The role of piano competitions in promoting young talented pianists

The role of piano competitions in promoting young talented pianists

The role of piano competitions in
promoting young talented pianists
Stanisław (Stan) Zieliński
Alink – Argerich Foundation, member of the Board
22 April 2015, Radziejowice, Poland
QUIZ
WHO IS THIS PIANIST ???
Are Piano Competitions important in
establishing a concert career?
How many world famous pianists
became known thanks to
piano competitions…?
Famous (established) Pianists and Piano
Competitions…
Claudio Arrau - 1
Grigory Sokolov - 1
Krystian Zimerman - 1
Martha Argerich - 3
Vladimir Ashkenazy - 3
Andras Schiff - 3
Maurizio Pollini - 4
Mitsuko Uchida - 9
Famous (younger) Pianists and Piano
Competitions…
Evgeny Kissin - 0
Leif Ove Andsnes - 0
Lang Lang - 2
Yuja Wang - 3
Rafał Blechacz - 5
Alexander Kobrin - 8
Angela Hewitt - 16
Olga Kern - 19
Famous (unsuccessful) Pianists and Piano
Competitions…
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Nikita Magaloff
György Sándor
Alicia de Larrocha
Nelson Freire
Ivo Pogorelich
Piotr Anderszewski
Queen Elisabeth Competition history
(Example of one competition)
1st Prize Winners:
▪ 1952 Leon Fleisher
▪ 1983 Pierre-Alain Volondat
▪ 1956 Vladimir Ashkenazy
▪ 1987 Andrei Nikolsky †
▪ 1960 Malcolm Frager †
▪ 1991 Frank Braley
▪ 1964 Evgeni Moguilevsky
▪ 1995 Markus Groh
▪ 1968 Ekaterina Novitzkaya
▪ 1999 Vitaly Samoshko
▪ 1972 Valery Afanassiev
▪ 2003 Severin von Eckardstein
▪ 1975 Mikhail Faerman
▪ 2007 Denis Kozhukhin
▪ 1978 Abdel-Rahman El-Bacha
▪ 2010 Anna Vinnitskaya
▪ 2013 Boris Giltburg
Queen Elisabeth Competition history
(Example of one competition)
Other prizewinners:
1952
Maria Tipo (3rd),
Philippe Entremont (10th)
1956
Lazar Berman (5th)
Tamás Vásáry (6th)
Peter Frankl (12 th)
1960
Jerome Lowenthal (9th)
Augustin Anievas (10th)
1964
Nikolai Petrov † (2nd)
▪ 1968 Edward Auer (7th)
Elisabeth Leonskaya (9th)
Mitsuko Uchida (10th)
▪ 1972 Emmanuel Ax (7th)
Cyprien Katsaris (9th)
▪ 1975 Yuri Egorov (3rd)
▪ 1978 Brigitte Engerer † (3rd)
Queen Elisabeth Competition history
(Example of one competition)
Eliminated in the 1st or 2nd Round:
1952
Cécile Ousset
1956
John Ogdon †
1960
Alexei Nasedkin †
John Perry
1964
Nelson Freire
Arie Vardi
▪ 1968 Michel Beroff
Klaus Hellwig
▪ 1972 Hiroko Nakamura
Bernd Goetzke
▪ 1975 Gerhard Oppitz
Are competitions important in pianists’ career
development? What do they get out of it?
– Learning and extending their repertoire
– Working towards a practical goal (deadline)
– Being judged by experts (opinion and advice)
– Exposure to a wider audience
– Stage performance experience
– Meeting concert promoters and managers
– Listening to other pianists
– Travelling the world
– Winning prize (making money)
Are competitions important in pianist’s career
development? What do they get out of it?
Performing in big events with media attention
COMPETITION FINALS
Warsaw
Brussels
Tel Aviv
Moscow
Fort Worth
Hamamatsu
How can a piano competition help pianists in
their careers?
1. Concerts (Van Cliburn – 200 concerts!!!)
2. Recordings (video and audio)
3. Live international audience (video
streaming)
4. Artist management support
5. Making international contacts
Piano Competition – Success…?
Hamamatsu 2003, 2nd Prize Winners (no 1st)
Alink – Argerich Foundation
Independent Information and Service Center for Musicians and Competitions
– Dedicated information on competitions (worldwide)
- details, reliable information, announcements, advice
– Helping musicians and organizers - contacts, dedicated
assistance, expertise, huge database
– Creating opportunities and offering support
▪
reception for all the contestants (2015: 10x)
▪
special AAF Award: concert opportunity (from 2015)
AAF Award
1. Special prize at a selected international piano
Competition in 2015
2. Pianist with the highest points in Semi-Finals,
NOT admitted to the Finals
3. Appearance at a Festival or Concert Series of high
standing and/or in a Concert Hall
4. AAF Award will be announced at the Competition’s
award ceremony
Thank you!
Stanisław (Stan) Zieliński
Alink – Argerich Foundation, member of the Board
22 April 2015, Radziejowice, Poland