Music competitions attract young talents from all over the world

Southwest Saxony is once again a mecca for talented young musicians from all over the world. Until May 11, 94 young musicians will be demonstrating their skills at the international instrumental competition in Markneukirchen. They are aged between 14 and 30 and come from 25 countries, as the town council announced on Thursday. Most of the participants came from Germany and South Korea, followed by China and Portugal. Meanwhile, preparations are underway in Zwickau for the international Robert Schumann competition for piano and voice. In a month's time, 66 young pianists and 79 singers are expected to take part - also from Asia and America.

This year, the instrumental competition in Markneukirchen will be held in the oboe and trombone categories. Prizes of up to 7,000 euros await the best. The program includes three selection tests and a final round with orchestra. The auditions are open to the public. The renowned competition is being held for the 59th time. The town of Markneukirchen is internationally renowned for musical instrument making. It has a tradition of more than 350 years in the region.

The town of Zwickau, where the composer Robert Schumann was born, hosts the music competition named after him every four years. This year it will be held for the 19th time from June 6 to 16. The prizes for the best virtuosos are endowed with up to 10,000 euros. The youngest participant in the vocal category is the soprano Alma Unseld from Karlsruhe, aged 18, and in the piano category the Japanese pianist Rei Harada from Yamato, who is just a few weeks older, as the city announced on Thursday. The first competitions will begin on June 7.

The competition will showcase potential classical music stars of tomorrow, according to the city. In the past, a number of musicians have been represented who have achieved international fame. Recent examples include the multi-award-winning Egyptian soprano Fatma Said and the Swiss tenor Mauro Peter.