NATIONAL PIANO & VIOLIN COMPETITION TO BE ORGANISED BY THE SINGAPORE SYMPHONY GROUP

The Singapore Symphony Group (SSG) and the National Arts Council (NAC) jointly announced today that SSG will take on the organisation of the National Piano & Violin Competition (NPVC), which was previously run by the Council. In its 11th edition, the biennial competition is one of the main platforms for discovering Singapore’s best classical music talents.

Registration for the 2017 NPVC opens today and will close on 28 July 2017. The competition will run from 2 to 10 December 2017.

Says Mr Chng Hak-Peng, Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Symphony Group: “Given our Group’s focus on classical music and that one of our missions is to nurture talented young musicians in Singapore, it was a logical fit for us to take on the running of this prestigious national competition, and inspire these young participants as they embark on an exciting musical journey.”

The move will reinforce the SSG’s commitment to inspiring and nurturing young talents, and strengthen its vision to create memorable shared experiences with music. As the manager of Singapore’s flagship orchestra, and the guardian of classical music excellence in Singapore, SSG also manages the Singapore National Youth Orchestra and three choruses, and puts together a classical music programme at the Victoria Concert Hall, home of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

Says Ms Grace Ng, Director for Sector Development (Music) at NAC: “Over its 20-year history, the National Piano & Violin Competition has established itself as an aspirational platform for an entire generation of promising young musicians. It is now timely to chart its next phase of growth, and we believe the Singapore Symphony Group is well-placed to encourage the participants in their passion for classical music. SSG is a leader in Singapore’s classical music scene and has strong connections to music institutions and musicians globally. We are confident SSG’s management of the Competition will build more bridges to the international music community and inspire our young musicians to reach new heights.”

The competition is open to Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs) while non-Singaporeans/PRs studying, working or residing in Singapore can participate in the Artist category. The top three winners of each category stand to win cash prizes ranging from $200 to $5,000.

Interested applicants may obtain more information on the NPVC website at https://www.sso.org.sg/npvc. Registration closes at 5pm, 28 July 2017. More details on the competition are available in the factsheet appended.

Ticketing details for the Prize Winners’ Concert will be released closer to the competition period.

Organised by

MEMBER OF SINGAPORE SYMPHONY GROUP

Supported by

APPENDIX

About the 2017 National Piano and Violin Competition

1. Started in 1997 by the National Arts Council, the biennial competition helps identify and develop young musical talents by providing them the opportunity to perform before established local and international adjudicators. It also aims to improve musical standards and performance levels of piano and violin in Singapore. The 2017 competition will be the competition’s 11th edition and is solely organised by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra for the first time.

2. The competition is open to pianists and violinists aged 25 years and below. Registration opens on Friday, 28 April 2017, and closes on Friday, 28 July 2017, at 5pm.

Categories

1. The competition consists of Piano solo and Violin solo categories. Participants will compete at the Quarter-Final, Semi-Final and Final rounds in the following age categories:
   (i)   Artist   25 years and below (born in or after 1992)
   (ii)   Senior   21 years and below (born in or after 1996)
   (iii)   Intermediate   15 years and below (born in or after 2002)
   (iv)   Junior   11 years and below (born in or after 2006)

2. The Artist category is open to Singapore citizens, Permanent Residents (PRs) and to foreigners studying, working or residing in Singapore. The Senior, Intermediate and Junior categories are open to Singapore citizens and PRs only.

Schedule of Competition Events

1. All live rounds of the Competition are open to the public. Ticketing information will be released in November 2017.

   Date	Event	Venue
   2 - 4 Dec	Piano Competition	Victoria Concert Hall
   	Violin Competition	Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music
   5 – 6 Dec	Piano & Violin Competition	Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music
   7 – 8 Dec	Piano & Violin Competition	Victoria Concert Hall
   9 Dec	Piano & Violin Masterclasses   Violin Finals (Artist Category)
   10 Dec	Piano Finals (Artist Category)   Prize Winners’ Concert & Prize Presentation Ceremony

Awards

1. The top three winners of each age category will receive trophies, certificates and cash prizes.

   Cash Prizes	Artist	Senior	Intermediate	Junior
   1st prize	$5,000	$2,500	$1,000	$800
   2nd prize	$3,500	$1,000	$800	$400
   3rd prize	$2,000	$800	$400	$200

2. Honourable Mentions of $100 may be given to deserving finalists.

Adjudicators

1. The organisers will invite international musicians to serve on the Adjudicating Panel. A panel of three adjudicators will judge each instrument category for all stages of the competition. The organisers are currently finalising the panel of adjudicators, and will announce the list at a later date.