HÀ NỘI — The fourth Steinway Youth Piano Competition will launch the countrywide audition round on March 20 to select the national winner to represent Việt Nam at the regional final in Taiwan.

The International Steinway Festival takes place every two years and is one of the most significant events for piano students in the world. Every two years, children and teenagers from around the world meet to take part in a musical community with the festival concert as the highlight.

In Việt Nam the competition has been being held since 2012 by Việt Thương Music, a Steinway representative in Việt Nam. This year there are about 130 young contestants registered.

"It is the only professional competition for all piano students under 17 years old," said Phương Nguyễn, from the national organisation. "The number of participating contestants has grown over time. This year the number of contestants almost tripled than 2016. It means that quality of the contestants will be improved."

The competition will include audition, semi-final and final rounds. The semi-final round will be held in April 20 in Hà Nội and HCM City. The final round will take place on May 19 in HCM City.

There are three categories for different ages. The first category is for 11 and under, the second category is for 12 to 14 and the third category is for 15 to 17. Participants must present three constrasting selections totalling a maximum playing time from 15 to 20 minutes.

The repertoire must include the first movement of a Sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Clementi or Schubert. Participants are required to perform the exact same repertoire for further stages of the competition.

The winners from the categories will perform the same piece at a gala concert to compete for one slot to present at the regional finals in Taiwan in August. There, competitiors will vie for a chance to represent Southeast Asia at the International Steinway Festival 2018 in Hamburg, Germany.

The Vietnamese representative will compete with contestants from Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore at the regional final. — VNS