HA NOI — The Viet Nam National Academy of Music will host the first International Piano Competition in September in Ha Noi.
The event has been organised to mark the millennium anniversary of the capital Ha Noi and the 200th birthday of Polish composer Frederic Chopin.
The competition, which will run from September 4-13, will include three categories: A for ages 10-13; B 14-17, C 18- 25.
Contestants in category A will have to compete in two rounds, while those from category B and C will have to compete in three rounds.
In the final round, contestants from category A will have to play a piece by Chopin, followed by the first, second and third movements of sonatas by either Mozart, Haydn or Kuhlau.
Contestants from category B will have to play two 15-20 minute pieces by Chopin, in addition to one work by a romantic composer or a composer of the 20th century.
Contestants from category C will have to play Chopin's concerto No 1 or No 2.
The seven-member judging panel will be chaired by Dang Thai Son, who won first prize and a gold medal at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1980.
He will be the comp-etition's honourable president and art director.
The winner of each category will receive a cash prize of US$1,000, $1,500 and $2,000. The runners-up will receive $500, $800 and $1,200.
The second runners-up will receive $300, $500 and $800.
The competition will be held biennially and will be open to foreign nationals. — VNS