“Music competitions have always been an important part of the human experience,” writes Laura Volpi in Thursday’s (11/8) Bachtrack.com. “Using a public forum seems to be the natural way to find the strongest young players while promoting the musical genre and helping to establish new professional careers…. Music competitions offer way more than just visibility…. Many competitions offer inexperienced players the chance to attend masterclasses led by world-class artists, and this is something not even a million Instagram likes can give you…. The World Federation of International Music Competitions … today comprises members spread across 40 countries.… The cultural exchange aspect of music competitions is also remarkable. Many competitions, such as the Long-Thibaud Crespin in France, the Van Cliburn in Texas and the Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition in Finland, have participants live with local families for the duration of the competition. The 1980s saw a flourish of competitions being established all over the world, from Scandinavia to North America and Asia…. As much as music competitions will always be a controversial topic for some, there is no denying that their existence has immensely benefited musicians … and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.”
Posted November 9, 2018
