This time, they refused to join the wave of "sanctions". The official website of the international music media platform PL Piano Alliance said on the 3rd that the Van Kleben International Piano Competition released a statement on the day of allowing Russian pianists to participate.
Piano League official website: The Claiborne Competition publishes a statement about Russian pianists
The following is the full text of the statement of the Van Claiborne International Piano Competition:
"March 3, 2022.
Russia's 'invasion' of Ukraine is reprehensible and heartbreaking. Claiborn firmly opposed and condemned this cruel act. Pianists born in Russia who applied for the 16th Van Clyburn International Piano Competition were not government officials or sponsored by the state. Therefore, in the vision of Mr. Van Kleben and in our core mission to support young artists – Russian-born pianists will be allowed to participate in the Claiborne competition selection.
During the Cold War, the story of Van Kleben's victory at the first Tchaikovsky International Music Competition in Moscow inspired the world, even in the most tense times between the two superpowers, as proof of the transcendence of art. As he himself said: 'Since we know that classical music is eternal, it is the eternal truth inherent in classical music that becomes the spiritual beacon of mankind throughout the world.' ’
Of the 72 pianists invited to the 2022 Claiborne Competition next week, 15 were born in Russia; 8 of them currently reside in Moscow. These young, talented artists work hard in a tense and complex environment to ensure they can come to Fort Worth and get the chance to compete on one of the biggest stages in classical music – the chance to realize their dreams.
They spend most of their lives preparing for this opportunity, at great expense. This week, one of our applicants sent us this letter: 'I hope that the tremendous positive impact that Master Van Claiborne had on the cold war process should serve as a good example for all artists.' Another (the applicant) said, 'I pray that we will give music a chance to be a messenger of peace and love, and it has always been.' We look forward to hearing that every one of our participants does this. ”
Screenshot of the official website of the Van Claiborne International Piano Competition
According to public information, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is one of the world's top international competitions sponsored by the Van Claiburn Foundation, and is listed as one of the four major international piano competitions alongside the Chopin International Steel Competition, the Leeds Piano Competition in the United Kingdom and the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition. Held every four years at Bass Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, usa, the competition was founded in 1962 to commemorate the American pianist Van Claiborne's first prize in the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in 1958.
The news came at a time when, according to information published on the official website of the Piano League, according to screenshots of emails provided by some Russian pianists to the Piano League, the Dublin International Piano Competition Committee decided to ban Russian pianists from participating in its 2022 competition.