Forte International Music Competition - Inside the organization
Interview with Viktoria Kurbatskaya, President and Eugene Plotkin, Vice President
Forte International Music Competition is an annual event open to instrumentalists and vocalists of all nationalities, ages 4 - 35.
It consists of several rounds, culminating in the final stage of the competition at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in NYC. Participants receive valuable feedback from judges and are rewarded with various cash prizes and awards.
Presented by Forte International Music Competition and Festivals, this nonprofit organization is inspired by the power of music and dedicated to the discovery and development of talented musicians through competitions, festivals, and other performing opportunities.
We asked President Viktoria Kurbatskaya and Vice-President Eugene Plotkin to tell us more!
What makes your competition different from others?
"Our team is comprised of exceptional individuals who share a common vision, passion, and determination for success. Together, we have created a unique environment where talented musicians from around the world come together, share their talent, get recognized for their accomplishments, and have a chance to achieve their dream. We strive for excellence in offering a well-organized, fair, educational, and fun atmosphere as part of our events."
How do you choose the jury, and what qualities do they need to possess?
"Our roster of professionals includes many internationally recognized and accomplished musicians and educators in the field who are happy to provide valuable and fair feedback. In addition to high professionalism, we look for judges with unique backgrounds and fun personalities. Over the years, we were lucky to work with amazing judges, accomplished musicians in their fields, educators in prestigious schools and universities, and just people with interesting backgrounds and fun personalities. Everyone we select is unique and brings something special to the table, while at the same time shares our love and dedication to the performing arts, as well as a desire to help aspiring musicians succeed."
We see you offer artist management services to the prize winners. What does it consist of?
"We are excited to be working more closely with artist management agencies. This is an amazing opportunity for finalists of the Forte International Music Competition to be heard and get additional exposure as we invite the president of artist management services to join us at the final stage of the competition at Carnegie Hall."
You also offer Masterclasses, what benefit does it give the competitors?
"Our masterclasses offer valuable tips and feedback from expert judges and accomplished musicians to help participants better improve performing technique, style, expression, confidence, and interpretation."
How is the competition organized?
"Forte International Music Competition is an annual event open to instrumentalists and vocalists of all nationalities, ages 4 - 35. It consists of several rounds, culminating in the final stage of the competition at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in NYC.
As an international competition, we try our best to make it easy for all to participate. As part of this effort, the registration process can be done comfortably online. We also offer an opportunity for competitors to participate online in the preliminary rounds of the competition and invite finalists from other countries to come to the United States to participate live only in the final stage of the competition at Carnegie Hall in NYC.
Competitors are expected to prepare and submit two different pieces for the Preliminary and Semi-Final rounds of the competition, as outlined in the rules. One of the two pieces is then selected by judges to be performed at the finals. Judges evaluate competitors on a number of criteria, such as range, artistic ability, technique, interpretation, phrasing and presence, etc. and provide scores and valuable feedback at every round of the competition. Based on these scores, outstanding competitors and their teachers are recognized with certificates, cash prizes, trophies, medals, and other awards at the conclusion of the competition. These awards include First Prize Award and check for $150 presented to the top competitor within each of the five age categories and Platinum Award and check for $1,000 presented to one competitor with best musical, technical and artistic ability across all age categories. We are also pleased to announce additional recognition prizes in the form of a free subscription with iClassical Academy, the world's leading online classical music learning platform. Above all, we hope to help all competitors learn to better understand, perform, and enjoy music through our events. Please see the website for more details about the competition structure, rules, timeline, awards, and other relevant information."
A unique environment
"While there are many competitions in the world, since our inception back in 2010, we are proud to offer a unique environment at Forte International Music Competition which is a combination of many things that makes our events what they are today.
This includes everything from the moment someone visits our redesigned website to an easy online registration process, meticulous organization of all our events, various options to participate online or in-person in the preliminary rounds of the competition while also providing top competitors an amazing opportunity to perform live at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in NYC.
Our warm yet competitive atmosphere at our events is much appreciated, and our friendly support staff is eager to address any questions online or in-person during the events, encouraging judges to provide invaluable feedback at every round of the competition, certificates, and awards to recognize outstanding competitors, their teachers, and parents, and much more.
This unique environment attracts many competitors worldwide to discover Forte International Music Competition for the first time. At the same time, it also draws past participants to come back year after year, earning to experience this all over again.
Practicality
"Through our events, we hope to help all of our participants learn to better understand, perform, and enjoy music.
All confirmed international competitors requiring a Visa to enter the United States can request an official invitation letter to help with securing a Visa to enter the US.
We can also help answer general questions about where to stay, practice, and other practical matters.
We invite each one of you to join and become part of this wonderful experience too!"
