 From 1974, Jean-Rodolphe Kars studied with the French pianist and pedagogue Jean Fassina, the most important and inspiring teaching, according to Kars, in his musical formation.At the age of 19 Jean-Rodolphe Kars took part in the second Leeds Piano Competition (1966).In somewhat controversial circumstances, Kars received the fourth prize, with the first prize going to the Spaniard Rafael Orozco, the second being awarded jointly to the Russians Viktoria Postnikova and Semion Kruchin, and the third to the Russian Aleksey Nasedkin.