Sad end of a Cliburn winner
RIPThe family have informed us that the pianist Mark Westcott, bronze medal winner in the 1969 Van Cliburn competition, has died after several illnesses near Seattle, Washington.
After a brilliant start to his career, he suffered from focal dystonia that put a halt to his playing. He was then beset by kidney failure, Parkinson’s Disease and skin cancer. In latter years he taught students privately in the Portland, Oregon, area.
He had been a formidable player.
The 1969 Cliburn was won by Cristina Ortiz.
RIP…
What a very sad fate for such a talented pianist, though it seems he made a huge career as a teacher.
Loved his Ravel there. How clearly the echoes of Gershwin appear.
So sorry to read this. His name as one of the early torch bearers of American pianists from his early career has inspired many young pianists to follow the dream, to keep the great repertoire alive. His legacy was set early in his life and still remembered – and will be moving forward. Thank you, Mark. RIP.
Cristina Ortiz actually
RIP Mark. Seemed like he had it all in the 1970’s. What a ride.
Mark Westcott was also a first prize winner of the William Kapell competition in 1972. Some of his teachers included Cecile Genhardt, Frank Mannheimer, Eugene List, and John Perry.
Mark had really big interpretive ideas which were fueled by an even bigger personality—a famously huge personality. He took special pride in his recordings of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations, Liszt’s Valle D’Obermann, Beethoven Sonata Op. 101, the Kreutzer sonata, Rachmaninoff Etude Op. 39, No. 5, the Chausson Concerto for Piano and Violin with String Quartet, and the Schubert Fantasy in C major.
He also took special pride in his playing of slow movements, which I have to agree are special.
He participated for years in the Monterey festival performing chamber music, which he had a special gift for.
He completed his Australian tour while very ill performing the Brahms 1st and Saint-Saens 2nd concertos with over a 100 degree fever.
While he has almost no discography, many of his performances are uploaded to YouTube, which I really encourage others to get to know.
He poured all of his passion into his teaching the last 20 years of his life, passing his big ideas on to his students who he saw as a crucial part of his legacy. In his final days he wanted his students around him as much as his family.
Hopefully his students will remember him with love & affection.
Thank you for the beautiful details, Nicolas
I have been trying to locate his sister, Martha, as we were friends in college. Do you know where I could contact her?
RIP, Another excellent pianist has left us far too young, All terribly sad.
Thank you for letting us know. I had never heard of this pianist, but his playing is phenomenal. We shall keep him alive through the wonderful gift of music he left us with.
I knew Mark very well during our years together at Oberlin. He was a relentless in practicing and determined to go forward. I am sad he had so many trials in his life. I believe he was 76 or 77 years old.
Had he not suffered from dystonia, Mark would have been a great pianist. I was a student with him at the Eastman School in the 1970s and was overwhelmed by how beautiful his playing was. He simply did not sound like the vast majority of players.
I still remember his pêrformance of the Brahms First piano concerto in the early
1970s. It was remarkable playing. I have loved the piece ever since that performance.
He was a huge talent.
RIP Mark
Joseph
Sad news. I was playing in the performance of the ravel on here. I’d only been in the orchestra a couple of years. What a wonderful player. RIP
What a wonderful performance! Mark Westcott, of whom I knew nothing,plays with such insight, clarity and precision. And this performance took place in Sydney in 1981, when, judging from the comments on this page, he must have been very ill. Marvellous musician.
Great pianist. Knew him at Oberlin