June 20, 2022 – A lawyer in her 40s won the new Youth-At-Heart category in the Amateur Class of the recent 6th Steinway Youth Piano Competition (SYPC) that was held over the past weekend on 18 and 19 June.
The Youth-At-Heart category is a new addition to the competition and open to amateur pianists aged 35 and above. It is possibly the first such category in a piano competition in Singapore which aims to encourage working professionals who love music and piano playing to continue to pursue their musical passion and maintain a balance of mental, emotional and physical well-being in their lifestyle through music.
Says Goh Ying-Peng Cynthia, a lawyer with over 20 years of legal experience: “I am indeed thrilled and excited to receive the first prize in the category. When I was a student, I used to take part in competitions, concerts and festivals. Since graduation however, I had spent the past 25 years practising law, so when I saw the announcement for this competition, I felt it was a wonderful opportunity to catch up on my passion again. I would say to all who love playing the piano, it’s never too late!”
Cynthia Goh from Amateur Class Youth-At-Heart Category at the Awards Ceremony
The Youth-At-Heart category of the Amateur Class was open to those whose main source of income is not due to playing the piano, but who enjoy playing the instrument and for the opportunity to be recognised for their technical and musical abilities. The Amateur Class was first introduced at the competition by organiser Steinway Gallery Singapore in the 2020 biennial competition.
The 6th Steinway Youth Piano Competition saw a total of 140 contestants in both the Professional and Amateur Classes. The youngest participant, Lucia Lek was 4 years old. Says Lucia who received the 3rd Prize in her category, and who has just been learning the piano for a year: “I am excited to have taken part in this competition and learnt a lot from the other participants. I hope to do even better in future competitions!”
The entire competition was held in hybrid format, in-person at Steinway Production Studio and livestreamed.
The Grand Prize winner of the competition was 11-year old Luther Ong Boon Khang who also won the first prize in Category 1 (for participants aged 11 and below) of the Professional Class. Luther will represent Singapore in the Southeast Asia Pacific Steinway Regional Finals which will be held via a taped recording in July. There Luther will compete with Grand Prize winners from SYPC around the Asia-Pacific region. The winner of the regional finals will get to perform at the International Steinway Festival in Hamburg, Germany in 2023.
Grand Prize winner, Luther Ong from Professional Class Category 1
“I was surprised and overjoyed,” said Luther whose performances of works by Beethoven, Chaminade and Ravel won him the prize. “Piano playing means a lot to me, I feel I have to understand the composer’s life and their music for me to express the music and also to present it to the listeners. I hope to bring the joy of piano playing to the others too. I know I will do my best to make Singapore proud.”
Says Ms Celine Goh, Chairlady of Steinway Youth Piano Competition 2022 in Singapore and General Manager of Steinway Gallery Singapore: “We are encouraged by the standard of playing that we encountered this year. Some of the scores were very close and this is indicative of the effort the participants had put in. The high standard of playing is evident that despite the pandemic, music and the arts remain close to the heart of the young and talented and their parents who so encourage them.
We are also heartened by the Youth-At-Heart participants, a clear sign that music remains with you all your life. This year’s SYPC, held in a hybrid format and in Singapore that is gradually emerging from the pandemic, is testament to the resilience and courage of all those who love music and how music serves as a source of strength.”
ABOUT 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 and, above all, a valuable exchange with like-minded people.
THE REGIONAL FINALS
During the national competitions, local Steinway dealers administer countrywide auditions to select a Grand Prize winner from each region to take part in the upcoming Steinway Regional Finals South-East Asia Pacific 2022, where representatives from Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam will compete for a coveted spot to perform at the International Steinway Festival in Hamburg, Germany.
THE AMATEUR CLASS
Launched in 2020, the Amateur Class is for students who enjoy playing the piano for leisure but wish to have a formal recognition of their progress in their musical journey. Here the competition requirements are more flexible with no compulsory work required hence students have the freedom to choose pieces that would best represent their musical development.
