Young pianists find keys to success

The two-week festival, which was initiated by Tianjin Juilliard in April and featured recitals, a series of private lessons and masterclasses, opened to applicants of all nationalities above 7 years of age. A total of 28 young artists, 37 junior participants and 14 adjunct participants, took part in the festival, coached by 12 internationally renowned pianists, including Israeli Arie Vardi and Russian Sofya Gulyak.

"Before they launch their professional careers as pianists, young students spend hours practicing and gradually build up their own styles. In the past two weeks, I saw many talented young people come together, attend masterclasses and take private lessons. They got a lot of information, which cannot be obtained by learning on their own. I believe that the experience will be unforgettable in their career," says Wang Xiaohan, head of the piano department of Tianjin Juilliard's pre-college division. He notes that he was very excited that his own teacher, 86-year-old Vardi, came to the festival.

Along with the chair of the piano department at the Juilliard School in New York, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Wang served as co-artistic director of the piano festival.

The festival also opened to the public with one outdoor concert and three indoor concerts, as well as online streaming programs.

"Besides gathering a group of high-level pianists from around the world to provide piano students with an exciting and inspiring educational experience this summer, the festival was also like a musical celebration," says He Wei, CEO and artistic director of the Tianjin Juilliard School.

The school, opened in 2019, is the first overseas campus of the New York-headquartered school and is the first such institution in China that confers a US-accredited music degree.