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Striking a chord

Two International Van Cliburn Amateurs Competition contestants compose their own love story.

Striking a chord

Two International Van Cliburn Amateurs Competition contestants compose their own love story.

Two contestants at this summer’s International Van Cliburn Amateurs Competition found a prize more valuable than a gold medal; glass installer Greg Fisher, right, of Oklahoma and pediatric cardiologist Miho Yamada of Japan found love. The two met at last year’s competition and married last fall. They returned for the 2000 competition, with Yamada-Fisher reaching the second round this June. The Cliburn amateurs event is tuned for pianists above the age of 35 who have pursued any career other than piano performance. Attorneys, homemakers, computer specialists, a massage therapist, an astrologer and a six-time Emmy award-winning news producer were among this year’s 81 contestants. The big winner this year was Christopher Basso, a Starbucks assistant store manager from New York.