COURAGE
Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Partners,
More than ever, the world needs courage. Last year, I greeted you all with the necessity of beauty; now it is about courage. There is much to be done. The past year – 2025 – saw an exceptionally high number of competitions. We all, as members of our WFIMC, have helped to bring numerous promising musicians to the fore, all of whom deserve a brilliant career. However, we are also aware of the uncertainty these young artists feel about how to shape such a career. We see ourselves as having a responsibility here, and we intend to fulfil it. It is no longer enough to see ourselves merely as an umbrella organisation for music competitions that holds a statutory annual meeting. Despite all the doom and gloom and understandable criticism, our members’ competitions play a greater role than ever in today’s music scene. A strategic partnership with the WAPA network of the Beijing-based NCPA, a participation in the Asian Leadership Conference, the promising partnership with the South Korean ARKO Foundation, and a wide-ranging network of associate members give an impression of the greatly increased international relevance of the WFIMC. A recently adopted strategic perspective will enable the WFIMC to proactively support emerging competitions in the future or even initiate new ones itself. We should act as a seismograph of an ever-changing international music scene and make our voice clearly heard. It became clear that all sides need to be more courageous in embracing new ideas. Conservatories need to change their repertoire policy, competitions need to allow much more interpretative freedom, and young artists themselves need to develop greater courage to develop their own unique identity. We are living through a time of great change – this has always been a good moment for the arts. The WFIMC wants to stand for vitality and freshness. With currently about 130 members and numerous associate members, we represent excellence in international music competition. More than ever before, we will fulfil our responsibility to act as a trailblazer, opening doors to international music life for all young talents around the globe. Let us be inventive and courageous!
© Sihoon Kim
Sincerely Yours
Peter Paul Kainrath President
Greetings
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