VIRTUAL TOUR
2024
9 JunUCSI sets the stage for the world’s rising pianists
KUALA LUMPUR: Singaporean and Chinese pianists bagged the lion’s share of awards at UCSI University’s 6th International Piano Festival and Competition, winning 11 out of 18 grand awards.
Playing some of the most challenging compositions of Beethoven, Schumann and Ravel, Singaporean pianist Toby Tan Kai Rong delivered a performance of rhapsodic quality to bag first prize in the young artist category – the Competition’s top award.
“I’m happy that I won and the Competition is a great platform to test my skills,” he said. “UCSI provided us with good facilities and a great team of judges to rate our abilities, which were very helpful.
“This Competition is a powerful motivator for me to elevate my technical skills and musical expression.”
For his efforts, Tan won a cash prize of RM4,000 and a full tuition scholarship to study music at UCSI.
Fellow Singaporean Yao Huacheng bagged the senior category’s Best Etude Award with his rendition of Franz Liszt’s Transcendental Etude No.4 in D minor “Mazeppa”.
While Mazeppa is considered to be the most difficult of Liszt’s 12 Transcendental études, Yao navigated the rapid octave passages, intricate chromatic runs and wide leaps with great dexterity.
“This competition has taught me to prepare challenging pieces under time constraints,” he said. “I also got to meet a lot of talented musicians from different nations and I enjoyed the interaction.
“I plan to pursue music in my tertiary studies and I’m glad that I gained first-hand experience of playing in a university setting.”
UCSI also set a new participation record this year with 145 contestants hailing from Armenia, Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, USA, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.
Held biennially since 2014, the Competition recognises pianists in different categories, including Best Etude, Best Commissioned Piece and Top Prizes across different age categories; junior (age 10 and below), intermediate (age 14 and below), senior (age 18 and below) and young artist (age 28 and below).
UCSI vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Hamisah Tapsir said that the Competition is in line with the University’s mission to elevate the standards of piano performance on a global scale.
“UCSI has advanced its mission to raise the standards of classical piano music, not only in Malaysia but throughout the world,” she said in her welcoming speech.
Ranked 42nd in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024, UCSI’s Institute of Music stands out as Malaysia’s foremost music school in both the classical and contemporary fields.
Malaysian signing superstar Aina Abdul, mandopop singer Quek Shio Yee, celebrated composer Onn San, as well as violinists Dennis Lau and Dr Joanne Yeoh, among many others, are notable UCSI alumni.
UCSI is also classified in the world’s top 1% in the QS World University Rankings 2025, by virtue of its top 265 ranking.
