Public TV Starts Classical Music Talent Contest

Budapest (MTI) – Public television M1 will on Friday start the broadcast of a talent contest for classical music which has attracted applications from nearly two thousand young musicians and singers around Hungary.

Virtuosos, the first talent contest of its kind in the world will include youngsters competing in three age groups, the Media Service Support and Asset Management Fund (MTVA) said.

The jury of renowned professionals will include opera singer Erika Miklosa, music historian Andras Batta, conductor Gergely Kesselyak, pianist Attila Nemethy and violinist Miklos Szenthelyi.

The chief patron of the programme is Ioan Holender, who has headed the Vienna State Opera for more than two decades.

During the finals in December, winners in each age group and one top winner of the entire competition will be chosen by audiences. The age group winners will get the opportunity to make a record and perform at the Avery Fisher Hall in New York, the Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto and the Kravic Center in Miami, respectively. The top winner will additionally receive a cash prize of 12 million forints (EUR 40,000).

Photo: MTI – Tibor Rosta

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters