Valery Gergiev agreed to head the Tchaikovsky Competition next year
From June 14 to July 2, 2011, the XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition will be held in Moscow. The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation made this announcement. After the actual failure of the last competition in 2007, the media's attention cannot but be drawn to this announcement. Just today, Gazeta No. 202 published a notice about the competition. And thematic websites have already posted comments on this matter.
Valery Gergiev, artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, was appointed chairman of the organizing committee for the competition. The first meeting of the working group has already taken place. The main goal is to revive the authority and prestige of the competition. The main shortcomings of the thirteenth competition were named: poor organization, biased jury work, and postponement of the competition dates.
Gergiev expressed the opinion that the process of forming the jury must be approached with particular transparency. He emphasized that the competition was and should be truly international, and not a "get-together" of Russian professors and their students.
There will be no pianos presented at the competition, although this is primarily a competition for pianists. It was they who gave the competition worldwide fame and glory.
It was decided that the competition will take place in four stages in the categories of piano, violin, cello, and singing. Additionally, a stage of performance with a chamber orchestra has been introduced. At this stage, short works, for example by Mozart, will be performed.
For the first time in the competition program, contestants will independently select their own repertoire, relying only on the recommendations of the competition organizers.
A quite sufficient prize fund has been formed for the competition. It will amount to more than $100,000. The first prize will be 900,000 rubles. But the main thing, of course, is not the prize; the main thing is that the competition should regain its prestige, and this circumstance should become an important reward for the winners. Let's hope that this is exactly what will happen.