The I’M Piano Duo, which ECMTA member Maxim Puryzhinskiy, participated the 5th International Piano Duo Competition, last September in Bialystok (Poland). It is one of the most important events in musical life in Poland and the biggest competition for piano duets in Eastern Europe, which attracts constant interest from both the public and musicians. This year there were 35 applicants from 16 countries. The Jury selected 5 teams from Korea, Ukraine, Georgia and Russia to perform in the final round. After the third round, the Jury awarded the 2nd Prize and Prize for the best performance of the ‛Variations on Paganini’s Theme‛ by V.Lutoslawski to I’M Piano Duo – Irina Silivanova, Maxim Puryzhinskiy – ECMTA member since 2010. The jury included ECMTA board member Anna Prabucka-Firlej – More information can be found at www.classic2piano.com and www.pianoduo.pl

• The 3rd International T. A. Gajdamovich Chamber Ensemble Performance Competition, will be held in Magnitogorsk, Russia in December 2012. Information on the 2^nd edition of this competition can be found on this website, but consult the website for updated information arriving soon: http://www.magkmusic.com/en/festival_2007/index.html
• The 3rd International Nikolay Rubinstein Chamber Ensemble Competition will be held at the Moscow Conservatory in September 2013. Information will be available soon at www.mosconsv.ru

The Competition for Piano Teachers’ Duets was held in Petrozavodsk 11-12 November 2011 within the framework of the International Youth Festival Movement ”Vmeste! Together!” and the 10th Regional Open Festival of Chamber Music ”Let us fill our hearts with music!”. The competition was organized by the Mily Balakirev Children’s School of the Arts and implemented the original idea of 4-hands music performance competition among teachers from Children Music Schools and School of Arts in groups.

In November 2011 the Children School of Arts will celebrate 20^th anniversary!  What kind of school is this school? It is the Children School of Arts.

Big, young and very creative, positive, endlessly energetic and cozy, this is the way the Children School of Arts.  It is not just an educational institution but also an institution that gives concerts and holds other events. During the whole academic year the School holds concerts, exhibitions, competitions, conferences and master classes, theatre performances, press clubs. 18 creative groups form the School are a kind of School’s “Visiting Card”.  These groups include the Brass Band (led by Mr. K. Kolessov), Folklore Groups “Veresok” (led by Ms. E. Potamoshneva) and “Skomoroshina” (led by O. Gabukova), the String Orchestra “Northern Light”, Choruses “Vdoknovenie” and “Podsnejnik”.

New and interesting initiatives have been implemented in School’s concerts and creative projects, including the Children’s Music & International Festival  ”Golden Keys” and the Youth Festival of Arts Movement “Vmeste! Together!”. These projects let people of arts share their experience and achievements.

The Children School of Arts has been involved in international cooperation for more than 10 years. Karelia is located close to Finland and this fact has facilitated studies of both countries’ cultures more deeply and shared experience between them. As an example, a first joint educational project was devoted to studies of pedagogical technologies and innovations and was held by the Children School of Arts from Petrozavodsk and Niinivaara School from Joensuu (Petrozavodsk). As a result pedagogical staff from each school has got new knowledge in the field of teaching process.

An individual approach to each child and the use of new technologies has made learning processes more bright and interesting. It is well known that children involved in Arts have better academic achievements; they are more adapted to modern life and open to new dialogues. Graduates from the school have continued their studies in High Educational Institutions of Arts; they have been awarded with Grand Prix at international festivals; they have become laureates and received grants at prestigious competitions. During 12 years Ms. Valentina Markova has been School’s Director.

Since 2011 the Children School of Arts has been  a member of the European Chamber Music Teachers’ Association.

A Gala concert devoted to 20th School’s anniversary was held 11 November 2011 in the Big Hall of the Petrozavodsk State Conservatorium. The list of Anniversary events can be found on the Children School’s webpage www.shkolaiskusstv.ru.

Dear friends,

The IV Sergei Taneyev International Chamber Ensemble Competition was held in November 2012 in Kaluga– an old Russian city, not far away from Moscow.

