8 August 2022, Monday – The sixth edition of the South East Asia Pacific Regional Finals took place on the 28th and 29th July 2022 and we are delighted to announce that Singapore’s representative, Luther Ong Boon Khang emerged as the 2nd place winner in the competition.

This year’s regional finals featured nine finalists from Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Melbourne, Seoul, Singapore and Taipei. The winner of this competition will be invited to participate in the International Steinway Festival in Hamburg, Germany. This is the second time the regional finals was conducted online via a video recording format. After one week of intense adjudicating by the panel of honourable judges consisting of Dr. Wu Ying, Prof. Ewa Kupiec and Prof. Timothy Blair, the results were announced on the 8th of August 2022. Taipei representative Bo-Wei Huang (11) came in first in this year’s regional finals, followed by Luther Ong Boon Khang (11) from Singapore and Donghwi Kang (14) from Seoul winning second and third prize respectively.

Ms Wei Wei, President of Steinway Asia Pacific says, ” We’d like to thank you, our young pianists, for your great passion to achieve musical excellence, We hope you can enjoy the benefits of  your hard work and gain a deeper understanding of life and music.”

Singapore’s Representative at the Regional Finals

In the sixth edition of the Steinway Youth Piano Competition, 11-year old Luther Ong emerged as the Grand Prize winner in the Professional Class Category 1.

Luther began learning the piano at age 4 under the tutelage of his mother, an experienced piano teacher. Since young, he has had an active passion and an ear for music. His musical talent was further nurtured by Ms Winne Tay who is also his godmother.

Says Luther Ong after the result announcement, “I would like to thank my mum and Ms. Winnie for helping me on my musical journey. I feel it is such an honor to represent Singapore and to do proud for Singapore. I feel ecstatic because it is the most major competition I have attained this year.”

“I think I would join more international competitions and gain more experience and exposure to improve myself to the next level.” When asked about his future plans, Luther adds, “I really hope to become a Young Steinway Artist in the near future. Thank you Steinway for giving me such a memorable experience.”

Ms. Celine Goh, General Manager of Steinway Gallery Singapore and Steinway Boutique Manila says, “I know Luther since he was a little child and his passion for music exudes each time he performs on stage. Luther tends to be a quiet individual but when he plays the piano, he expresses his emotions with professionalism and gusto. He has achieved the highest standard for any child at his age and has set the bar for future contestants. 

Luther did Singapore proud and I am impressed by his achievement and dedication to his craft. Steinway Gallery will continue to support his ambitions to become a Young Steinway Artist and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

The Regional Finals Contestants

Luther Ong Boon Khang

Juries of the Regional Finals

WU Ying

Professor,
Ph.D Supervisor at China Central Conservatory of Music,
Chairman of Piano Institue of Chinese Musicians Association,
Steinway Artist
Steinway Honorary Professor

Born in Shanghai, WU Ying began to study piano from his mother when 5 years old, and graduated from the Piano Department of China Central Conservatory of Music (CCCM). In 1982, he received piano master degree. Then, he went to Austria to study under the instruction of famous piano master, Paul Badura-Skoda. After returning to China, he took a teaching position at CCCM. In 1991, he received the Badura-Skoda Award from Swiss Goethe Foundation. From 1994 to 2004, he taught piano at Shanghai Conservatory of Music (SHCM). In 1999, he was honoured with the title of Excellent Expert from China’s Ministry of Culture.

Ewa Kupiec

Professor at the Hoschule fur Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover,
Steinway Artist
Member of the European Academy of Science and Arts

Ewa Kupiec studied in Katowice, at the Chopin Academy in Warsaw and at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Since July 2018, Ewa has been elected as a member of the European Academy of Science and Arts.

She regularly performs at the world’s leading festivals and also with major orchestras. To date, her discography includes more the 30 CDs. Ewa also gives masterclasses around Europe and has been a member of the Jury of renowned Competitions.

Timothy Blair

Senior Partner and Professor with Alexander and
Buono International of New York,
Steinway Artist
Steinway Honorary Professor

Dr. Timothy Blair is a Senior Partner and Professor with Alexander and Buono International of New York. Previously, he served for 30 years in high education, including 20 years at West Chester University as dean of the School of Music, then as founding dean of the College of Arts and Humanities.

Timothy Blair, a Steinway Artist, performs internationally and serves as a visiting clinician & adjudicator. He is a member of numerous professional organizations and boards in addition to being an NASM accreditation evaluator. Dr. Blair is Chair of the MTNA Committee for Advancement and Development & has served on the Board of Visitors of the New England Conservatory of Music. He also provided WCU accreditation leadership that resulted in national accreditation being granted to all programs within the College of Visual and Performing Arts, an historic first for WCU.

About the Steinway Youth Piano Competition 

The competition seeks to identify, encourage and promote young aspiring pianists in the development stages of their careers. In the national competitions, local Steinway dealers will administer countrywide auditions in the following Asian countries: Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam (Auditions for China and Japan are managed under separate auspices).

About the Regional Finals

This is the sixth time the South-East Asia Pacific region has been included in the International Steinway Festival. The mission of the Steinway Youth Piano Competition is to encourage and support excellence in the performance of classical piano music showcasing the talents of young pianists in competitions adjudicated by internationally acclaimed judges.

In the 6th Steinway Youth Piano Competition South-East Asia Pacific Regional Finals, the regional representatives from Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Seoul, Singapore and Taipei will be selected to compete with each other to determine the South-East Asia Pacific region’s participant in the International Steinway Festival.

About the International Steinway Festival

The festival is a biennial event organized by Steinway & Sons in Hamburg, Germany. Its purpose is to identify, encourage and promote young pianists in the formative stages of their careers. 

Since 1987, the much-anticipated International Steinway Festival takes place every two years in Hamburg, Germany. Young pianists from different countries come together for a musical congregation, also known as a “Laeiszhalle”. Programs such as harbor tour or an exclusive dinner at the Steinway Factory would be amongst the many highlights of the Steinway Festival; where an important aspect of the festival is for these young talents to experience the culture of performing on stage, without having competition pressure.