Mediacorp’s annual classical music competition, Symphony 924’s Young Talents Project (YTP) is back for the eighth year running, with the winner to be named as the next young star musician in the Grand Finals on Sunday, 14 July.
“Classical music is often perceived as a higher pursuit but nothing could be further from the truth,” said Sapna Angural, Head, English Audience, Mediacorp. “Classical music is one of the most emotionally direct and popular art forms: people listen to it as they work, study, unwind, commute, soothe their babies or entertain their guests. It is timeless and more present in our lives that we might imagine.”
Organised by Singapore’s only classical music station Symphony 924, YTP is open to performers of all classical works on any musical instrument as well as classical vocalists. They compete in two age categories: Junior, for children between seven and 12 years old, and Senior, for those aged between 13 and 17. The contestants must reside in Singapore as a citizen, permanent resident or on a foreign student visa.
The top 10 finalists are aged between 10 and 14 years old. Six of them play the piano and the rest each play the harp, cello, violin and pipa. They are vying for prizes worth up to $10,000 including a trip to London, and for the chance to perform at the Gardens by the Bay and Mediacorp National Day Concert and the President’s Star Charity 2019.
The five finalists in the Junior category are:
– Casey Li Wei Xi, 10, piano
– Kaitlyn Tan Yu Xin, 10, harp
– Toby Tan Kai Rong, 10, piano
– Anne Ying Altofer-Ong, 10, pipa
– Michelle Zhu Manzhen, 11, cello
The five finalists in the Senior category are:
– Ashley Foong Shu Yan, 13, violin
– Vivian Li Wei Chang, 13, piano
– Sun Yining, 14, piano
– Adrian Tang Zhi Feng, 14, piano
– Xu Ruojin, 13, piano
Past winners of YTP have found success beyond Singapore shores including violinist Chloe Chua – the YTP Junior category winner in 2016, who went on to clinch the first prize in the junior division of the prestigious Menuhin Competition last year.
Mediacorp has assembled an esteemed panel of judges for YTP 2019. They are:
– Ryan Lewis, South & East Asia Regional Consultant for ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music)
– Joshua Tan, Associate conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Principal Conductor of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, and
– Jeong Ae Ree, Soprano, Artistic Director, CEO and Founder of New Opera Singapore
On behalf of the judges for YTP 2019, Ryan Lewis said: “We were really impressed by the array of talent at the semi-finals, with these young musicians showing great commitment and passion in their performances. Our advice to those going to the finals: think positively and just enjoy the experience. You now have a wonderful opportunity to perform on a world-class stage and I know your family and friends will be beaming with pride seeing you up there, as we all will. Best of luck to all.”
Tickets to watch Symphony 924’s Young Talents Project 2019 Grand Finals can be purchased at SISTIC at this link: https://www.sistic.com.sg/events/cyoung0719. There will also be performances by YTP2018 winner, pianist Lim Shi Han, the Aureus Academy Children’s Choir, and Anne Maria Lim, one of the few young organ scholars in Singapore performing on the Victoria Concert Hall’s Klais organ, Singapore’s only fully mechanical organ.