The first Hanoi International Piano Competition will kick off on Sept. 5 at the Vietnam National Academy of Music (VNAM).
The event will continue until September 13 with the participation of 63 contestants from the Republic of Korea , Japan , Malaysia , Thailand , Indonesia , the Philippines , Canada , Russia , Taiwan and host Vietnam .
The biennial competition, with categories for pianists aged 10-13, 14-17, and 18-25, is being co-sponsored this year by Techcombank and Vietnam Airlines, said VNAM director Ngo Van Thanh.
"Contestants in the youngest age group who make it to the final round will have to play a piece by Chopin, followed by the first, second and third movements of sonatas by either Mozart, Haydn, or Kuhlau," Thanh said.
Pianists in the 14-17-year-old group will play two 15-20-minute pieces by Chopin in addition to one work by a romantic or 20th century composer, while the oldest contestants will have to compete playing Chopin's Concerto No 1 or No 2 with Polish conductor Jacek Rogala and the Hanoi Philharmonic Orchestra.
The winner in each category will receive a cash prize of 1,000 USD, 1,500 USD and 2,000 USD, respectively, with lesser awards for second and third place finishers. The youngest contestant in the final round will also receive a special prize.
"The competition can be regarded as the largest in the region," said VNAM faculty member Tran Thu Ha, who will chair the jury panel. "Playing an entire concerto in 30-40 minutes with a conductor and an orchestra is really a challenge for an artist".
Ha has served on the juries of several regional piano competitions. She graduated from the Kiev Conservatory in Russia in 1975 and earned a doctorate from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow in 1978.
Many of her students have been winners or finalists in competitions in Italy , Australia , Indonesia , Japan and the Republic of Korea .
The remaining members of the jury include Michel Bourdoncle ( France ), Hae Won-chang (the Republic of Korea ), Teruko Hakuta ( Japan ), Kyunghee Lee ( Australia ), Ruvim Ostrovsky ( Russia ) and Snezana Panovska (Macedonia/Malaysia).
Vietnamese pianist Dang Thai Son, the first Asian to win a gold medal at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1980, will be the competition's honourable president and art director.
Son has served on the juries of a number of Chopin competitions in 2010, marking the 200th birthday of the Polish composer. In this competition, the best performer of Chopin's music will receive a special prize.
Competitions are open to the public and will take place at 9am-2pm everyday during September 6-12 at VNAM, 77 Hao Nam street , in Hanoi . The competition winners will perform at a gala concert on September 13 at the Hanoi Opera House./.
The event will continue until September 13 with the participation of 63 contestants from the Republic of Korea , Japan , Malaysia , Thailand , Indonesia , the Philippines , Canada , Russia , Taiwan and host Vietnam .
The biennial competition, with categories for pianists aged 10-13, 14-17, and 18-25, is being co-sponsored this year by Techcombank and Vietnam Airlines, said VNAM director Ngo Van Thanh.
"Contestants in the youngest age group who make it to the final round will have to play a piece by Chopin, followed by the first, second and third movements of sonatas by either Mozart, Haydn, or Kuhlau," Thanh said.
Pianists in the 14-17-year-old group will play two 15-20-minute pieces by Chopin in addition to one work by a romantic or 20th century composer, while the oldest contestants will have to compete playing Chopin's Concerto No 1 or No 2 with Polish conductor Jacek Rogala and the Hanoi Philharmonic Orchestra.
The winner in each category will receive a cash prize of 1,000 USD, 1,500 USD and 2,000 USD, respectively, with lesser awards for second and third place finishers. The youngest contestant in the final round will also receive a special prize.
"The competition can be regarded as the largest in the region," said VNAM faculty member Tran Thu Ha, who will chair the jury panel. "Playing an entire concerto in 30-40 minutes with a conductor and an orchestra is really a challenge for an artist".
Ha has served on the juries of several regional piano competitions. She graduated from the Kiev Conservatory in Russia in 1975 and earned a doctorate from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow in 1978.
Many of her students have been winners or finalists in competitions in Italy , Australia , Indonesia , Japan and the Republic of Korea .
The remaining members of the jury include Michel Bourdoncle ( France ), Hae Won-chang (the Republic of Korea ), Teruko Hakuta ( Japan ), Kyunghee Lee ( Australia ), Ruvim Ostrovsky ( Russia ) and Snezana Panovska (Macedonia/Malaysia).
Vietnamese pianist Dang Thai Son, the first Asian to win a gold medal at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1980, will be the competition's honourable president and art director.
Son has served on the juries of a number of Chopin competitions in 2010, marking the 200th birthday of the Polish composer. In this competition, the best performer of Chopin's music will receive a special prize.
Competitions are open to the public and will take place at 9am-2pm everyday during September 6-12 at VNAM, 77 Hao Nam street , in Hanoi . The competition winners will perform at a gala concert on September 13 at the Hanoi Opera House./.
