SYF and Other music competitions in Singapore
- Written By Fu Jinxia
- Updated on October 23, 2023
Explore Singapore’s flexible music culture by participating in SYF and other renowned competitions. Unleash opportunities for young musicians to showcase their musical skills and creativity in a vibrant cultural landscape.
“And the first prize goes to…… Thomas!” crestfallen, John leaves the SYF concert hall with a heavy heart, vowing that he will never participate in a competition again. John is again seen back on stage the following year, vying for the top prizes.
In any competition, there is always a winner and a loser. Despite the inevitable possibility of elimination, many still dedicate their time and effort to participation as part of their musical journey and growth, proving the many benefits of competitions.
Advantages of participating in a music competition
One can gain many benefits from joining a competition, but the main four shall be discussed in this article.
1- Improve One’s Quality of Music
Competitions provide an incentive for one to work towards, motivating one to demand higher standards of musicality and technique from oneself. Participants are more likely to put in longer hours of practice, figure out more efficient ways of practising and solving musical issues, and concentrate better when working towards a goal.
Most competition venues also provide top-notch instruments and acoustics to perform in, allowing participants to experience musical possibilities. Additionally, participants often receive tailored feedback from the jury, where they can learn from these specific pointers. Some competitions even have masterclasses for contestants to work closely with professionals.
2- Exposure to different repertoire and performance styles
Many competitions have a set list of repertoire. These pieces are usually selected for good reason, ensuring that contestants are judged across a comprehensive range of pieces. Even if participants do not perform all the pieces, they can take an interest in other pieces by listening to fellow competitors or researching them online. Listening to other contestants also exposes one to different performance styles and interpretations, invoking thought and curiosity.
3- Develop confidence, perseverance and stage presence
Competitions are intense and high-level pressure events. It is no mean feat; participants must develop the capacity and grit to overcome these mental and emotional hurdles. Once overcome, however, it will be a great boost to their confidence, both in their musical abilities and problem-solving skills.
Moreover, the presence of a live audience provides the opportunity to communicate while developing one’s stage presence and personality. These can only be better cultivated in intense situations.
4- Boosting one’s portfolio
Lastly, with the recognition and exposure that comes with competition, one’s portfolio can benefit from it, especially if your child plans to apply to a secondary school or JC via Music DSA. Of course, bagging top prizes is prestigious. Still, other performance, learning, or scholarship opportunities could come from being spotted by other professionals when you put yourself out there.
Major Music Competition in Singapore
Besides SYF there are many other Music competitions in Singapore ranging from low to high-stakes. Competitions for piano and violin are the most popular, but other instruments, such as cello, voice and flute, are also up and coming. This article lists some major competitions in Singapore:
The NPVC is Singapore’s oldest and most prestigious music competition, where participants from Singapore and all over the world compete before a panel of international adjudicators at the highest level. This competition is held biennially open to musicians 25 years of age and under, aiming to discover, nurture and develop young talents. The competition divides itself into 4 categories – Artist (age 25 years and below), Senior (age 21 years and below), Intermediate (age 15 years and below), and Junior (age 11 years and below). Requirements differ across the 4 categories, but generally, participants need to prepare works from at least 3 of the 4 periods of Classical music (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern).
Applicants are required to submit a video before being selected to participate in the following 3 rounds: quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals. Application closes in July and will last from 25 November to 3 December this year.
Launched in 1967, the SYF Arts Presentation (AP) is a performance platform that offers continuous learning and improvement opportunities through feedback and grading from industry professionals. It is a biennial event that alternates between Junior College, Secondary (odd years) and Primary school levels (even years), involving the arts Co-curricular Activities across schools. In terms of Music, Band (Brass, Concert, Brass Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble), Chinese Orchestra (Full Orchestra, Mixed Ensemble), Choir, Instrumental Ensemble (Angklung, Gamelan, Guitar, Handbell / Handchime, Harmonica, Strings, Guzheng CCAs are involved.
The SYF AP usually takes place around late March to May each year. Schools are awarded either a certificate of distinction, accomplishment, or participation.
The SRIMF is an annual music competition that caters to a wide variety of instruments, from piano to strings (violin, viola, cello) and woodwinds. They also welcome string chamber groups, piano 4 hands duets, guitar ensembles, and harp ensembles to compete. On top of the usual classical categories, SRIMF also has a graded ABRSM category, where contestants playing pieces from the ABRSM syllabus can compete with one another.
Generally, there are 4 main categories for the solo competition across all instruments – Children (age 7 and below), Junior A (age 9 and below), Junior B (age 12 and below), Youth (age 16 and below). There is also a young artistic category for contestants aged 25 years and below, where they have to play a set piece from a repertoire list provided. In the ABRSM category, there are two main categories – grades 1 to 4, and grades 5-8, for contestants aged 20 and below.
For the chamber music competition, there are 3 categories – A (age 12 and below), B (age 18 and below), and C (age 25 and below).
Apart from competitions, the festival promises rich learning opportunities through a variety of activities such as masterclasses, concerts, seminars and workshops by internationally acclaimed music educators and performers.
The competition is typically held from June to July, with a preliminary video submission round to be submitted by early to mid-June before the finals in mid-July. SRIMF is open to participants aged 25 years and below.
The Le Petit Performers’ Festival is an annual music festival organized by the Singapore Music Teachers’ Association with the aim of providing budding musicians with a supportive environment to hone performance skills. They welcome pianists, string players, singers and flautists of all ages (including adults) and levels to participate.
The LPPF is more flexible regarding repertoire, allowing for a free choice of repertoire that includes movie soundtracks, anime series or TV series music (as long as it fits within the booked performance duration)! Participants can choose to have only comments written by the adjudicator or with the addition of Award Levels (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) reflected on the report sheet. This makes for a low-stakes yet educational competition.
Registration for the LPPF typically opens from mid to late July, with the actual competition day held in early September.
Founded by pianist Josephine Koh, Joyeux Music International aims to develop and nurture a competitive environment for pianists of various ages and stages in Singapore while involving the international community in masterclasses, festivals, competitions and concerts.
The competition is open to participants of all nationalities from ages 4 to 35, in 3 main categories: Solo (a free programme of at least 2 pieces from Baroque, Classical, Romantic or Modern eras), Solo (examination Syllabus from ABRSM, Trinity, or London College Music Syllabi) and Piano Duos (Duets and 2 Piano, presenting one or more free choice works or contrasting movements). In each category, there are further sub-categories divided based on age.
There is only one round in the competition, and contestants can choose to participate in an online (video submission) or live format. The 2023 edition lasted from 4 to 10 September.
You may want to check out other music competitions in Singapore:
Explore Klassbook for more Music Classes in Singapore
To explore more classes, go through our list of music classes here. Why not start with a music trial class to gauge your child’s interest?
A musician at heart and a pianist by training, Lauren Fu is an active educator and performer in the music scene. Having taught a wide range of students from 4 to 60 years old, she strives to inspire others through her teaching and love for music! She believes in the transformative power of the arts and seeks to express herself through various art forms, be it performing, composing, or writing.
