Steinway Youth Piano Competition (SYPC) 2022

The Steinway Youth Piano Competition (SYPC) is part of the biennial Steinway Youth Festival organised by Steinway & Sons in Hamburg, Germany. Its purpose is to identify, encourage and promote young pianists in the formative stages of their careers.

For the first time, Steinway Youth Piano Competition 2022 also saw the addition of the Youth-at-Heart category in the Amateur Class, recognising the efforts of amateur pianists aged 35 and above. The addition aimed to encourage working professionals who love music and piano playing in their pursuit of their musical passion, all the while balancing emotional, mental, and physical well-being in their lifestyle through music. The Youth-at-Heart category in the Amateur Class was opened to those whose main source of income was not related to music, but to those who purely enjoyed playing the piano and Steinway intended to give them the opportunity to be recognised for their technical and musical ability.

GCA is proud to work together with Steinway Gallery Singapore as the event manager for Singapore SYPC 2018, 2020 & 2022.

A lawyer in her 40s, Goh Ying-Peng Cynthia, won the new Youth-At-Heart category, a new addition to the competition and open to amateur pianists aged 35 and above. In her own words, “I would say to all who love playing the piano, it’s never too late!”

Also, 11-year old Luther Ong Boon Khang emerged as the Grand Prize winner, in addition to winning the first prize in Category 1 (for participants aged 11 and below) of the Professional Class. Luther will represent Singapore in the Southeast Asia Pacific Steinway Regional Finals to compete for a coveted spot to perform at the International Steinway Festival in Hamburg, Germany.

Following the lifting of pandemic restrictions, the Steinway Youth Piano Competition transitioned back to its offline format after being held online during the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. As part of the Steinway Youth Festival organized by Steinway & Sons in Hamburg, Germany, the competition continued its mission to identify, encourage, and promote young pianists in the early stages of their careers.

Steinway Gallery Singapore and GCA played a vital role in ensuring a smooth transition from the virtual to the physical setting. The return to in-person performances brought back the ambiance of live concerts and provided a platform for young pianists to showcase their talents before a live audience. The competition’s legacy of nurturing musical talent remained steadfast, and continued to inspire young musicians on their journey in the world of classical music.