Anton Rubinstein Competition Explained

The Anton Rubinstein Competition is the name of a music competition that has existed in two incarnations. It was first staged in Russia and Western Europe between 1890 and 1910, and prizes were awarded for piano playing and composition. Since 2003, it has been run in Germany as a piano competition only.

Original competition

The original Anton Rubinstein Competition was staged by Anton Rubinstein himself in 1890.^[1] Two prizes of 5000 francs were awarded to the winners in composition and piano. Winners include:

• 1890 (St. Petersburg): Nikolay Dubasov, piano; Ferruccio Busoni, composition (Concert Piece for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 31a)
• 1895 (Berlin): Josef Lhévinne, piano; Henryk Melcer-Szczawiński, composition (Konzertstück, Piano Trio)
• 1900 (Vienna): Émile Bosquet, piano;^[2] Alexander Goedicke, composition
• 1905 ( Paris): Wilhelm Backhaus, piano; Attilio Brugnoli composition, (Béla Bartók took second prize).^{[3] [4]}
• 1910 (St. Petersburg): Emil Frey, composition prize (Piano Trio), diploma to Frank Merrick; Alfred Hoehn, piano. (Other piano finalists included Issay Dobrowen, Edwin Fischer, Artur Lemba and Arthur Rubinstein.)

According to The Musical Times of October 1, 1910, the Fifth International Competition for the Rubinstein prize commenced on August 22. Two prizes of 5,000 francs were offered, for composition and for piano playing. The two successful competitors were both German musicians - Emil Frey (as composer; he was actually Swiss) and Alfred Hoehn, professor at the Hoschsche Konservatorium in Frankfurt (as pianist; he was actually Austrian). Diplomas for excellence in piano playing were awarded to Arthur Rubinstein, Emil Frey and Alexander Borovsky. The Board of Examiners consisted of only Russian musicians. Alexander Glazunov, Chairman of the Jury, presented the awards.

The first prize for pianists graduating from Saint Petersburg Conservatory was named after Rubinstein as well; Maria Yudina recalled that she and her classmate Vladimir Sofronitsky had won the prize in 1920.^[5]

Revived competition

Since 2003, the "Anton G. Rubinstein" International Piano Competition has been revived in Dresden, Germany. Winners include:

• 2003: Gabriela Martinez
• 2005: Kateryna Titova
• 2007: Amir Tebenikhin
• 2009: Alexej Gorlatch ^[6]
• 2012: Hao Zhu ^[7]

External links

• Directory of International Piano Competitions
• http://www.katerynatitova.com

Notes and References

1. Web site: Internationales Forum für Kultur und Wirtschaft Dresden . 2009-03-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070928131404/http://www.forum-international.net/english/wettbewerbe_klavier.html . 2007-09-28 .
2. Koninklijk Vlaams Conservatorium Antwerpen 1898 - School, Conservatorium, Hogeschool - 1998, Traditie en vernieuwing Hogeschool Antwerpen Departement Dramatische Kunst, Muziek en Dans, 1998. Desguinelei 25, B 2018 Antwerpen. . D 1998/3370/1 (English translation) Royal Flemish Conservatory of Antwerp 1898 - School, Conservatory, Graduate School -1998, Tradition and renewal. Graduate School of Antwerp, Department of Theater, Music and Dance, 1998. Desguinelei 25, B 2018 Antwerp. . D 1998/337/1
3. Book: Greene . David Mason . Greene's Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers . 1985 . Reproducing Piano Roll Fnd. . 978-0-385-14278-6 . 1088 . en.
4. Book: Cooper . David . Bela Bartók . 2015 . Yale University Press . 978-0-300-14877-0 . 57–8 . en.
5. Web site: Archived copy . 2007-03-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081021071631/http://www.math.uchicago.edu/~ryzhik/sofr.html . 2008-10-21 . dead .
6. Web site: Piano Competition Anton G. Rubinstein . 2013-07-06 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130316143641/http://www.forum-tiberius.org/en/competitions/review/ . 2013-03-16 .
7. Web site: 5th International Piano Competition "Anton G. Rubinstein" 2012 . 2016-02-05 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141221152352/http://www.forum-tiberius.org/index.php?id=32&type=0&L=1 . 2014-12-21 .