Brasov is a town in the Romanian Carpathians that has always enjoyed art and culture. Even back centuries ago, the city had a population that loved bringing to the town the best of what the world had to offer in terms of music, painting and literature. The placement of the town, connecting the Eastern world with the Western world has made it a melting point of cultures, opinions and ideas. Even in the quasi-soviet 1980s, this city located between the mountains had a cultural scene that included a piano competition. But as the times changed and the politics of the country changed, so did the art scene, which remained drained out and empty at the end of the decade.
It took a lot of time and effort for the city to rebuild itself after communism and to regain its position as an important meeting point in Eastern Europe. Many motivated and engaged people fought for the name of the city and little by little transformed it into one of the top destinations of South-East Europe. Today, tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world visit this medieval city and hotels even have a hard time keeping with the demand. The natural surroundings, the nearby skiing resort and the beautiful landmarks and restaurants draw numerous visitors who want to get their hands in deep in the Transylvanian spirit.
As tourism grew, so did the cultural scene and even though the town still hosts some festivals and events, there is still a lot lacking until the city can reclaim its glory. This is why, in 2017, Brasov-born pianist Ioan-Dragos Dimitriu set out on a hard quest: to bring back the joy of classical piano music to Brasov. After having studied piano in Vienna and having performed all around the world, from Switzerland to Japan, Ioan-Dragos decided to create a competition that would bring together pianists from all over the world to Brasov. He knew it would not be an easy task - creating a piano competition after a 25-year break, during which the city went through tremendous change (especially in terms of mentality) would not be a cake walk. Would people show interest? Would they come? Can it be economically sustained? These are all questions that come in naturally when trying to establish such a great endeavor. And so, in July 2017, the first edition of the Transylvanian International Piano Competition took place. It was held at the hall where the local philharmonic plays during the spring, summer and autumn and it was a true success story, as about 60 contestants from 18 countries including Japan, Taiwan, Italy and Turkey participated. The stakes were high as the cash prizes were not forgettable and the grand prize included artistic representation and concerts in multiple countries.
Following last year's success, it was decided that the 2018 edition would be longer, as two more days were added to the event. The contest was supported by many national and international businesses and organizations, who contributed to the creation of the contest. A special Bösendorfer 280 Vienna Concert piano was brought directly from Austria, which is a rarity, since pianos don't often travel this much for concerts. But then again, how can you set the grounds of a world-class event if not by brining the best of the best? At the moment, the Bösendorfer 280 Vienna Concert is the best-selling piano in the world and has a value between 160.000 € - 269.000 €. Moreover, it is remarkable that besides the world-famous Enescu contest held in Bucharest, the Transylvanian International Piano Competition is the only Romanian competition included in the Alink-Argerich Foundation.
The week-long duration of TIPNOC (as the contest is abbreviated, where PNC stands for piano) was filled with special recitals and included an evening with performances by pianist Horia Mihail, who is the moment's top Romanian piano player and who was also a member of the jury and by Ioan-Dragos Dimitriu, Antoinette van Zabner and Corina Ibanescu, who were also in the jury, together with pianists Paolo Baglieri and Stefan Arnold. There was also a Rotay Evening and a special recital by last year's winner, Cadmiel Botac.
During the contest, emotions ran high as participants with ages between 7 and 28, divided into four age categories, competed to impress the international jury. Some parts of the event were also broadcast online, and the fans, friends and families of the contestants, as well as lovers of piano music could watch the contestants play the pieces they chose to present. In the end, the winner of the grand prize of the "Young Artists" category was Nikita Volov. The 26 year old Russian pianist played Prelude and Fugue in B major from the „Well Tempered Clavier", 1st book by Bach, Piano Sonata in E flat major HOB. XVI/52, 1st mov. by Haydn and Transcendental Etude no.12 Chasse-neige by Liszt in the first round and Piano Sonata op.64, no.7 "White Mass" by Skrijabin and Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178 by Liszt in the second round of the contest.
And this is what it all comes down to.
The effort, the organization, the work, the travel, the promotion and everything else are in service of the music. When passions are high, when emotions burst through the artist, when self-expression and connection with the other cannot be overlooked, no effort is too big, no standard is too high and everything that stands in your power will be done.
Piano music is a stream of energy, it makes time and space irrelevant, as it is a dialogue between the composer, the artist and the listener. It is a transcendental experience, as it expresses through uncatchable, but recordable vibrations, feelings and emotions that cannot be otherwise explained. It turns the ineffable into a concrete experience of sound that leaves you with a new, this time around still ineffable, but processed experience. The music is not a mystery because it's right there, but the mysteries are us, the people, as we decode the music, each according to our mind and heart; and when we connect on that note, on that special note, we know we're alive and we know we're connected; as, in the end, this is what human experience is all about: connection. That's why emotions run so high in music, as performances are a way of overlayering experiences and creating bridges between the deepest places in our souls. How else would we know we are cut from the same cloth? How else, if not through art and aesthetics, would people, in the darkness of the everyday, know they can be blessed?
Fraquoh and Franchomme
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