On October 9th, 2023, the Gala awards ceremony of the Vancouver International Music Competition, hosted by the Canada International Arts & Music Society, supported by the Canadian Music Centre BC, and supported by the Canadian government was successfully held at the Vancouver Playhouse Theater in downtown Vancouver.
There were hundreds of contestants from all around the world in the preliminary round, competing in three separate categories: Voice, Piano and Strings, which started on April 26th. They have demonstrated their outstanding musical talents and skills. After months of intense competition, 130 finalists were selected in early July. They showcased their musical performances at the final round held at the Roy Barnett Recital Hall and the Old Auditorium in the University of British Columbia on October 7th and 8th.
At the awards ceremony, local Vancouver politicians, celebrities, musicians, music lovers, award-winning contestants and their families gathered together. On top of receiving their awards, the winners also shared their wonderful performances to the audience, demonstrating their deep understanding and unique interpretation of the music. The entire ceremony was full of solemnity and passion, highlighting the charm and diversity of music.
Ms. Lynn Liu, President of the Canada International Arts & Music Society/ Vancouver International Music Competition, delivered a speech.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Ms. Lynn Liu, president of the competition, was filled with joy while she described the development and history of the competition. She expressed gratitude to all friends, advisors and judges of the competition for their unwavering support over the years, whose dedication has paved the way for the competition’s success. Ms. Liu also thanked the audience, especially those friends who came from afar. In addition, the generous support of sponsors made the competition run smoothly and provided scholarships to the winning contestants, inspiring more musicians. Finally, Ms.Liu wished everyone a musical feast and a happy Thanksgiving and ended her speech with “Thank you for coming to the VIMC Gala event during the Thanksgiving holiday.”
Vancouver City Councillor, Mr. Lenny Zhou delivered a speech on behalf of Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim and issued a congratulatory letter.
Councillor Lenny Zhou first expressed his most sincere congratulations and heartfelt thanks to the organizing committee and its team for their unremitting efforts. He said: “Vancouver is an ideal stage for celebrating music and a natural gathering place for many talented musicians.” He hopes that by supporting this event, he can send a message of encouragement to local musical talent, especially young musicians. Events like this have the potential to boost economic growth, develop tourism, help create meaningful connections between international and local artists, unite Vancouver residents, and enhance Vancouver’s reputation as a culturally diverse and prosperous metropolis. Finally, on behalf of the Vancouver City Council and the Mayor, he congratulated all the participants of 2023 VIMC.
MLA Ms. Teresa Wat on behalf of the BC Primer David Eby delivered a speech and issued a congratulatory letter.
Teresa Wat first shared her experience in participating in her daughter’s music competition and thanked the parents present for their support and training. Secondly, she thanked the organizing committee for inviting her to participate in the event. This is already the seventh event. The competition has witnessed the lasting charm of classical music, and she is excited about it. Mrs. Wat said that this competition covers musicians of all ages and is a true grand event for music and cultural exchange. Finally, she thanked the International Music and Arts Association of Canada for their dedication here, providing a global stage for different musicians to showcase their talents. Music has the unique power to connect people across borders, languages and cultures. Thanks to all the participating musicians whose passion and dedication inspired the audience. She wished the competition a complete success.
Guest Performer Ms. Inna Faliks, Dean of the Piano Department of the University of California and judge of the piano category
Ms. Inna Faliks, the judge of the piano category, performed for everyone. Her performance was full of passion and affection, which made the audience fall into the drunkenness of music. With her excellent skills and profound musical attainments, she added a unique color to this music feast, allowing people to immerse themselves in wonderful music.
Subsequently, the winners of each category stood on the podium. They represented the top musical talents in this competition. Awards were awarded in multiple categories such as piano, strings and vocals, and each winner went through fierce competition and their talent and hard work were fully recognized. The audience applauded enthusiastically and sent their most sincere blessings and applause to these outstanding musicians.
Judges in Voice Category, Nancy Hermiston, Jelena Noskova, and John Tessier presented awards to the medal winners of in Voice Category.
Judges in Strings Category, Nicholas Wright, Elizabeth Volpe Bligh, and Francisco Vila presented the awards to the medal winners in Strings Category.
The Judges of Piano Category, Tomislav Baynov, Inna Faliks and Janet Lopinski presented awards to the medal winners of the Piano Category.
The Artistic Advisors, Mrs. Alexander Keiko and Mr. Ken Hsieh presented the awards and certificates to the 3rd grand prize winners of Piano and Strings category, followed by their performances.
Performance by Charles Lee (Cello), the 3rd Grand Prize Winner of the Strings Category.
Performance by Rachel Wang, the 3rd Grand Prize Winner of the Piano Category.
Mr. Sean Bickerton, Director of the Canadian Music Centre in BC, delivered a greeting to all the winners of The Best Performance of a Canadian Composition.
Alana Chan, Vice President of VIMC Committee, presented the awards for the winners of the Best Performance of a Canadian Composition, followed by the performance by the Overall Best Performance of a Canadian Composition Winner, Fergus Kwan.
Performance by Fergus Kwan, the winner of The Overall Best Performance of a Canadian Composition.
Jeremy Zhang, representative of Golden Top Financial Services Inc, and Lynn Liu, president of VIMC committee, presented the 2nd Grand Prize winners of the Piano and Strings Category, followed by the performances of the winners.
Performance by Jiwon Kim, Gold Medalist of the Vocal Young Artists Category.
Performance by Sacha Jorba-Wu, the 2nd Grand Prize winner of the Strings Category.
Performance by Hanwen Shi, the 2nd Grand Prize winner of the Piano Category.
Peter Fu, President & CEO of Frobisher International Enterprise Ltd, and Lynn Liu, president of VIMC Committee, presented the 1st Grand Prizes of Piano & Strings Category, followed by the performances of the winners.
Performance by Brenden Lengsfeld, the Gold Medalist in the Voice Artists Category.
Performance by Lin Tokura, 1st Grand Prize winner of the Strings Category.
Performance by Forest Benson, the 1st Grand Prize winner in Piano Category.
Finally, under the magic of music and warm applause, the awards ceremony came to a successful conclusion. This was a music event full of passion and brilliant performances, and it was also a high praise for musical talent. The contestants’ musical charm infected every audience present. Parents were proud of their children’s achievements and the audience cheered the performance of these young musicians. This is the beauty of music that makes people’s hearts swell.
At the same time, the awards ceremony has also cultivated more music stars for the future of the music industry and built an important bridge for cultural exchanges. I hope the charm of music will continue to be passed down. The awards ceremony has come to an end, but the sound of music will never die. It will continue to play in our hearts, connecting people and conveying endless beauty. Looking forward to the next music gathering, let us pursue the dream of music together.
