People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi and People's Artist Trung Hieu are judges of the national piano competition.

The Department of Grassroots Culture (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) and the Vietnam Institute for Educational and Cultural Development are jointly launching the 2025 Piano Talent Festival - National Open Piano Competition 2025, open to contestants aged 5 to 19.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan provided information about the competition.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan - Director of the Vietnam Institute for Educational and Cultural Development, and Head of the Organizing Committee of the competition - said: "To create opportunities for more contestants to showcase their talents directly on stage, we decided to include a larger number of contestants in the Semi-finals compared to Season 1."

After the competition concludes, the Organizing Committee will collaborate with domestic and international educational organizations to hold various mini-concerts, talk shows, international music summer camps, etc., to give contestants opportunities to interact, learn, and develop their talents."

Mr. Tuan said that 10 years ago, piano was a luxury, usually only found in large cities. Owning a piano showed that the family was well-off and had access to Western culture. But now things are different. Not only in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, but also in many provinces and cities, there is a very vibrant movement to learn piano, attracting around 200-300 students per institution.

According to Mr. Tuan, in its first season, the competition attracted more than 1,000 participants nationwide. Many of these contestants came from distant provinces such as Dak Lak, Buon Ma Thuot, Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan, Tien Giang, Cao Bang, Lao Cai, and Lang Son…

Not only was the 2024 Piano Talent Festival highly regarded for its scale, but it also received positive feedback from professionals, parents, and contestants regarding its quality and prestige.

In Season 2, in addition to the familiar competition categories, the Organizing Committee decided to add an Artist category for contestants who won prizes in Season 1, as well as students currently studying professional piano.

The 2025 season is expected to attract 2,000 participants from across the country.

The competition is open to ages 5 to 19 nationwide, divided into 10 categories across 3 classes: Freestyle, Classic, and Artist.

According to educator Vu Do Thang, Head of Training and International Cooperation Department at the Vietnam Institute for Educational and Cultural Development, the Artist category is the highest level, requiring contestants to perform flawlessly and meticulously like a true artist.

Contestants who won top prizes this year are eligible to register. This category is for those aged 14-19, who possess the highest level of skill, comparable to professional artists.

The judging panel for the competition includes: Dr. Dao Trong Tuyen - Head of the Piano Department - Vietnam National Academy of Music, People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi - Head of the Department of Theory, Composition, and Conducting, Vietnam National Academy of Music (Vice President of the Vietnam Musicians Association), and Artist Minh Le - Head of the Piano Department, Hanoi College of Arts.

In addition, the guest judges include Dr. Dang Ngoc Giang Quan - Lecturer in Piano and Postgraduate Training at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, Dr. Eun Young Joo - Lecturer in Piano and Postgraduate Training at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music and Classical Piano, Van Lang University, Master Truong Ngoc Chien - Head of the Piano Department at the Hue Academy of Music, Artist Tran Viet Bao - Piano Lecturer at the Vietnam National Academy of Music, and People's Artist Trung Hieu - Director of the Hanoi Drama Theatre.

The final round and Gala will take place on March 29th and 30th, 2025 at the Grand Concert Hall, Vietnam National Academy of Music.

Le Chi

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/nsnd-pham-ngoc-khoi-nsnd-trung-hieu-lam-giam-khao-cuoc-thi-piano-toan-quoc-ar898881.html