The Eighth Annual Carlo Tavasani Piano Competition took place in Mary Immaculate Hall, next door to the Magnificat Institute, from the 11th to the 13th of January, 2007. A concert by the winners on Sunday, December 14th, was the crowning moment of the days of competition, intensely busy days for the jury, composed of Father Armando Pierucci; Italian piano masters Alessandro Fortuna, Emmanuele Pasqualin and Annibale Rebaudengo; and the piano teacher Mrs. Reema Tarazi from Ramallah, Palestine. During these three days they listened to the performances of the 83 competitors aged 30 or less, divided into eight age groups. The candidates were all also entitled to compete for four other prizes: the Zia Pina Prize, the Holy Land Custody Prize, the Meeting at the Keyboard Prize (Vicenza, Italy) and the Rome for Jerusalem Prize.
Everything you would expect from a competition was there: stress, concentration, joy, disappointment. The performances were open to the public, and excited relatives, friends, and teachers came and went in the Hall. Some of the competitors spent the time trying to warm their fingers; others, to relax. Some practiced their piece one last time; others calmly listened to the other contestants performing.
There were some black holes, some keyboard blowouts, but above all, there was excellence, even in the errors. Anyone who has ever been through this sort of trial knows what self-mastery is required to continue, in spite of the mistake, “as though nothing had happened”. There was also excellence in execution. Some of the contestants aroused such admiration in the jury, that they were forced to ask themselves, “Will we have the courage to make the choice?” Some of the decisions, then, were ex aequo; however, the jury made no concessions. Witness the competitor who was disqualified by the position of his legs, in spite of his performance. “The posture is far too casual,” said a shocked Italian master. The jury was also strict enough to refuse to grant more than a first prize in any given category. To sum it up: fierce competition. At the end, each winner received his well-earned prize: the applause of a devoted audience, a certificate, and an envelope containing a sum between 400 and 4500 shekels (€ 75 to 800, US $60 to 1000). The two special prizes also included a trip to perform in Italy.
Congratulations to the winners, to all the contestants and to their teachers, as well as to all those who are working to promote music in this country: the Qattan Foundation, Zia Pina, the Custody of the Holy Land, and the Municipality of Rome, without forgetting the Tavasani family, to whom Mrs. Tavasani’s empty chair spoke eloquently of her presence.
MAB
Everything you would expect from a competition was there: stress, concentration, joy, disappointment. The performances were open to the public, and excited relatives, friends, and teachers came and went in the Hall. Some of the competitors spent the time trying to warm their fingers; others, to relax. Some practiced their piece one last time; others calmly listened to the other contestants performing.
There were some black holes, some keyboard blowouts, but above all, there was excellence, even in the errors. Anyone who has ever been through this sort of trial knows what self-mastery is required to continue, in spite of the mistake, “as though nothing had happened”. There was also excellence in execution. Some of the contestants aroused such admiration in the jury, that they were forced to ask themselves, “Will we have the courage to make the choice?” Some of the decisions, then, were ex aequo; however, the jury made no concessions. Witness the competitor who was disqualified by the position of his legs, in spite of his performance. “The posture is far too casual,” said a shocked Italian master. The jury was also strict enough to refuse to grant more than a first prize in any given category. To sum it up: fierce competition. At the end, each winner received his well-earned prize: the applause of a devoted audience, a certificate, and an envelope containing a sum between 400 and 4500 shekels (€ 75 to 800, US $60 to 1000). The two special prizes also included a trip to perform in Italy.
Congratulations to the winners, to all the contestants and to their teachers, as well as to all those who are working to promote music in this country: the Qattan Foundation, Zia Pina, the Custody of the Holy Land, and the Municipality of Rome, without forgetting the Tavasani family, to whom Mrs. Tavasani’s empty chair spoke eloquently of her presence.
MAB