REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE AXA DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE AXA DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION NATIONAL CONCERT HALL, DUBLIN
Dia dhíbh a chairde. Ta an áthas orm bheith libh tráthnóna ar an ócáid speisialta, ceolmhar seo.
It is good to be with you this evening and to have the privilege of presenting the prizes at this, the 6th AXA Dublin International Piano Competition, now one of the most prestigious events in the international music calendar.
Over the past fortnight, 62 young pianists from a total of 27 countries and four continents have delighted audiences with their brilliant mastery of the piano. It has been a gruelling test, for these are the world’s best competing with each other and the stakes are high. Not only is there the monetary reward of the first prize, but there is also the prestigious list of promised engagements including début recitals in London and New York, appearances at international festivals, and concerts with leading orchestras.
This year’s competitors have been outstanding and the dazzling performances of the six finalists in particular have thrilled the audiences watching at home and here in the National Concert Hall.
There are no shortcuts to the level of brilliance these young men and women have achieved and we salute their relentless dedication and their courage in submitting to such a gruelling test of skill and composure. We thank too all those involved in the huge task of organising this international competition. It simply isn’t feasible to name them all but there are some who are owed a special debt of gratitude and these I would like to mention.
First, is the main sponsor, Axa Insurance whose generous support is so essential to the existence of this marvellous event. Then there are the hard-working and distinguished members of the international jury, drawn from 14 different countries and chaired as always by the founder and guiding spirit of this competition, our own John O’Conor. John’s strategic vision has surely been vindicated by the speed with which this has become a first-class, world–class event. Sharing his righteous pride and sharing the thanks tonight are the many “friends of the Dublin International Piano Competition”, those hundreds of unsung volunteers brought together by the limitless energies of Ann Fuller for they too are absolutely key to making this event possible.
But it is the calibre of the competitors and the winners which has truly put Dublin’s International Piano Competition on the map. We thank the competitors of 2003 for their faith in this competition and for their patience as they await the most tense moment of all - the announcement of the prize-winners.