They Came to Play

Amateur is just a word when applied to the seventy-five passionate artists competing in the Van Cliburn Foundation’s International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, held every four years in Fort Worth, Texas. Emotions run high as the individual stories of astonishingly diverse contestants unfold in the background while performances of breathtaking virtuosity hold the stage. Lifelong dreams come true, or not, as director Rotaru captures the beauty, the pain, and the hard-won triumph in this exhilarating and inspiring documentary. It’s a feast for the ears for any music lover--composers represented include Debussy, Beethoven, Schumann, Schubert, Cimarosa, Glinka, Sgambatti, Barber, Alkan, and more. DigiBeta video.