Winning the competition – what it meant for you, the impact on your career

Winning the DIPC had a huge personal and professional impact.  It was the first time I took part in a competition of such calibre, and although I prepared for it very seriously, I could not possibly expect such a result. It happened to become my main door towards ‘serious’ concert life and I have been kept busy with various engagements since then.

Any special memory or anecdote

Probably one of the most special memories I have is the chance I was given to play Prokofiev 2^nd Concerto in the finals; being in the last round and get to play the most challenging and much loved piece I have had worked on until then (… and maybe it remains so until now), in front of the largest audience I had ever seen – the whole situation was surreal. Although I remember very well the terrible minutes preceding the “going on stage”, I have no recollection of the applause and what happened right after the performance.

Your experience during the competition

The Competition was overall an uplifting, very positive learning experience. The huge if not extraordinary mental work that one has to go through in a competition process, from preparation to performance, demands the healthiest possible environment, that’s why the human side of the DIPC cannot be underlined enough : a helpful, friendly, respectful and always supporting staff, who knew everyone by name and had something to say to each competitor. The host families were part of the whole event, supporting not only ‘their’ participant, and I am still keeping contact with several of them, including of course my host who is now a dear friend.

Nathalia Milstein

www.nathaliamilstein.com

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