Day One: Promenade
Do not feel surprised about the title of this section, you’ll notice it on more spots in this report. In the nineteenth century, the Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky wrote his Pictures at an Exhibition in memory of his friend, the painter Hartmann. In this piece there is a lead theme -which is called Promenade- which forms the bridge between the various movements of the piece, i.e. the musical pictures at the exhibition. The Promenades in this report have the same function, forming a bridge between the impressions of the festival, painted in the characters of the alphabet. Hence the name!
Back to the story: just like last year, my Love dropped me off at the Enschede railway station. From there it’s just a short walk to the Artez Conservatory, the place to go for checking-in. I was a bit too early. Fortunately it was lovely weather, with a perfect opportunity to chat with a few candidates for the competition, who were gathering near the entrance and raring to go inside for the first master classes.
I found out that the competition home and abroad is a major means to gather experience, make public appearances and to build a network, as a part of the musical training. Apparently -or maybe specifically- in classical music the presentation and networking with future employers (musical agencies) have become extremely important.
Anyway, at ten o’ clock the gates opened. It was time for the check-in and a warm welcome by the organizers.