Leo de María: The Russian Piano School Leads the World. Spanish pianist Leo de María called the Russian piano school the strongest in the world and noted that it is Russian musicians who most often win international competitions. The second International Russian Music Competition is taking place in Ryazan, featuring participants from 10 countries.
Spanish pianist Leo de Maria, who is on the jury of the Second International Piano Competition of Russian Music in Ryazan, made an open statement: it is the Russian piano school that is considered the strongest in the world today. According to him, Russian pianists regularly win first place at prestigious international competitions, which confirms their high level of training and the uniqueness of their traditions.
The competition is being held in Ryazan from May 11 to 20 and has gathered about 70 young musicians from Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Kazakhstan, China, Colombia, Uzbekistan, and Estonia. After the first round, 25 participants advanced to the second stage. As Leo de Maria notes, the music of Russian composers—Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and others—became the pinnacle of the world's piano culture after the eras of Baroque, Classicism, Liszt, and Chopin. In terms of style, sound, and technique, the pianist believes, the Russian school has no equal.
Leo de Maria emphasized that he considers himself part of the Russian school, as he studied under Professor Pavel Gililov. The competition's press service quotes him: “The music of Russian composers is the culmination of the world's musical development. In terms of style, sound, and technique, the Russian piano school is the strongest.”
The artistic director of the competition, Yuri Bogdanov, explained that one of the project's main objectives is to open Russian music to the world. In the final, participants are required to perform a rarely played concerto by a Russian composer, which demands serious preparation. Bogdanov is convinced: if a musician from another country spends a year mastering this program, they will continue to perform it, spreading Russian music beyond Russia.
The project is being implemented with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, Yamaha Music, the World of High Art Foundation, as well as the governor and government of the Ryazan region, Rossotrudnichestvo, and the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music. The competition prize fund amounts to 5 million rubles.
The jury is chaired by pianist Vladimir Ovchinnikov, People's Artist of Russia and Professor at the Moscow Conservatory. The jury includes musicians from Russia, Spain, Italy, China, Mongolia, France, and Uzbekistan. Organizers emphasize that the competition not only discovers new talents but also contributes to the popularization of the Russian musical tradition on the international stage.
For reference: The Russian piano school has historically been considered one of the most influential in the world. Its graduates regularly become laureates of major competitions, and its teaching system is distinguished by the depth of its technical training and expressive performance.
