Presse Archive

1st international Carl Bechstein Piano Competition – Ruhr (Germany)
March 22 nd-31 st 2006
2006 marks the start for a New International Piano Competition – with a special profile.
Vladimir Ashkenazy has taken over the patronage fort his big project. Initiators and organizers are the renowned piano maker C. Bechstein Berlin Germany and a well known Academy of Music, Folkwang Hochschule, Essen/Duisburg.
The stages will take place mainly in concert halls, located in North-Rhine Westfalia, the Center of concert-culture in Germany, well known also fort he famous Klavierfestival Ruhr, featuring international stars.
Vera attractive awards – a total of 25.000 Euro will be offered to the winners! This will include the opportunity to perform with major orchestras in prestigious German concert halls such as Philharmonie Essen, Konzerthaus Dortmund, Bochumer Symphoniker, Theater und Philharmonie Duisburg. In addition, various other concert engagements in German cities – probably even in Russia - as well as performances in Bechstein concert series in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Köln, Münster, Tübingen and in Woerden (Netherlands). Also a “artist in residence status” and interesting special awards are being negotiated.
The Repertoire of the competition should contain works of composers associated with the legendary sound of Bechstein – music that demands a very lyrical, singing tone – part of it is music that has been written and composed on a Bechstein itself: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Reger, Franck, Debussy, Skriabin, Rachmaninoff, Glasunov, Anton Rubinstein, Granados, Busoni, Godowsky, Bartok, Schostakowitsch.
The competition is open to pianists of all nationalities, born between 01.04.74 and 22.03.88.
The Jury under the leadership of Boris Bloch will be internationally. Jury members will not be piano teachers. There will also be journalists and music managers.