MOSCOW, June 28. /TASS/. The Rachmaninoff International Competition for Pianists, Composers and Conductors was seen by more than 6 mln spectators from 71 countries, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said on Monday.

"Music knows no borders. <…> Some 529 applications from 33 countries that the contest received serve as proof that we are open to the world. Yet the main part is not this but the fact that to date, 6 mln people from 71 countries have already watched the concerts online. And this is very important. Our music sounds across the globe," she noted at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory where a gala concert of the contestants was held.

The competition was broadcast on the official website, the Culture.ru portal, the Moscow Philharmonic's website, the VKontakte social network and the Chinese portal Music Today.

The Rachmaninoff International Competition for Pianists, Composers and Conductors took place for the first time in Moscow from June 14 to June 27. It was held in the run-up to the 150th anniversary of Sergey Rachmaninoff’s birthday which will be marked in 2023. TASS is the general information partner of the competition.