The competition was organized by the Ministry of culture of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Kaluga region, the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, the Russian Gnesin’s Academy of Music, the Association of chamber ensembles of International Union of Musicians, the Composer’s Society of Russia, along with the support of the European Chamber Music Teachers Association (ECMTA)

It is one of the most remarkable chamber ensemble competition in Russia and internationally. Its history dates from 1996, when there was the first All-Russian Competition. One of the founders of the competition was Tatiana Gaidamovich – a famous Russian musician, musicologist, professor of chamber music. After her death in 2005 the Organizing Committee decided to establish a special audition round during the competition – all participants may compete for the prize in her memory and honour.

Jury of the competition consisted of such renowned musicians as Alexander Bonduryansky, Irina Anastasieva, Alla Zhohova, Sergei Roldugin, George Fedorenko, Rubin Abdullin (Russia), Saulus Sondeckis (Lithuania), Gunta Sproge (Latvia), Farhad Badalbeili (Azerbaijan). Among Jury panel there were two ECMTA members (Bonduryansky and Sproge). Due to bureaucratic difficulties Evan Rothstein couldn’t come to Kaluga, also because of health problems Michael Flaksman had to cancel his visit to the competition.

The results of the competition:

1 Prize	Piano trio SHAIKIN Alexander, KRAVTZOV Kirill, ZEMLERUB Fedor (Russia, professors – A.Bonduryansky, I.Kandinskaya)	1st price winners
2 Prize	Piano duet Olga KOZLOVA, Nicolay KOZHIN (Russia, professor – A.Bonduryansky), Piano Quartet GAILE Elina, JAGMANE Marta, KALNIŅA Zane, ZALITE Dace (Latvia, professor – J. Maleckis)
3 Prize	Piano trio KEKO Soedjima, TANABE Ayako, PAK Chul Gyn (Japan – Korea, professor – I.Krasotina)
4 Prize	Piano Quartet SARWIÑSKA Ewa, BRUDEREK Adam, SIENKIEWCZ Karol, WISNIEWSKA Maria (Poland, professors – A. Prabucka-Firlei, R. Kvyatkovsky)
5 Prize	Piano duet Alisa STEKOLSHIKOVA, Nadezhda GERASIMOVA (Russia, professor – D. Galynin), Piano duet Andrey KUDRYAKOV, Alexandra STAROSTINA (Russia, professor – A.Tarakanov)
Diploma	Piano duet Hripsime AGHAKARYAN, Edita HAKOBYAN (Armenia, professor – R.Tandilyan)

It is necessary to note that Piano trio SHAIKIN – KRAVTZOV – ZEMLERUB recently took the 1 Prize at the I All-Russian chamber music competition. The information about this competition will come later.

Sincerely,
Alexander Bonduryansky

Competition for Piano Performers/Groups of Teachers within the framework of the X Regional Open Festival of Chamber Music “Let us fill our hearts with music!”

«…Childhood and youth is a period in life, when human being’s future is designed it is a time when everyone tries something, opens something new for him/herself experiments and is afraid of nothing” D. A. Medvedev   (from RF President address to Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation)

The Children School of Arts (Petrozavodsk) organized the IV International Scientific & Practical Conference “Development of creative potential of the child’s personality. Pedagogical achievements, opportunities and development perspectives. Children & Youth Theatre”.

The first Republican conference about game technologies in creative development was held in 2001 at the Children School of Arts. Participants of the second conference discussed the issue of use of different methods of Art Pedagogy in 2004. In 2007 the holders of the third conference, t.i. Children School of Arts and Center of Informational technologies (Karelia State Pedagogical University) proposed to participants to discuss a very topical subject – Use of informative & communicative technologies in pedagogical activities to develop children’s creativeness.

October 30 - November 6, 2011 in Kaluga, Russia

Detailed Information: http://old.mosconsv.ru/english/page.phtml?2237

Deadline: May 31, 2011

For Piano Ensembles: Duo, Trio, Quartet, and Quintet. Age group 16-34. The competition will be held in three rounds: I preliminary selection round (by recording), II and III rounds in the Concert Hall of the Kaluga Philharmonic Society, audition pursuing the Prize named after T. A. Gaidamovitch in the Concert Hall of the Music college named after S. I. Taneev, the final concert of the winners in the Concert Hall of the Kaluga Philharmonic Society and the Rachmaninov’s Hall of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

List of concerts and competitions...

List of concerts and master classes...