“I’m sorry for not recognizing you. I’m Kang Hyun.”
It wasn’t possible to memorize the names and faces of all the great masters worldwide. Viktor scrutinized Kang Hyun from head to toe with a beady-eyed gaze and then spoke.
“You look much younger than what I heard.”
Why do all Russians have similar first impressions? Viktor’s stern look glared at Kang Hyun like a thug. Was he trying to pick a fight?
Instead, Kang Hyun offered a faint smile. There was no need to waste energy here.
“Thank you.”
“Ahem.”
Surprised by the unexpected response, Viktor cleared his throat and turned away.
“Hyun, shall we go?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
With Hirose escorting him, Kang Hyun started walking. Curiously, two vehicles had been prepared, and Viktor boarded one alone as if it had been prearranged. It made Kang Hyun wonder why Viktor had come to meet him in the first place.
Just then, as if reading Kang Hyun’s thoughts, Hirose spoke.
“Hyun, among the judges, there were people who welcomed your invitation, but there were also those who didn’t. Viktor, in particular, was strongly opposed. He’s a very conservative person. No matter how excellent your skills are, he won’t believe it until he sees it with his own eyes. He probably thinks your reputation is exaggerated.”
It was as expected. In a way, it was a given. All the judges, except for Kang Hyun, were well into their middle ages. Judges are expected to have keen insight, experience, and maturity. In that sense, Kang Hyun was objectively very young.
With Viktor having stepped aside, Kang Hyun voiced a question he had been holding inside.
“Ms. Hirose, I’ve been curious ever since I came here. You said you recommended me as the final judge for the Queen Elisabeth Competition, but I’m curious about the reason.”
“A reason…”
Hirose paused, seemingly caught off guard by the question, and then began to speak.
“Is there really a need to explain?”
What did that mean?
“Hyun, you are already a globally recognized virtuoso and maestro. If you are not allowed to sit as a judge just because you are young, our classical music world will not progress. Everyone talks about wanting the next Mozart or Beethoven, but a conservative culture still runs deep. I’ve always wanted to break away from that culture. Perhaps you will play a role in opening that door.”
It all made sense now. Hirose had called Kang Hyun to the Queen Elisabeth Competition for that reason. Then Hirose added something mysterious.
“And I’m not the one who called you, Hyun.”
“Pardon? You said you recommended me.”
“That’s what’s known publicly, but it’s not true.”
Although Kang Hyun wanted to ask who had recommended him, Hirose didn’t seem inclined to speak further. Meanwhile, the car was heading from the airport to the center of Brussels.
“Hyun!”
It was a restaurant located in the center of Brussels. All the other judges, except Hirose and Viktor, had gathered and were waiting for Hyun.
Most of the great masters were meeting for the first time, but Deng Lun, who had previously served as a judge for the Queen Elisabeth Competition, stood up to greet Kang Hyun warmly.
“It’s been a long time. It’s quite moving to see you all grown up.”
Deng Lun treated Kang Hyun like a kind grandfather. The other masters looked on with curiosity.
No wonder, as Kang Hyun had recently been causing quite a stir in the classical music world. Particularly, the French master Hugo kept asking Kang Hyun questions.
“Hyun, you mean you didn’t get any advice from anyone when composing your symphonies?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Huh!”
Both Hugo and Deng Lun looked at Kang Hyun with astonished eyes. They knew Kang Hyun composed alone, but they couldn’t believe he had composed the epic symphonies without anyone’s help.
Kang Hyun’s symphonies were all unique in their composition and storytelling. Even those who had been in music for decades couldn’t easily judge his scores. Just then,
“What’s so impressive about that?” Viktor, whose nose was as red as a ripe persimmon, clanged his wine glass down and spoke. He looked as if he was already quite intoxicated.
“Didn’t everyone here start composing a long time ago?”
“Viktor, Hyun’s symphonies are on a different level from the pieces we composed.”
“Do you really think so? To me, it seems like the media is overhyping him. Who knows, in today’s world, money can buy anything. Who’s to say the Billboard charts weren’t also bought?”
Kang Hyun couldn’t help but laugh at Viktor’s grumbling. If Viktor had been in his twenties instead of middle-aged, Kang Hyun might have given him a smack right then and there.
At that moment, the French master Hugo frowned and looked at Viktor.
“Viktor, you seem very drunk tonight. Perhaps it’s best if you go back to the hotel and rest.”
Despite Hugo’s words, Viktor showed no sign of getting up. Instead, he took another sip of his wine.
