[1] Reflecting the shared vision of its founders, conductor Lorin Maazel and philanthropist Alberto Vilar, the competition aims to give exceptional opportunities for career development to young talented conductors.
[2] The competition is an international event.
In 2001–02 it held six regional rounds worldwide, leading up to a final round at the Carnegie Hall in New York City in September 2002.
At each stage, the candidates did not compete against each other for ranking by a jury, but rather were measured against a standard set to demonstrate outstanding potential.
This open competitive process, under the guidance of Lorin Maazel, was designed to educate all of the participants about the breadth of skills a successful conductor must have and the rigorous training required to master those skills.