Conducting Business

Judging Music by the Rules of Sport: Can Competitions Identify New Talent?


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"Competitions are for horses, not musicians," Béla Bartók famously sneered. Many classical musicians would agree. But even the most high-minded of us find something compelling about these talent contests, which now number more than 700 worldwide.

The charges against competitions are familiar: they turn art into a sport; they are poor barometers of future potential; losing can damage morale and possibly even a career. And there is often least one verdict controversy − whether it's the audience disagreeing with the jurors, or the jurors disagreeing with one another.

And yet, competitions may have a newfound relevance in an era of televised talent contests like "American Idol" and the "X Factor."

As the 75th Queen Elisabeth Competition gets underway this week in Brussels, Naomi Lewin asks four guests whether competitions can help to identify talent in a crowded field, or if they are, as their critics argue, a weak measurement of artistry and potential.

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Conducting BusinessBy WQXR Radio

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