HÀ NỘI  — Eighty-two music students from across the world will compete at the 4th Hà Nội International Piano Competition next week.

It will be held at the Việt Nam National Academy of Music (VNAM) from September 8 to 15.

The competition is organised by VNAM and Hà Nội Chopin Association to give young musicians a chance to compete at international-level with contestants from other countries.

"This year, the number of contestants increases dramatically," said the judge panel’s chairwoman, People’s Teacher Professor Trần Thu Hà, at a press conference held yesterday in Hà Nội.

"The competition has made strong impression on foreign contestants at the previous times, thus it has become more popular this year."

Last year, only 55 people competed compared with 82 this year.

Nine countries and territories have registered, including musicians from Japan, China, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Israel, the US, Taiwan and host Việt Nam.

The 48 Vietnamese contestants are from the biggest music training centres of Việt Nam such as VNAM, HCM City Music Conservatory and Huế Accademy of Music.

The competition includes three categories aged 10-13; 14-17 and 18-25. The youngest age group will perform in two rounds and play five pieces. They will perform with the Hà Nội Philharmonic Orchestra in the second round.

The two older age categories will play three rounds and will be accompanied by the orchestra in the final round.

Performances in the final rounds will be conducted by Vietnamese conductor Đồng Quang Vinh and Spanish conductor David Gomez.

"In other competitions in Southeast Asia, the youngest competitors just have to play in one round and the elder competitors don’t have to play with an orchestra," said Hà. "This shows the quality of the Hà Nội competition."

Vietnamese pianist Professor Đặng Thái Sơn, the first Asian to win a gold medal at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1980, is the competition’s honourable president and art director.

A nine-member judging panel are famous pianists and professors including Hae Won-chang (South Korea), Fumiko Eguchi (Japan), Frank Reich (Germany), Jania Aubakirova (Kazakhstan), Jean Sauniel (Canada), Snezana Panovska (Macedonia) and Edward Auer (US).

The winner of each category receives a cash prize of US$1,000, $1,500 and $2,000, respectively, with awards also for second and third place. Other awards will be given by Professor Sơn; Hà Nội Chopin Association; Việt Nam Musicians Association; and Yamaha Company.

Competition performances are open to the public and will take place from 9am-1pm everyday during September 9-14 at VNAM, 77 Hào Nam Street. The competition winners will perform at a gala concert on September 15 at the VNAM’s Grand Hall. — VNS