With the recent conclusion of the 1st edition of the International Piano Island Festival held in Singapore, one could only marvel at the exciting line-up of accomplished pianists giving individual masterclasses and the opportunities to interact and befriend fellow piano lovers in person. In this article, you can learn more about piano festivals and the benefits they can bring to your child and your family!
1. Piano festival? What's that?
A piano festival is an event held over several days comprising a series of individual masterclasses that are open to the public, recitals performed by professional pianists, lecture classes on piano technicalities and piano performance, and of course a piano competition with various categories depending on the age of the participants.
2. Can I know more about this particular International Piano Island Festival?
This 1st edition of the International Piano Island Festival held in Singapore is chiefly organised by Congyu Wang, a Singaporean pianist who started playing the piano when he was only 3. You can learn more about this fantastic pianist by clicking on the link to his website: www.congyuwang.com
The International Piano Island Music Festival is created to discover new talents internationally and to provide assistance in the area of performing opportunities. This festival is also dedicated to helping young music students to pursue a career in the music industry.
Many renowned musicians were also invited to teach, perform recitals, and act as the jury members for the festival competition. These include Eliane Reyes from Belgium, Aimo Pagin from France, Michael Bulychev-Okser from Russia, Elena Nesterenko from Russia, Dr Kim Bo-Kyung from Korea, Dr Nicholas Ong from Malaysia, Benjamin Loh from Singapore, guest pianist Vasco Dantas from Portugal, guest flutist Patrick Dillery from USA, and lastly Congyu Wang from Singapore.
3. What can I do as a young participant of this festival?
The complete package consists of 5 individual masterclasses taught by 1 or more renowned pianists. There will also be lecture classes to attend. Young participants also get to have daily practice sessions at any of the 3 practice studios, in order to prepare themselves for the festival competition. Finally you will be invited to all festival events, including the farewell dinner.
4. What should I do as a parent or guardian of a young participant?
The lectures, masterclasses, competition performances, and other festival events are open to public attendees. Festivals held for international participants normally also cover hotel or suite accommodation in the package, so as to provide a fuss free experience for the young participant.
Furthermore, the young participants of the festival competition will be judged by a panel of renowned pianists and they will stand chances to win cash prizes, trophies, and more importantly opportunities to perform in recitals in various festivals around the world!
5. Why should I sign up for piano festivals?
Piano festivals are usually events where a multitude of renowned pianists from across various countries convene at a location to teach masterclasses, give talks and lectures, and to judge in competitions. There will also be many young and talented individuals who are just as passionate in the piano coming together to perform and compete for the grand prize. From the guidance of the different maestros to the friendships forged along the way, participants will surely be inspired to practice their piano skills and showmanship more diligently. For young pianists and pianists from nearby regions, it is definitely an opportunity not to be missed!
We heard that the next International Piano Island Festival will be held at Reunion Island. It's definitely a good place for holiday too!
Dylan graduated from the National University of Singapore with an engineering degree. He loves music, reading and writing. With strong interests in many instruments such as the trumpet, trombone and euphonium, he frequently attends music concerts.
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