**”The 7th NTD International Piano Competition Kicks Off in New York”**
The 7th NTD International Piano Competition commenced on October 14th at the Merkin Concert Hall–Kaufman Music Center in Manhattan, New York.
Russian contestant Boris Krivashin, after participating in the preliminary round on the 15th, expressed that he felt somewhat tense during the competition. Despite some imperfections, he gave his best interpretation of the pieces. “This is an incredible piece, full of drama and power,” he said, which successfully led him to advance to the semifinals.
During the preliminary round, Krivashin performed the 4th piece S.139 from Franz Liszt’s “Transcendental Études.” He explained, “Two hundred years ago, a Ukrainian warrior fell in love with the enemy’s princess. Captured by the enemy, he was tied and dragged by a horse until his death. This piece depicts that dramatic moment.”
This marks Krivashin’s second participation in the NTD Piano Competition. “I was here two years ago, and I think NTD and the entire competition are fantastic, as well as New York. I love New York too,” he shared, feeling that everything has made the competition wonderful. “I just want to participate in the competition; I think it’s great,” he added.
Krivashin has a preference for traditional music. In the first round, he chose a challenging Bach piece, “Toccata in F-sharp Minor” BWV 910, acknowledging that “these pieces are not very suitable for performance,” as only a few contestants opted for it.
However, Krivashin believes that “performing lesser-heard pieces is a good thing.” He emphasized, “These are truly perfect pieces of music. Bach, Liszt, indisputably great music. There’s also Beethoven’s sonata for the semifinals.”
Regarding his aspirations for participating in the competition, Krivashin said, “It also depends on the pieces, so I just want to passionately share music with the audience to the best of my ability.” He described, “When you perform, you, to some extent, reveal your personality and show the audience who you are,” adding, “You can showcase your true colors as a pianist.”
Krivashin believes that achieving excellence as a pianist through performing contemporary music is quite challenging. The vast repertoire of classical pieces offers numerous options to explore and learn from.
Reflecting on the designated pieces for the competition, Krivashin mentioned that memorizing and mastering them proved to be highly challenging. “Learning the designated piece within a short timeframe, I believe, is the most challenging. I practiced many times, and finally, I memorized it and performed the piece at last week’s solo recital. People loved it, and it has a somewhat different style. I would say, it’s more like improvisation.”
He finds a strong Chinese influence in the designated pieces. “There are many pentatonic scales, melodies, and elements that contain a lot of Chinese philosophical thoughts. You can see it, say it, and feel it.”
During his performance, “I imagine myself as a Chinese philosopher, seeking and eventually finding god,” he shared. “It’s very intriguing, that’s how I feel about this piece.”
Krivashin expressed his hope to perform in the semifinals, a wish that came true.