Pianist Matsuev told whether Chinese musicians will be able to oust Russian

Pianist Denis Matsuev, artistic director and chairman of the jury of the First International Youth Piano Competition. Sergei Rachmaninoff told in an interview aif.ruthere is a chance for Chinese musicians to oust Russian ones.

According to Matsuev, a large number of contestants from China is competition in the good sense of the word, designed to inspire talented people. China, the pianist says, copied the Soviet system of music education, noting that in the Soviet years almost every family had a piano.

“Culture, like sports, is invested in China at the state level. And they have a corresponding return – generation after generation, outstanding musicians appear there. Seven or eight years ago, there were already under 70 million pianists in China,” the musician said.

Speaking about his trips to China, Matsuev noted that “almost every village” in China has a high-tech concert complex, where there are halls with “brilliant acoustics” not only for classical music, but also for ballet, solo performances, chamber concerts and jazz.

Denis Matsuev believes that the participation of Chinese musicians in international competitions is by no means a threat, but an example to follow.

“We remember cases when the first places were won by contestants from countries where there is no system of musical education, but where, nevertheless, nuggets appear. In 2015, at the Tchaikovsky Competition, for example, a Mongolian singer took the Grand Prix,” recalled the chairman of the jury of the First International Youth Piano Competition. Sergei Rachmaninoff.