Technique is a tool without which no artist can survive. Yet too much of it on display gets in the way of inspiration.

Technique is a tool without which no artist can survive. Yet too much of it on display gets in the way of inspiration. Is a thorough control over the instrument enough to satisfy a listening audience? It is a good start, but more is needed. Viewers find out how performers make the leap from technical prowess to artistic mastery with the help of conductor James Conlon, pianist Menahem Pressler and the young pianists who competed in the Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, held in Fort Worth, Texas, in the spring of 2005. Musical excerpts and rehearsals feature Roberto Plano and the Takács Quartet.