Who are We Playing for? Fairness in Piano Competitions
Date
2024
Authors
Hung, Lucas
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Publisher
University of Victoria
Abstract
Since the Anton Rubinstein International Piano Competition was established in 1890, piano competitions have proliferated in both number and popularity. The World Federation of International Music Competitions has grown from 10 piano competitions in 1957 to 61 in 2024, while major competitions like the Chopin and the Van Cliburn continue to receive record numbers of applications. In the face of this rapid growth of competitions and competitors, performance careers remain scarce, leading to questions about the effectiveness of competitions in a shifting global landscape for historical musical performance. Furthermore, because winning a major competition is viewed as a near-instant ticket to success, competitions are often scrutinized for their fairness and professional outcomes. Some critics contend that competitions have unscrupulous judging and scoring methods that place competitors of diverse backgrounds and musical styles at a disadvantage. My project addresses various aspects of fairness in competitions with a specific focus on three piano competitions: the International Chopin Piano Competition, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, and the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. By analyzing the histories, structures, and media of these three competitions, I argue that piano competitions serve as microcosms of major trends and issues facing pianists in the classical music industry today.
Description
Keywords
piano competitions, classical music, music juries, nationalism, media, World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC)