June 3, 2019 | Beijing
 
Jointly presented by the International Art & Culture Singapore Federation, Singapore Music Teachers’ Association and Global International Musicians Association, the 2020 Singapore International Piano Competition held its press conference at the Steinway Hall (Beijing) attended by a group of elite professional musicians.
 
 
Yimei Zhang (Competition Chair), Danwen Wei (Jury Chair), and Xiaohan Wang (Artistic Director) address to the audience, introducing the competition as a registered member of the Alink-Argerich Foundation - a mark of its status and reputation. Adopting the modern day format, the Singapore International Piano Competition comprises of both professional and amateur categories, with cash prize totalling USD 28,000. In addition to medals and cash prize, first prizewinner of the Concert Artist Class will be offered 10 concerts in Asia. The award ceremony will be held at the Victoria Concert Hall - home to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. With the collaboration of various international organisations, it is the Competition’s grand vision to promote the significance of classical music worldwide.
 
Xiaohan Wang (Artistic Director) addresses to the crowd.  
Danwen Wei (Jury Chair), Xiaohan Wang (Artistic Director) and Yimei Zhang (Competition Chair) announced the official launching of the Singapore International Piano Competition. After the ceremony, Danwen Wei, Xiaohan Wang, Yimei Zhang, Huiqiao Bao (eminent Chinese pianist), Hexin Fan (Head of Piano, China Conservatory), Ning Zhao (Professor, Central Conservatory), Mei Gao (Head of Piano, Capital Normal University), Fang Zhang (Associate Head of Piano, Remin University of China), Sha Xiao (Deputy Director, Beijing Information Science and Technology University), and Qingyi Zhou (Executive Director, GIMA) were being interviewed by media. During an interview, the distinguished Chinese pianist Huiqiao Bao said, “I believe that the Singapore International Piano Competition will stand out amongst many other piano competitions in the world. There are competitions that only offer a great deal of prize money, which I don’t think is such a good idea in the long run because a good competition should utilise its resource more on the development of the winners’ future careers and offering them performance opportunities. The component of a good competition must also include concerts and master classes so that young competitors can benefit from a broader and better learning experience, thus making the competition an event which is both stimulating and enriching.”
   
“Competitions have become a necessary step in the development of young pianists nowadays.” Said Hexin Fan during an interview. “These pianists benefit by gaining more and more stage experience which is vital if they are aiming for a concert career. It is through competitions that they have the opportunity to execute their ideas, hone their skills, and develop their musical personality onstage.
 
The regional pre-selection process will take place in China as well as in Southeast Asia countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand etc. From a large pool of candidates, in professional and various non professional categories, 400 will be chosen to compete at the final rounds in Singapore, where they will be judged by an international jury panel.