Busoni contest is won b y a Russian

Busoni contest is won b y a Russian

News

norman lebrecht

September 03, 2023

The St Petersburg pianist Arseniii Mun has been named winner of the 64th Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition in Bolzano, Italy.

Mun is presently a student at Juilliard in New York.

Comments

  • Zarathusa says:

    I trust Arsenii is applying for asylum in the good old USA!

  • KC says:

    Yes he’s Russian. So what? He’s been based outside Russia for some time, and he’s an excellent and humble pianist with whom I had the honour of collaborating with several times. What is the point of this headline? To create more animosity against artists who are born or trained in Russia? Do all artists have to renounce their own hometown and culture now? Did the Germans after WW2? Did the Japanese?

  • Observing says:

    Cue the hate comments about how anti Ukrainian this all is…

  • Busoni Mahler Foundation, Bolzano Italy says:

    Arsenii Mun was born in St. Petersburg, is currently studying with Sergei Babayan at Juilliard School in New York and resides also in Tbilisi, Georgia.

    Being a representative of the Busoni Mahler Foundation I would like to emphasize that our communication concerning the candidates has at no point included any indication of nationality of the participants: As a committed member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC), the Busoni Competition would like to emphasize the artistic direction’s belief that young musicians are taking part in competitions as individuals and not as representatives of any nation. An artistic career in the realm of classical music transcends nationality as musicians tend to perceive themselves as citizens of the world, living in many different places. We have therefore indicated crucial places in a musician’s biography, such as place of birth, education and residence instead of putting unnecessary emphasis on the somewhat irrelevant fact of the nationality of our finalists and jury members. The Busoni-Mahler Foundation detaches itself from all political ideology, condemns the instrumentation of the arts and artists by any political regime, and instead is abstaining from all indications of nationality or nationalist symbolism.

  • DC says:

    Congratulations to Arsenii!
    He played well at the 2021 Chopin Competition but was cut after the 2nd round.

  • Jeffrey Biegel says:

    A wonderful achievement indeed! What are his short term and long term career goals? Aside from the traditional repertoire and concerts that may come along with the winner’s prize, what path has he mapped out in basic terms to present himself to the public? Of course, not everything is set in stone, but I am curious how competition winners see their place in a very different global platform from how it was in years gone by.

    • Observing says:

      Jeffrey – your constant waffling and English prose is always very hard to read, and gives me a headache. It’s the way you word things – very unattractive and uneasy on the eye.

      • Jeffrey Biegel says:

        Oh no! So sorry!! Perhaps my use of language reflects my early deafness until age three. I speak best through music, but my intention in the post remains the same and unanswered. Seems to be an age old problem of competition winners and how they chart their journeys.

  • Simpson says:

    Congratulations on this well deserved award. I am glad to see that Busoni has not followed this idiotic trend of kicking young musicians out of competitions and holding them responsible for something they have no control over or have nothing to do with.

  • MOST READ TODAY: