BRUSSELS, April 29. /TASS/. Six Russian violinists have qualified for the Queen Elisabeth Competition that takes place in Brussels between April 29 and May 25, sources from the organizing committee of the yearly international event told reporters on Monday.
"Sixty-four violinists were chosen among 172 candidates," the sources said, adding that at least 45 female and 19 male participants from 19 countries take part.
Among the Russian participants are Daniil Kogan, a grandson of renowned Soviet violinist Leonid Kogan, Sergey Pospelov, Fedor Rudin, Dmitry Serebrennikov, Dmitry Smirnov and Olga Shrubkova.
The Queen Elisabeth Competition is a major and prestigious musical contest. It was first held in 1937, initiated by Queen Elisabeth of Belgium who herself was a skilled violinist. WWII suspended this tradition for more than ten years. The competitions restarted in 1951. They are held yearly, in four-year cycles: piano, voice/singing, violin and composition.
Russian musicians have repeatedly been the winners of the Queen Elisabeth Competition. The main prize went to renowned violinist David Oistrakh in its very first year, and in 1951, when the competition was restarted - it went to no less famous Leonid Kogan.
"It has been more than 80 years since this forum appeared, showing to the world its first prize winner - David Oistrakh. Queen Elisabeth was then both the host of the competition and its mastermind," the organizers said.