I just wanted to post once again about the Carl Bechstein International Competition that will be held in Ruhr, Germany in March of 2006. Here is the link to the website for the competition.
www.bechstein-competition.com All of the information and applications are there.

Best Regards,

Sally Phillips
Director
C.Bechstein America

"Jury members who are pianists must not have a teaching position but be performing artists. There will also be journalists and music managers.

Each member of the jury will give statements concerning his or her personal or professional relations to candidates at the beginning of the competition."

Now there are a couple of good ideas.

Rats! That conflicts with the solar eclipse on March 29th!

And then, from the patron:

I know from my own experience at various competitions that the greatest benefits
they bring to young artists are not necessarily the prices but interaction and exchange
of ideas between the participants. And indeed the exposure and the opportunity to
play on wonderful instruments (C. Bechstein this time) brings one closer to the
reality of concert life - a good chance to try what it feels like!

Play well, do your best and enjoy the music and the pianos!
Vladimir Ashkenazy

I think he meant "prize," esp. as the German text has "Preis." But is the reality of concert life that one always has a fine instrument?