Linford Pfeifer Foundation and the University of Wyoming.

The goal of the Snowy Range Piano Competition is to advance the arts, promote piano performance, and encourage young pianists residing in the Rocky Mountain states to pursue higher education. The competition is sponsored by the Linford-Pfeifer Foundation in partnership with the University of Wyoming. There are two divisions. The University of Wyoming Division competition is held in alternate years, with the next competition in November 2009. UW students who are 17 to 26 years of age are eligible. The Regional Division is held annually for young pianists who are of age 16 to 19 and are residents of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Montana, or Idaho. The next regional competition will be in May 2009. Both competitions are in recital format. Further details on eligibility, performance requirements, facilities, and prizes are currently available on this website. The application, as well as the rules and regulations, for the 2009 Regional Division will be available online in November. We encourage the participation of music professionals and others dedicated to the arts to ensure the success of the program. Contact information and links to participating organizations are provided below.

John Sargeant has studied piano for over eleven years, seven of which have been with Professor Gary Amano. He won first place in the MTNA National Junior Baldwin Piano Competition in 2005, the UMTA State Concerto Competition in 2002 and 2008, the Utah Symphony Youth Guild Competition in 2002 and 2006, the USU Piano Festival competitions in 2002 (elem.), 2004 (jr.), and 2005 (sr.), and the Utah State Fair Competition in 2002. Mr. Sargeant has performed with six orchestras. He will enter Utah State University in the fall of 2008, continuing his piano studies with Prof. Amano.

Conlan Miller is the 2006 and 2007 State of Utah MTNA winner in the Senior Piano Division and the winner of the 2008 Southwest Division. He took first place at the Utah Valley Symphony Young Artist competition in 2007. At age eleven, he performed Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Utah Valley Symphony in Provo, Utah. He performed the complete Second Piano Concerto by Rachmaninoff with the Utah Symphony in 2006, in addition to his previous engagements with the symphony in 2003 and 2005. Mr. Miller will continue his piano studies with Prof. Irene Peery-Fox at BYU.

Jessica Roderer began piano at the age of three. She received first place at the Utah State Fair Music Competition in 2006, the UMTA Concerto Competition in 2005, and the USU Concerto Night Competition in 2006. She also won the California MTNA Competition in 2005 and was a finalist in the national competition in that year. She has received top prizes at the Idaho International Piano Competition in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Ms. Roderer was a soloist with the Utah Symphony in 2004 and soloed at the USU Concerto Night in 2007. She will continue her piano studies at the University of Southern California under Prof. Norman Krieger.

The first place winner of the UW competition, Qiong Liu, studied under Dr. Bogard during the 2007-8 academic year and recently received her Performance Certificate. She has returned to China to pursue a career in piano performance and teaching.

Yu Zhang, also a student of Dr. Bogard, is the second place winner of the UW competition. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree at the end of the 2007-8 academic year and is currently continuing his piano studies at UW.