Closing ceremony and award ceremony of the Ho Chi Minh city Piano competition 2023

The finalists and prize winners of the groups received Certificates and took commemorative photos with the organizers and the competition jury - Photo: Pho Ba Cuong

It is known that after 3 days of competition (from July 6 to July 9, 2023) with 172 participants in both professional and non-professional categories. According to the organizers' assessment, the number of participants in the non-professional category was higher than the professional category this year. The contestants ranged in age and the majority were Vietnamese, with some participants from Southeast Asian countries.

• Ta Khac Huy (middle, left) and Ho Thien Phuoc (middle, right), joint First Prize winners, Group C, Professional Category - Photo: Pho Ba Cuong

According to the evaluation of Le Ho Hai, PhD Vice Head of the Piano Department at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music and Chairman of the Jury of the Piano Competition 2023 (Professional Category), the total of 172 participants in both professional and non-professional categories reflects the attractiveness of the competition. This exceeded the initial expectations of the organizers for a competition held after the Covid-19 pandemic in a difficult socio-economic context".

Le Ho Hai, PhD also mentioned that outstanding contestants with exceptional talents and prospects emerged in the professional category of Group B and C. In the second round, they demonstrated solid piano techniques and outstanding performance styles. During the judging process, the jury and the audience witnessed the contestants competing, showcasing true professionalism on stage. He believes that this is the foundation for us to develop and plan to nurture the contestants properly. It is hoped that in the future editions, the Ho Chi Minh City Piano Competition will attract and spread even further at the regional and global levels, meeting the increasing demand for music education, including the piano discipline, in the era of cultural exchange and international integration.

Lam Bao Thi (middle, left) and Nguyen Duc Hieu Hanh (middle, right), joint Third Prize winners, Group A, Professional Category - Photo: Pho Ba Cuong