Mounting a musical peak

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In 2006, the idea of a truly international competition for classical music was born in a tea house. Zhang and his partners decided that the country with the world's largest population of music learners should have its own competition - not targeting locals and "living up to world standards". "It should be established, so it continues hundreds of years after us," Zhang recalls saying.

By that time, Zhang had been doing graphic design for others long enough to want "something for myself".

The organizing committee, which was a multi-tasking handful of volunteers from his company, launched the contest by sending some 400 invitations to art institutions around the world.

They also sent out a long invitation letter to each potential judge.

"We didn't know what could persuade them to join a newborn competition," Zhang says, "so we honestly spoke our mind."

The letter's plea to create an international platform for Chinese musicians was compelling, and managed to attract international judges.

"If you compare young talents' resumes from here and Western countries," Zhang says, "ours are weak." For most Chinese students, their experiences consist of only two things: going to an elite art academy and being instructed by an expert. "Three lines will tell it all," Zhang says, as compared to their counterparts' resumes running a few pages.

Perhaps thanks to Zhang's vision, international musicians responded.

And with the help of Aurele Nicolet, the Swiss flutist and chairman of the jury of the first event, the competition opened in April 2006.

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