The spirit of the contest :

«We have never enough severe in labour, never enough free in execution.»

«A contest's challenge : to reveal a talent.»

Marguerite Long

To respect its founder's spirit, the Long-thibaud Foundation wants to meet juries who have mutual values, beyond the technical capacities of a contemporary interpret : charism, presence on stage (alone or with other musicans), communion with the audience, capacity to give life to an emotion and to build an interpretation which speaks to the heart, to have something personal and, so, to let appreciate real artistic personalities.

So, it is necessary that the members of the jury accept, from the candidates, that they take risks, and accept to keep apart their own conceptions.

The repertory that is chosen must encourage the candidates to get deeply involved in the choice of the works, and to fix marks such as execution of great scores of French composers or of a work commissioned to a contemporary musician.

In any contest, the confrontation is necessary, but music must assemble and not divide. It is the reason why to give the opportunity, to every candidate, to be appreciated for the best he gives, is an absolute rule, as it already was for both founders of the Long-Thibaud competition.