191 Greetings Dear Friends and Patrons, Two years have passed since the last Competition, and we are at the beginning of the 17th edition. The very fact that we held the 16th Competition in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic deserves recognition and appreciation. During the pandemic it was difficult to hold events, but this did not prevent us, the members and patrons of the Society, from meeting, year after year, at the Pastoral Hotel in Kfar Blum and enjoying exhilarating concerts. The Society also managed to put on concerts for the winners of the last Competition in Israel, two recitals at Carnegie Hall, New York, one recital in London and a recital in Paris. The current edition of our Competition is very different from the previous one. Despite the fact that the COVID-19 epidemic has not yet passed, we will be able to hold the event in its regular format, in front of Jury members and an audience in concert halls. We hope that it will be successful, and for that all the credit and thanks go to Ariel Cohen, the Artistic Director of the Society, for his tireless efforts and unique skills that have brought us this far. The Rubinstein Competition is already considered one of the most prestigious piano competitions in the world. Its survival in the ”Corona period” and in the days after COVID-19, lays an additional foundation that strengthens its worldwide position and reputation, while contributing to the profile of the State of Israel and the city of Tel Aviv-Jaffa as a unique and innovative cultural center. My thanks go to all those involved in producing the Competition, to the dedicated friends, to the patrons, to the volunteers and to our wonderful audience, who has accompanied us for years and will surely be with us in the 17th Competition as well. Ruth Arnon Chair The Arthur Rubinstein International Society
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