“Grand performance wins top prize”
The Star-Ledger
June 16, 2008
By Allison Freeman

At the New York Piano Competition, 16-year-old Allen Yueh gave perhaps one of the best performances of his life.

“This may be the biggest competition I have ever been in, “Allen said in an interview last week. ìIt’s just so fortunate I could come out and play well and win.” read more…

“First New York, Then the World”
The Cary News
May 28, 2008
By Valerie Marino

Apex pianist Vivian Cheng has some broad aspirations.

“My dream is to be a concert pianist and tour the world, just bring music into people’s lives,” said Cheng, 17. “I’m hoping I can go to Third-World countries and bring music to them.” read more…

“Practice makes perfect: A lifetime at the keyboard pays off for La Crescenta’s Connie Kim-Sheng”
Pasadena Weekly
May 1, 2008
By Liz Hedrick

While most 3 1/2 year olds struggle to form simple sentences, Connie Kim-Sheng of La Crescenta had already begun to play the piano. Now 16, Kim-Sheng has recently been named one of only 22 teenagers from the United States to compete at the New York Piano Competition June 22 in New York City.  read more…

“Pianist set to let her fingers do the talking”
Glendale News Press
January 22, 2008
By Angela Hokanson

In many elite youth piano competitions, contestants must be ready to endure multiple elimination rounds.

But the New York Piano Competition, which begins today at the Manhattan School of Music, gives this traditional model a twist. Contestants still play multiple rounds of challenging pieces, they are still judged and still awarded prizes based on merit. But they get to take part in the entire competition from start to finish without fear of being sent home. read more…

“Review: Beyond the Practice Room”
Library Journal
May 15, 2007
By Bonnie Jo Dopp

Piano competitions are noxious to many, but the New York Piano Competition held by the Stecher & Horowitz Foundation for teenagers from 14 through 18 may be the kindest, gentlest version of them all. Once in the competition, no one is “eliminated.” The point is to let everyone have as many performance opportunities as possible. read more…

“Best Musical Score (By a Laptop)”
The New York Times
June 26, 2004
By James Barron

Being a judge in a student piano competition can be dicey. A judge’s decision making can be tainted by any number of things – subjective reactions, or even, one anxiety-laden line of thinking goes, being unlucky enough to play at the beginning of a round and be forgotten by the end. read more…

“39 Years of Teaching Leads to New Career”
The New York Times
February 1, 2004
By Barbara Delatiner

The Stecher and Horowitz School of the Arts in Cedarhurst was a fixture in the Five Towns for 39 years, training more than 15,000 young musicians from throughout Long Island and metropolitan New York. But in 1999, its owners, Melvin Stecher and Norman Horowitz, sold the property. read more…

“Learn by Playing”
Newsday
January 25, 2004
By Peter Goodman

When Melvin Stecher and Norman Horowitz were teenage duo-pianists starting out, there were thousands of places to play. Some involved riding on a dogsled to the hall, or performing on top of a bar, but there were performing chances aplenty. read more…

“SPEAKING WITH MUSIC”
New York Daily News
January 25, 2004
By Deborah Harkins

Fifty-three years ago, Melvin Stecher met Norman Horowitz. Both were teenage New Yorkers intent on careers as solo pianists. But they soon decided to combine their talents – a winning idea, since their two-piano performances garnered bookings all over North America. They relished playing both big cities and tiny towns – 3,500 venues, some as tiny as Uranium City, Canada, near the Arctic Circle. In 1954, they became the first duo-piano artists to appear at Radio City Music Hall. Since then, they’ve taken their classical act (everything from Gershwin to Chopin) worldwide. read more…