Letter from Montreal: The closest of calls

The ninth Montreal International Musical Competition – this year devoted to the violin – may well be remembered as one of the fairer, more friendly and less controversial events of its kind. The level of ability was exceptionally high, a spirit of camaraderie prevailed throughout and the organisers went all out to ensure that everything went smoothly. Juror Rodney Friend, who has served on the juries of nearly 40 international competitions, observed: ‘Seldom do we find the chemistry on such a high level as we did in this competition.’

Twenty-three contestants (a 24th cancelled due to illness) participated in the quarter-finals, held from 25 to 27 May. The competitors came from ten countries, with the US and South Korea sending the most (five and four respectively); Germany and Japan sent three competitors each, China and Canada two each, France, Poland, Russia and the Czech Republic one each. Benjamin Beilman, 20, still a student at the Curtis Institute, won the CA$30,000 first prize, preserving the tradition of this honour going to exceptionally young competitors.

Most of those watching the final round of the competition recognised that the seven-member jury faced an unenviable task, as the standard of playing was so high and no single candidate seemed destined for first prize. There was no discussion – each jury member simply submitted a score to the president. Opinions were meant to be formed only on the basis of the concerto performance. However, as juror Paul Kantor observed: ‘One cannot mandate amnesia.’ In the end, though, the judges were obviously impressed more by artistic maturity and musical sensitivity than by flash and dazzle.

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