{TABLE} Concerto No 1.................. Chopin Concerto No 1...................Tchaikovsky Concerto No 2...................Bartok SINCE last Thursday, Dublin has, courtesy of the Siemens Nixdorf Feis Ceoil, been hosting the European Music Competition for Youth 1996 (EMCY). The culmination of the event took place at the National Concert Hall last night, when three young players performed concertos of their own choice with the RTE Concert Orchestra under Colman Pearce before an international jury of pianists and teachers, which was chaired by the DIT's Frank Heneghan.

This competition, it should be noted, is not an open one. Members of EMCY nominate the competitors (one from each participating country) and the age range for the senior competition is from 15 to 23. The choice of concerto repertoire, however, was free, the only stipulation being that the chosen pieces not exceed a ceiling of 40 minutes' duration.

Sweden's Joakim Anselmby (20) played Chopin's E minor Concerto, in which the rough handling of the music by conductor and orchestra (an unfortunate feature through much of the evening) can have done nothing to ease his task. Anselmby's playing was dutiful and angular, expressively hare. He showed considerable fortitude in pulling himself together after a serious lapse in the opening movement, and in parts of the finale he found a gentler fluidity of line which hinted at an aspect of his musical character which would be well worth cultivating.

Dubliner Finghin Collins (19) chose, as he did when he won RTE's Musician of the Future Competition in 1994, Tchaikovsky's surefire Concerto in B flat minor.

His playing seemed both steadier and more flamboyant than on that previous outing and, though his detailing is still not always tidy, he displayed an assurance that had been lacking from Anselmby's handling of the Chopin. Collins also conveyed a lively awareness of and responsiveness to the orchestra's contribution, something not to be taken for granted in a player so young.

The third finalist, Hungarian Balizs Reti, was, at 22, the oldest, and the extra years showed up not only in his choice of repertoire (Bartok's notoriously demanding Second Concerto of 1931, a particularly daring vehicle in the context of a competition ), but also in the musical focus and technical mastery of his performance. His command and drive penetrated convincingly the heart of this often relentless music.

By any reckoning, it seemed, the Hungarian must be the winner; and, happily, the jury thought so, too, awarding him the first prize of £2,000 plus concerto and solo recital engagements in Dublin. The second prize of £1,500 went to Finghin Collins, the third of £1,000 to Joakim Anselmby; as part of their prizes, these last two players will also share a recital at the DIT.