Re: Israel Contest

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

I disagree, it is no worse than how it has been every other time. It is wrong to assume that not winning implies that they are not “ready for a concert career.” I had that applied to me once, and it was not true. A phrase like that can kill a career, though. Grace Wong, a superb harpist, was given second place. Heidi Lehwalder, a true phenomenon, the likes of which has not been seen since, was given a special prize rather than first, because of her age (twelve). No, there is really no fairness or logic in who wins, except to the judges, as in most competitions. It will be interesting to see if the different approach in the Netherlands Harp Competition will yield a different kind of result. The fact is, an artist should not be made to compete for a prize. That is for athletes.