The competition, to take place in Tel Aviv, will be held under the artistic direction of pianist Ariel Cohen.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFARTHUR RUBINSTEIN.(photo credit: Courtesy)
The 16th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition, which was postponed in May due to the coronavirus pandemic, has announced new dates for next year – April 18 to May 3.The competition, to take place in Tel Aviv, will be held under the artistic direction of pianist Ariel Cohen, former director of the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon Lezion. Cohen replaces Idith Zvi, who managed the event for 17 years.“The corona pandemic that broke out near the start of the 16th competition altered our plans,” said Cohen. “But, as we initially announced, the competition was not canceled but postponed to a new date. I am glad that we were able, in a short period of time, to coordinate between all those involved – judges, competitors, musicians, orchestras and hall directors – and we managed to set dates for this coming spring. All competitors admitted to the postponed competition were invited to participate on the new dates. We are pleased that all but one have reconfirmed their participation.”The competition, named after the Polish-American Rubinstein, widely regarded as one of the greatest classical pianists of all time, was inaugurated in 1974, eight years before his death, and has been held every three years since then.It is considered one of the world’s leading piano competitions and is a significant springboard for its winners, on their way to international recognition. Many of today’s renowned pianists began their careers in the Rubinstein competition, including Emanuel Ax, winner of the first competition, Gerhard Oppitz (1977), Alexander Korsantia (1995), Kirill Gerstein (2001), Alexander Gavrylyuk (2005), Boris Giltburg (2011) and Daniil Trifonov (2011).
