Music Without Borders – Our Experience of The Kayserburg International Youth Piano Competition 2021

2021 – The world remains in the grip of a global pandemic, putting a halt to the life we know, freely able to move across the world & travel, further highlighting the borders that separate us.

Gone are the days, for now at least, of attending concerts, conferences, festivals and competitions, meeting and mingling (a distant memory now ^_^;) with like-minded individuals from all around the world, and learning from each other, supporting each other, and appreciating music together.

RS Event Center organized the Singapore & Southeast Asia Regional Finals for the Kayserburg International Youth Piano Competition (KIYPC) for 2021. Held every 2 years since 1983, the KIYPC is the world’s largest Piano Competition, with over 100,000 participants worldwide. This year, 10 countries took part as Regional Hosts namely, USA, Canada, Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Ecuador, Iran, Philippines, and Singapore.
 
108 Finalists emerged from over 600 contestants to vie for top spots in the Regional finals in the hopes of advancing to the International Grand Finals in Guangzhou, China. The Singapore & Southeast Asia Regional Finals were held on 12^th September 2021 at Bechstein Music World, the largest European piano showroom in the country.

It was somewhat strange, as the country continues to slowly open up to safely resume “normal life”. Participants arrived in small batches, and safe distancing was enforced. There were never more than 30 people in the performance space, a far cry from Pre-Covid times.

As a result of the safety and travel restrictions brought on by the pandemic, a rather unique aspect of the event was apparent. Overseas contenders based in Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan and more still got to present their performances virtually through video conferencing, and by joining us on Facebook Live Stream, the overseas community was able to be with us as well, sending their messages of support and encouragement to the contestants making us feel just like they were with us at the venue!

At the Kayserburg International Youth Piano Competition Regional Finals, we somehow got a little taste – a reminder of what we have been unable to experience for over a year now. A Global Community sharing and connecting through music; a truly rewarding experience for the RS Event Center Team.

Definitive proof that Music Connects All Without Borders.

The Kayserburg International Youth Piano Competition is organized by RS Event Center in partnership with Guangzhou Pearl River Piano Group.