The Sam Rotman Beethoven Prize

Sam Rotman Beethoven Prize 2023[/caption]About two years ago Mr. Rotman received a call from the Falls Baptist Church in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin that had heard of him and invited him to come to teach at a music camp they were having in August 2021. He taught for all week and at the end of the camp he performed an All-Beethoven piano concert. 

He was invited back to return in March 2022 for additional week of teaching at the church’s Baptist College of Ministry and to perform the Mozart Two Piano Concerto, K 365 with the College’s orchestra and with Mary Faith Williams, the College’s piano faculty member.

Then he was invited back to return this past April, 2023 to teach for 7 days and perform Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano and Orchestra, Op.56 (the Triple Concerto).  The violinist was Elizabeth Zempel and the cellist was Daniel van Gelderen, again both faculty members at the College.

When Mr. Rotman was there this past April, he learned that Mrs. Williams, the main piano teacher, had asked all of the college’s senior piano majors to learn a Beethoven sonata and at the end of the year there will be an award given for the best performance of the Beethoven Sonatas. On May 3 Mr. Rotman was zoomed in as one of several judges to judge the competition and to award a winner of the Beethoven performances.

He was told the winner would be acknowledged at the college’s graduation on May.14, 2023.

To Mr. Rotman’s surprise and amazement he received a picture of the statue which is the Beethoven Prize and the college decided to name it the “Sam Rotman Beethoven Prize.” It also bears the name of the yearly winner of the competition. This award will be presented every year at the college’s graduation and Mr. Rotman is very humble at the acknowledgement to bear his name on this prize.