A grand performance concert called “Touching the String & Heart 2021” hosted by the “Macau Musical and Art Exchange Association” at the Macau Cultural Centre yesterday invited young pianists aged between 6 and 18 to perform classic music compositions.
According to a statement by the association, the concert comprised about 30 performers, presenting to the audience a variety of music from different musical periods, including the Baroque period, the Classical period, the Romantic period, and 20th Century music. The statement noted that many of the performers have been actively participating in multiple music competitions in Macau and overseas, adding that they have won various awards with outstanding results.
One of the performers, Sophia Ha Tim Ian, told The Macau Post Daily that she is 5-years-old going on 6. She said that she started to play the piano when she was four, adding that she has already won five prizes, including champion and runner-up, in the past year. She also said that she usually spends 35-40 minutes practising the piano every day. When asked whether she enjoyed playing the piano, she started giggling and nodded her head enthusiastically.
Ha said she was not nervous about performing in front of a huge crowd as she had experience playing the piano in front of a big audience. She also pointed out she has a drum performance coming up. When asked what other extra-curricular activities she has besides the piano and drums, she said that she was learning ballet and Latin dance, adding that she really enjoys walking the catwalk.
Another performer, 18 year-old Helosia Leong Hei Nga, told The Macau Post Daily that she has been learning the piano for 13 years. She said that at first her parents insisted she take piano classes, but it was not until she was up to Grade 5 that she really started to enjoy playing the piano.
When asked whether she was nervous about the performance, Leong said she was a bit jumpy.
“I usually stop practising as much when I am nervous. I tend to make more mistakes or tend to find more flaws in my performance when I am nervous, therefore the best way is to let myself relax prior to show,” Leong said.
Leong said that she spent around one hour on the performance piece every day, and played for two to three hours per day when she had the time. When asked why she did not chose music as her major at university, she said that she was not confident in herself. However, she added, even though she is not doing a bachelor’s degree in music, she is still learning the piano.
Music is a performing art
The concert organiser, Derek Chan Sai Lai, told The Macau Post Daily that the aim of the event was to provide an outlet for local talents to perform music.
“Music learners can cultivate greater performance skills through music performance and can exercise their stage performance skills through multiple music activities of different sizes held by the association every year while offering them more on-stage performance experience,” Chan said.
When asked how the association helped children of a young age to perform in front of large crowds, Chan said that he was always encouraging young pianists to compete every two to three months to gain experience. He underlined that music is a performing art which is meant to be presented in front of people, adding that musicians are eager to be seen.
Macau has been described as a “cultural desert” but Chan insisted the city is “no longer a desert”. He underlined that there are a lot of musical talents in Macau. Unfortunately, according to Chan, the talents are lacking venues and platforms to shine. Therefore, he said, his association is striving to host more competitions and concerts to provide a “stage for the stars.”
Chan said that compared to 20 years ago, the Macau government placed a lot more emphasis on culture and the arts. Chan said he hoped Macau could have more venues like the Macau Cultural Centre for pianists and other musicians to perform.
Chan pointed out that the government hosts piano competitions every other year, and that its competitions usually involve rigid requirements. He said that while it was a good thing for performers to be good at one tune, it would also be great to have more types of competitions.
Chan noted that his association has competitions coming up in the following months, some of which would lead to competing opportunities in Taiwan and Europe. He stressed that Macau has talents “but they need a platform to be seen.”
Sophia Ha Tim Ian plays the piano at the Macau Cultural Centre in Nape for yesterday’s grand performance concert “Touching the String & Heart 2021”.
Helosia Leong Hei Nga performs at the grand performance concert “Touching the String & Heart 2021” yesterday. Photos: Prisca Tang
