The Kuala Lumpur and Penang Piano Festivals
Euroasia and MYOF’s first collaboration in 2017 was a move forward to encourage collaborations between establishments with similar objectives, to provide performance opportunities to more music students as well as to further improve performing standards.
2018 will see continuous collaborations in two festivals – KL Piano Festival and Penang Piano Festival in October. We hope to increase in time, the number of smaller festivals in various venues across Malaysia, bringing the performing opportunities to more students instead of one major big yearly festival in Kuala Lumpur as before. The success of Euroasia’s collaborations with other partners in organize the Piano Festivals in Sarawak, Johor Bahru and now another new venue in Kuantan, is, and will be a testament that we do not need to separate our differences and do our own things. Instead, with more resources from the collaborations, we could maximize efficiencies in providing a better platform for music students and teachers across Malaysia.
In order to maintain a continuous improvement in all areas of music education in Malaysia, we need right minded and dedicated partners and teachers who are constantly looking for ways to improve in their teachings and provide any performing opportunities for their students to widen their horizon. Malaysia has many talented music students. Giving them more performing opportunities outside their usual routine of individual lessons and music examinations help boost their performing skills. The exposure they get from witnessing other participants will also help them realize that great amount of dedication and hard work is needed to succeed in anything they pursue.
MYOF wishes the very best to all participants of these joint KL & Penang Piano Festivals. Even though these Festivals are a performing and competing platform, I would like to stress that, no matter what the outcome will be, working hard towards the competition day, being at the Festival and performing on stage amongst other students, parents and teachers will be an invaluable experience for participants, and it is also an achievement that will lead to many life long achievements.
Emily Wu
Programme Director
Malaysian Youth Orchestra Foundation