Mark Broom, the Head of Lower School and Early Years at Brookes School Moscow, where the Award ceremony was held joins the program. Here are a few highlights from the program:
"What does this competition and award mean for the young musicians taking part?"
"The Young Musicians Award is a real opportunity for musicians across Moscow to showcase their musical talent….True musicians obviously do want to perform for an audience, especially after the many hours of practice and real work that they have put into this in their own time. This is a chance for them to reach a level where they are performing in front of a distinguished crowd, and this is truly appreciated and recognized."
"There is the added factor that this happening in Russia — I guess this is building bridges?"
"Certainly, I think together with the UK-Russia Year of Music 2019 program, this is a great platform to celebrate and honor that initiative….We are building ties which obviously, with relations between the UK and Russia having seen better days, need to be improved. These joint initiatives can only strengthen ties between our nations. Because music goes beyond all cultures and languages, it really does discard all animosity and ill feelings that we may have between each other. Music can do that."
"Who are the children, what kind of backgrounds do they come from?"
"All the finalists come from international independent schools in Moscow. These children are privileged, and they have many opportunities, and maybe that is one of the reasons that they are such fine musicians….It is actually quite a skill to be disciplined enough to learn to play an instrument at such a high level at a young age… Living in Russia they are exposed to all sorts of musical inspirations. One of them played at the award ceremony, in the form of Ivan Bessonov, the Eurovision Young Musician of the Year back in 2018. He performed to us really to inspire our young musicians."
"I think he inspired more than only the young musicians. I was there, he was absolutely incredible. I was shocked to find out that he is only 16."
"He's still in education, he was magnificent…."
"Can music really unite young people?"
"Music covers so many different factors and aspects of one's life. It's really the common factor in the creation and history of humanity. Its influence on humanity is immeasurable. My degree was in acoustical engineering, so I studied sound as a physical and mathematical form. In terms of a philosophical aspect, the world is made up of vibrations and movements. Our whole world is in sense music, from a baby crying to a car driving by, for those of us blessed with the gift of hearing, sound is an integral part of our lives….I am not a professional entertainer, but music goes deeper than entertainment. When music is experienced to its optimal level of human understanding, it truly is an advanced language of beauty. It triggers the innermost being of the human soul. It evokes a reaction in the listener. An individual reaction. It generates feelings and emotions, some of which we cannot even define. It also draws on your memories of the past… Yes, music is very powerful and one of its powers is to unite young people."
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