'Who would believe it?  A motorcade of minivans preceded by a
   police escort, its lights flashing, winding down snow-covered
   city and country roads.  Such a "welcome home" for a triumphant
   national soccer team or space shuttle crew has ample precedents.
   But could this be real?  Police accompanying a CLASSICAL music
   competition jury, budding concert violinists, assorted orchestra
   players and two incredulous visiting journalists.  Hardly likely!'

In today's feature at Music & Vision, specially illustrated by the writer,
Howard Smith travels to Kazakhstan for the second Uralsk International
Violin Competition:

   http://www.mvdaily.com/articles/2004/03/uralsk1.htm?a

Keith Bramich
technical editor, Music & Vision
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