Alink - Argerich
Foundation
An Independent Worldwide Information and Service Centre for Musicians and Competitions
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Services to Musicians and Competitions
The Alink-Argerich Foundation provides a whole range of information and services
AAF is open to all musicians and competitions, with a clear focus on piano.
Musicians and competitions:
- may call upon the dense network of personal contacts AAF has in the Piano World
(This can be very useful in attracting high-level contestants, and/or jury members that match a certain profile) - may receive details from an extensive competition calendar
- organisers can ask for verification of biographical information that contestants and applicants submit
- may want to receive information regarding pianists or competitions, anywhere in the world
(results, participation conditions, analyses, statistics, comparisons, procedures, etc..) - may request certain analyses or statistics
- may obtain assistance, suggestions, feedback, recommendations and advice (e.g. about rules, procedures, formulations and translations)
AAF monitors more than 300 competitions per year.
AAF can establish useful contacts and AAF can also mediate when problems arise. An important advantage is that communication is possible in various languages and that AAF's director Gustav Alink knows hundreds of competition organisers and thousands of pianists personally.
Competitions receive much attention, through AAF’s website and the AAF brochure. Whenever possible, Gustav Alink also writes about the competitions in News items and in articles. Also AAF Board member Akemi Alink-Yamamoto reports every month about an international piano competition in the Japanese piano magazine "Chopin".
AAF Catalogue
The AAF catalogue is an annual publication which contains details of all AAF member competitions. Additionally, each member competition may have a page for its own competition design in the AAF catalogue. AAF takes care of a large-scale distribution of the AAF catalogue.
The first AAF catalogue was published in 2005. From 2021, the AAF catalogue will not be printed any more, but will be available as a digital publication, which may be freely downloaded by everybody.
This - together with the announcements, news items, photos and links on AAF's website - means much dedicated attention.
Throughout the year, pianists around the world thus receive very useful information.
AAF Membership
Musicians and competition organisers who join AAF, are kindly asked to pay an annual contribution. For proper understanding: AAF is a Foundation, i.e. a not-for-profit organisation, having no commercial intentions. The Alink-Argerich Foundation depends on contributions in order to cover its expenses. Therefore, these memberships mean great support for AAF.
Naturally, all musicians and competitions may call upon AAF for information and assistance. They receive dedicated assistance and receive detailed answers to any question or matter they submit throughout the year. AAF always tries to reply promptly to all messages.
Thanks to the contributions that AAF receives from its members, AAF can continue to offer these services and expand them. The contributions are not to be seen as payments for services. (For example, students aged under 27 pay a flat membership fee of 80 euro. The amount is not in proportion to the wide range of services provided: much useful information, calendars, overviews, additional details and explanations, personal attention and dedicated assistance ...)
It will be understood that in handling any requests, AAF gives priority to competitions and musicians that have joined AAF, while AAF will always be alert to remain objective and independent.
Note: Whenever the amount of information (or the time involved) in a certain request exceeds AAF's capacity, this will be communicated.