Kang Hyun shook his head. There was no use in arguing with someone who was heavily intoxicated. As the saying goes, you avoid dung not because you fear it.
“No, I’ll excuse myself first. I’m actually quite tired from the long flight.”
“Hyun, you want to leave first? This is quite unexpected.”
Hugo glared at Viktor once more before turning his head. Then Viktor sneered at Kang Hyun, who was about to get up.
“A young brat like you leaving before the others have even gotten up, what a world we live in.”
Despite Viktor’s sneer, Kang Hyun let it go in one ear and out the other. He couldn’t get angry in front of Hirose.
Just then, Viktor, seeing Kang Hyun’s indifferent attitude, flared up and added,
“Let’s ask Alexei if he thinks this kid is fit to be a judge for the Queen Elisabeth Competition.”
“Viktor!”
Hugo shouted, but Viktor was already pressing the button on his phone. Kang Hyun shook his head. It seemed clear that his days in Brussels would not go smoothly.
Viktor licked his dry lips. Just thinking about that guy made his frown lines deepen. He didn’t like him from the first meeting. The kid, with his delicate, almost girlish looks, did nothing but irk him.
“No matter how I look at it, he’s not judge material.”
Viktor trusted his own judgment. How many years had he been playing the violin? Longer than that kid had been alive.
“Billboard charts?”
Ridiculous. What was so noteworthy about ranking on the Billboard charts? When did classical music start bowing to commercialism? He couldn’t help but lament.
Even if the New York performance was a huge success, it was just a flash in the pan. There was no guarantee that the kid’s popularity would last ten or twenty years.
“Why did Alexei have to say that?”
Who would have thought Alexei, whom he trusted, would shower such praise?
Surely, over time, Alexei’s personality had softened. After all, he was the director of the Moscow Conservatory. Teaching students must have made him more gentle and tender.
“Tsk.”
He wanted to find a way to embarrass the kid, but there was no way. Chinese master Deng Lun and the other judges were all protective of the kid.
Especially Japanese master Hirose, who was acting like the kid’s mentor. Just then,
“Sir, today is the day for the tape auditions.”
The voice of a Queen Elisabeth Competition official came through after a knock. The tape audition was literally about selecting participants from around the world based on their audition tapes. Since the number was enormous, judges paired up to watch the tapes.
“Who’s paired with me today?”
The official looked at the documents for a moment before answering.
“Violinist Hyun.”
Viktor’s lips curled slightly. Fine, let’s see how good his judgment is.
Rustle.
Kang Hyun felt his ears itch again as he came out of the shower with a towel around his neck. Someone was definitely talking bad about him. He had a good guess who it might be, but what could he do? Just then,
“Hyun, today is the tape audition day.”
Eva, a Queen Elisabeth staff member, came to deliver the schedule in person. It might have been because of their bond from seven years ago in Brussels, but it wasn’t awkward with Eva.
“Eva, who will be the judge paired with me?”
He hoped it would be Hirose or Deng Lun. Even among judges, everyone had their own opinions, and he didn’t want to bicker with someone he didn’t get along with.
Eva hesitated before speaking.
“It’s Mr. Viktor.”
A moment of disappointment crossed Kang Hyun’s face, but he quickly erased it.
The die was cast. Even if he didn’t like it, he’d still have to face Viktor frequently as a judge.
It was better to get it over with. It would also be a chance to assess Viktor’s judgment.
They arrived at the location for the tape audition. Viktor was already sipping tea and didn’t even acknowledge Kang Hyun’s greeting.
‘He’s not a child.’
Ignoring Viktor’s attitude, Kang Hyun took a seat. As soon as he sat down, Eva brought tea and snacks.
The purpose of the tape audition was simple. It was about selecting from the thousands of violinists around the world who had applied. The judges divided into teams to cover hundreds of submissions. They couldn’t watch every tape in full, which ranged from three to ten minutes.
“Fail.”
“Fail.”
Just by looking at the posture and depth of melody, they could tell if the performer was a proper violinist. Viktor’s judgment was also sharp, as expected of a master. Kang Hyun wondered if he had worried for no reason.
“Pass.”
“Pass.”
Their opinions kept aligning perfectly. Viktor glanced at Kang Hyun with a look of surprise.
Typically, judges would share reasons for rejection, but the two of them only said “fail” or “pass.”
To an outsider, it would look like they were conspiring, as they had agreed on every decision for an hour.
Then came a moment when a young male student’s performance appeared on the screen. Viktor furrowed his brow and shook his head.
“Fail.”
But Kang Hyun differed.
“Pass.”
It was the first time their opinions clashed.
