Participate and Win (2017)

Born in the Soviet Union, Leonid Kogan began to play violin at the age of 6. When he was 9 years old, his violin teacher said to the boy's parents that their son was too good for him. The same year Leonid was sent to Moscow to study violin at the music school for gifted children. Kogan's talent blossomed so much that in 1951 the Soviet government sent him to compete at the prestigious violin contest in Brussels. Over there he took the first prize and from that moment on Kogan's career took off. For 30 years he was recognized among the best in the world. But suddenly his fame came to an abrupt halt. What happened? He asked the Soviet government to permit him to buy a new violin.