Competition 2010 Redux

It is the week following the Competition and IVCI staff are slowly but surely catching up on sleep, emails, voicemails, the list goes on and on!  Though our office looks as if the Tasmanian Devil took up residence over the past month, everything is relatively quiet. 

I thought it would be interesting to process some of the incredible moments and events that occurred in the past few weeks, and also thank some of the people that were (and are) integral to the success of the IVCI. 

First off, the Competition would not have been a success without the incredible support of our volunteers!  During the Preliminaries and Semi-Finals, we had over 150 volunteers on site at various times helping with ushering, ticketing, the boutique, hospitality, set-up, take-down etc.  There were volunteers to lend a hand for virtually any task you can imagine.  The past 3 weeks were a real testament to Hoosier hospitality and the incredible spirit of volunteerism within our city. 

Speaking of hospitality, we also need to thank our incredible network of Participant and Jury host families.  These are people who graciously opened up their homes to our international array of Participants and Jurors and truly made their experience in Indianapolis special.  We have had numerous comments from our Participants and Jurors about how welcomed and warmly received they felt.  I think it is safe to say that many of our Participants leave knowing they will always have a home here in Indianapolis.

One question we always receive is this: "What do you do during the 4 years between Competitions?"  The answer is a variety of things.  Most importantly, we manage and promote the careers of our Laureates.  The success of "The Indianapolis" is contingent on the successful careers of our Laureates.  Our Laureates make up an incredible list of concert soloists, concertmasters of major orchestras, chamber musicians, and noted pedagogues.  We also present a Laureate Series featuring a wonderful array of chamber music concerts and recitals throughout the season in Indianapolis.  We would love to see you at any and all of our events and we hope you check back here often to read more about the exciting happenings of the IVCI organization!

Isaac Thompson
Manager of Special Projects