Two Russians enter semi-final of Tchaikovsky music contest.

MOSCOW, June 19 (Itar-Tass) - Two Russians cellists have made their
way into the semi-final of the International Tchaikovsky music concert.
The contest's General Director Richard Rodzinski announced the first round
results in the Small Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire on Saturday.
A total of 12 cellists, including two Russians, have made it into the
second round. They include Alexander Ramm, the 22-year-old student of the
Moscow Conservatoire, and Alexei Zhilin, the 24-year-old graduate of the
St. Petersburg Conservatoire.
Other entrants have come from Germany, Italy, Canada, France, Belarus,
Armenia, Sweden, the United States and South Korea.
"It was very difficult to select the future participants in the second
round. Many cellists performed very well but we had to stick to the rules
and reduce the number of participants, " Rodzinski went on to say.
This year the Tchaikovsky music contest is being held in two cities,
Moscow and St. Petersburg, for the first time.
Both cellists and pianists will start competing in the second round on
June 20.
The contest of vocalists kicks off only on July 2.

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