Contact:  Rick Peterson, Manager of News Services, 414/832-6590
For Immediate Release						April 28, 1997

Lawrence University Musicians Sweep Top Two Places in State Piano Competition


	APPLETON, WIS.   Lawrence University pianists Jing Li and Gabe Shuford
were awarded first and second place honors, respectively, in the recent Neale
Silva Young Artists Competition held in Madison.  Sponsored by Wisconsin Public
Radio, the competition is open to musicians aged 17-25 who are either from
Wisconsin or attend a Wisconsin college.
 
	Li, a sophomore from Beijing, China, received $1,000 for her winning
performance.  In addition to the prize money, Li performed a recital on the WPR
"Live from the Elvehjem" series, playing works by Mozart, Debussy, Chen Yi,
Chopin and Prokofiev.

	Shuford, a senior from Evanston, Ill., received $250 for second place. 
He performed works by Schubert, Liszt and Bach.  A 15-minute recital by Shuford
was taped and later broadcast by WPR.

	Li and Shuford are both students of Lawrence Associate Professor of
Music Catherine Kautsky.  They were among seven pianists selected as finalists
on the basis of a submitted audition tape.