Contest more than just a 'musical race'

Chopin Society chairman Andrew Freris knows what makes the third Hong Kong International Piano Competition stand out on an international stage among countless top-ranking contests.

'Although this is the third time the competition is being run, it is definitely not 'just one more competition' among the scores, if not hundreds, across the world,' he explains.

It is the only major international piano competition held on a regular basis in Hong Kong.

There is a jury which, in terms of its composition and chairmanship, can be easily placed among the very top in the world.

The competition features not only world-class pianists, but also world-class teachers and musicians, and also has Vladimir Ashkenazy as its chairman, himself among the top pianists in the world and a world-class conductor.

It emphasises first and foremost the function of the competition as an opportunity for music-making and not just judging pianists.