(Nov. 5, 2010) A row of judges staring players down is always an intimidating prospect for young musicians, but the outsized lineup of standard-bearing soloists who have been announced as jury members for next year's ultra-prestigious Tchaikovsky Competition is particularly fearsome.
Despite the potential rewards are great indeed: the competition, which is held every four years and is funded by the Russian government, has in the past produced such heavy-hitting future stars as Van Cliburn (whose win at the first-ever Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958 has become the stuff of legend), Gidon Kremer, and Deborah Voigt.
The chairman for the 2011 event is conductor Valery Gergiev, while for piano, the 2011 judges include former winners Vladimir Ashkenazy as well as Yefim Bronfman and Nelson Freire, with Cliburn as honorary chairman. The violin jury is similarly starry, with Anne-Sophie Mutter, Maxim Vengerov, Leonidas Kavakos, and Nikolaj Znaider all serving as judges. The cello competition will be judged by a roster that includes Lynn Harrell and Clive Gillinson, who now serves as executive and artistic director of Carnegie Hall. With Placido Domingo as the honorary chairman, the vocal section's jury includes Teresa Berganza, Ileana Cotrubas and Renata Scotto.
As part of their efforts, all instrumental semifinalists will play new works written by three of the world's best-known contemporary composers: Rodion Shchedrin (writing for the pianists); Krzysztof Penderecki (who will contribute a cello piece) and John Corigliano (writing for the violin). Penderecki and Corigliano are also slated to serve as jurors.
For the 2011 edition, which will be held June 14-July 2, 2011, the organizers promise "transparent, unambiguous voting procedures" and "more rigorous application and screening procedures." In addition, the coming competition will be limited to 120 competitors total, As previously announced, the contest will hold events in both Moscow and St. Petersburg for this session; international fans will be able to keep track of the competition via planned television broadcasts and webcasts.
The competition is limited to younger musicians, between ages 16 and 30 for the instrumentalists and age 19-32 for the vocalists. First prize winners in each division will be awarded €20,000, a laureates' concert with Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra and, most importantly for an emerging star, a three-year series of international engagements organized by three major artist management agencies: the Moscow Philharmonic Society in Russia, Opus 3 Artists in the US, and Intermusica in the UK.
For more information, visit the XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition.
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by Anastasia Tsioulcas
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