The gathering is designed to offer more than a showcase of competition achievements. At the launch ceremony on Tuesday, Lyu Jia, music director of the NCPA Orchestra and artistic adviser to the festival, emphasized the importance of helping young musicians develop their individual artistic identities.
"We want audiences to hear not only astonishing technical skills, but also each young musician's own voice, personality and understanding of music," Lyu says.
Winning a competition, he added, is an honor, but also the beginning of a much longer artistic journey.
"Winning a competition is a remarkable achievement, but the world of music is far broader than competitions. I hope you will always maintain your love of music and curiosity about art, explore courageously, and gradually find a voice that is truly your own," he says.
The eight musicians will share the stage in a series of performances, with Lu having appeared in the first concert on Friday at the Beijing Performing Arts Centre.
Under the baton of guest conductor Jing Huan, Lu will perform Chopin's Piano Concerto No 1 in E minor. He will be joined by organist Samuel Giddy, the first-prize winner at the 12th Saint-Maurice International Organ Competition in 2025; oboist Alexander Kronbichler, second prize winner of the oboe category at the 19th Aeolus International Wind Competition in 2025; and violist Sarah Strohm, winner of the viola category at the 2025 Geneva International Music Competition. The program also includes works by Samuel Barber, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Nepomuk Hummel.
The second concert on Saturday features percussionist Gabriel Michaud, winner of the 2025 IPEA International Percussion Competition and the percussion category of the 2026 ARD International Music Competition; pianists Wu Yifan and Wang Liya, winner of the piano category at the 74th ARD International Music Competition; and violinist Zhang Aozhe, who won first prize at the 58th Premio Paganini International Violin Competition in Genoa, Italy, in 2025. They will perform concertos by Emmanuel Sejourne, Dmitri Shostakovich, Maurice Ravel and Niccolo Paganini.
For Lu, Chopin's music is particularly compelling because of its emotional complexity. He believes the composer's ability to convey personal disappointment, sensitivity and beauty allows listeners to find their own experiences in the music.
"Anyone who has gone through disappointments in their life, whether in love or other aspects, can relate to these feelings," he says.
