The XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition starts today, 7 pm. (GMT+4hrs).This event, which occurs Olympically every four years, is considered to be one of the most important confluences of youth, talent, and prestige in the music world. Superstars will be annointed. Past winners include Van Cliburn, Vladimir Ashkenazy, violinists Gidon Kremer and Elmar Oliveira, and cellist Nathaniel Rosen.
The competition voting procedures have been overhauled, and in a departure from the past, a first prize winner will always be awarded (talk about demoralizing--imagine going through that grueling event only to have the jurors decide that no one was good enough for first prize: "No one is first!" Sounds like a Monty Python sketch...)
Watch webcasts of the event here (you have to sign up for the service): http://pitch.paraclassics.com/Welcome.aspx
See video of Van Cliburn winning in 1958 after the jump:
