Young piano virtuosos gather in Geneva – rts.ch

Four pianists have been selected this weekend to participate in the final of the prestigious Geneva Competition, which sees young performers from all over the world compete. The final will take place on November 3.

A Russian – barely 16 years old – who tames an impromptu by Schubert… or even a 27-year-old Korean who throws himself headlong into a play by Mussorgsky. Since mid-October, around thirty performers from all over the world have taken part in the Geneva Competition, one of the most important international music competitions.

The names of the finalists were revealed this weekend. All virtuosos, they come from Russia and China, Korea and Japan and are between 17 and 28 years old. Like Kaoruko Igarashi, who won over the jury with her interpretation of Schubert and Liszt.

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Promote talent

Created in 1939, the competition aims to discover young talents, promote them and support them in their careers.

The jury, made up of 7 experts, will have the task of naming the winner during the final to be held in November. However, it is difficult to decide between the candidates faced with such a level of excellence. Because at this stage of the competition, all the performers display perfect technical mastery.

A delicate exercise for Gilles Vonsattel, a member of the jury who himself won the competition fifteen years ago. “You have to capture the details, while trying to form a general image of the person as an artist, and on the totality of his performance”, he explains.

convey emotion

More than objective criteria, the feelings of the jurors are essential. Everyone assumes a part of subjectivity in their way of judging. “Our choice is also made according to our personality and the experience we feel in front of the music”, adds Gilles Vonsattel.

Janina Fialkowska, president of the jury, is looking for the spark, that little extra that makes the difference. “The level is extremely high. I’m leaning more towards someone who touches me, who brings tears to my eyes, who makes me feel the emotion that the composer wanted to convey to us. It’s a gift from heaven… to succeed in transporting its audience elsewhere”, she underlines.

The final will take place on November 3 at Victoria Hall, alongside the Orchester de la Suisse romande.

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TV subject: Mathieu Lombard

Categories Entertainment