Male student on stage playing the cimbalom

ABERDEEN, S.D. – International student Matej Cip recently earned second place at the 14th International Cimbalom Performing Arts Competition in Valašské Meziříčí, Czech Republic.   

“I received a special jury award for the ‘Extraordinary Sound Quality of the Competition Repertoire,’ and during the final concert the main judge announced that my performance was highly professional and could be compared with the Ph.D. level of cimbalom performance. They said that they gave me the second place to motivate me on my future musical and professional endeavors,” Cip said. 

From May 19 to 23, Cip participated in four rounds of competition, which included performing a mandatory piece, one from the classical period, one from the romantic period and a solo composition originally written for the cimbalom. 

Cip was even asked to play at the opening concert on Wednesday, where he performed the mandatory piece for his age category.   

“This piece was written for the purposes of this competition and I was honored to provide the world premiere of the piece right at the opening concert,” Cip said. “The competition was immensely challenging, and the repertoire had to be all memorized, which eventually was more than 50 pages of music.” 

Cip mentioned how difficult it was to prepare for his competition, especially from his full Northern schedule.  

“However, thanks to all the support from my professors as well as from my host mom, Diana Osborne, I was able to keep practicing throughout the year, and I fully enjoyed this great opportunity that led to this beautiful award.”    

Cip, from Hodslavice, Czech Republic, has been playing cimbalom – a unique instrument of mesmerizing sound – since he was 8 years old. He’s wanted to study cimbalom in the U.S. since high school, and he credits Northern for giving him the chance to realize his dream. 

“My Northern experience has been literally life changing. When I was home in the Czech Republic studying Cimbalom at the Janáček Conservatory of Music, I developed a big dream of studying in the U.S. But I could not find any university or teachers that could help me to fulfill my dream. In fact, I could not find a single university in the United States that offered a degree in the cimbalom,” Cip said. “However, I got a tip from the Czech Fulbright Center saying that they knew one professor in South Dakota that was originally from the Czech Republic – Dr. Marcela Faflak. I sent her an email asking if there was any way I could study cimbalom at her school. We began talking and eventually we were able to find a way for me to study cimbalom at Northern! Northern has been really special because of how accommodating it has been to give me the education that I was looking for. Thanks to the flexibility and immense openness of Northern’s Music Department now I can proudly say I became the first cimbalom student at the university level in the United States.” 

About Northern State University   

Northern State University is a student-centered institution that provides an outstanding educational experience, preparing students through the liberal arts and professional education for their future endeavors. A regional university, Northern offers rigorous academics; diverse civic, social and cultural opportunities; and a commitment to building an inclusive environment for all points of view. Northern also offers a broad-based athletics program, sponsoring 15 NCAA Division II intercollegiate varsity sports that compete in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NSIC). The university strives to enrich the community through partnerships such as its Educational Impact Campaign, which opened a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired; new athletic and recreation fields; and, soon, an on-campus regional sports complex. With the $55 million campaign, NSU has been the recipient of more than $100 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions