EDITOR’S NOTE
Matters of judgement s of judg
Being a juror for a piano competition is an enormous responsibility that can make or break careers. Strong protocols for voting are therefore crucial, yet this isn’t a topic that usually gets much airtime. I recently had the pleasure of serving on a competition jury, which allowed me to experience one such voting system up close. The first round was held online and jurors were asked to rate each performance according to a variety of criteria, including musical awareness, personality, sound quality and technique. This guaranteed a granular approach to the way marks were allocated. Yet when it came to the final, we were only asked to rank the five candidates from 5 ( first) to 1 (last). The winner was the pianist with the highest average score. The result of this approach is that pianists who divide opinion can end up scoring the same (or less) than those whose performances are ranked more consistently. Thus, someone awarded 5s and 1s could end up with an average of 2.5, while another artist might get a higher average despite only having scored between 2 and 4.
At the competition in question, this potential imbalance was offset by a casting vote from the jury chair, but I was still left feeling the system could benefit less contentious performers at the expense of more interesting ones. Indeed, it sometimes the case that players ranked second or third in top competitions go on to bigger careers than the winners. Examples include Vladimir Ashkenazy (placed second in the 1955 Chopin Competition after Adam Harasiewicz), Lars Vogt (runnerup to Artur Pizarro in the 1990 Leeds Competition) and Lucas Debargue (controversial fourth-prize winner at the 2015
Tchaikovsky Competition behind gold medallist Dmitry Masleev). And of course, everyone remembers the furore that surrounded Ivo Pogorelich’s elimination at the 1980 Chopin Competition, when Martha Argerich resigned from the jury in protest.
Sadly, Argerich has already pulled out of this year’s Chopin
Competition jury, so such high drama is unlikely to unfold again. Nevertheless, all eyes in the piano world will be on Warsaw from 18 to 23 October, and we’ll be reporting on the results in our next issue. Let’s hope the jury picks the right winner! Owen Mortimer, Editor
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International Piano offers a rich mix of inspiration and guidance to pianists and piano fans around the world, from dedicated amateurs and students to professional pianists, teachers and aficionados. Celebrating the piano in all its forms, including the fortepiano and digital keyboards, each edition of our magazine is packed with interviews, features, news and reviews showcasing the top artists of today and yesteryear. Practical advice for players runs the gamut from articles on technique and repertoire to learning resources and study courses, plus the latest developments in piano technology. Our goal is to draw together the fascinating strands that make the piano such a popular instrument, enhancing every reader’s knowledge and supporting those who strive to master its challenges.
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