Important Announcement and Press Release
  October 12, 2001
  The organisers of the Rowena Ferguson Memorial Piano Competition regret to announce, that due to insufficient financial resources, the 2002 competition will no longer take place.
  We would like to thank the many hundreds of pianists and piano enthusiasts from around the world who have expressed interest in the competition. We apologise for the disappointment this announcement may bring, and sincerely wish you every success in your musical endeavours!
  Although the Rowena Ferguson Memorial Piano Competition was initially conceived as a one-off event, due to the overwhelming response following the first competition in May 1999, the organisers began to plan a second competition for 2002. The first competition was entirely self-financed, and we were hoping sponsors would emerge to underwrite the next competition and assure its financial stability. However, we have not had the response from the business community we hoped for, and as a result, are now obliged to curtail our plans unless appropriate financial investment can be secured.
 

From the encouraging reaction, nationally and internationally (including from countries such as Brazil, Ghana, Turkey, Thailand, Japan, Russia, Mongolia, Italy, Germany, France, USA, as well as throughout the UK), it seems clear there is a need for a competition which does not impose artificial boundaries around music, and instead seeks to extoll the beauty of outstanding performance regardless of its cultural or stylistic bearing. This is the spirit of the Rowena Ferguson Memorial Piano Competition, and one which we hope will continue – in this, or in any other form.
 

The first competition in May 1999 was won by a pianist, Natasa Srdic, who made the journey to Scotland from her war-torn homeland in Serbia, and shared some of the unique treasures of her cultural heritage at a time when international dialog had given way to hostility towards her country. At the present time when international acts of terror and aggression once again permeate the world arena, it seems that an outlet for international cultural and musical exchange such as the Rowena Ferguson Memorial Piano Competition, could provide a valuable channel for communication.
  – Nicky Hind and Juliana Licinic, competition organisers
 

 

For further information about the Rowena Ferguson Memorial Piano Competition, see the competition website at http://www.CommonSenseMusic.com/RFMPC/