The first “Aya Chamber Music Competition” was held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 14th at the Overseas Chinese Education Center Grand Hall. The event was attended by over one hundred people, including Director Wang Yingrong, Deputy Director Huang Yili, Advisory Committee members Wang Dunzheng, Gan You, Committee members Liu Xiumei, Chen Jianbin, President of the Maturing Institute Xu Shenghong, Houston FASCA Youth Cultural Ambassadors, and music enthusiasts.
The Aya Trio, consisting of Huang Shiting, Chen Yiling, and Wu Zhen, all music doctors, hosted and arranged the competition schedule. The three judges, Sherry Cheng, Michael Fahey, and Sam Matthews, are respected and renowned musicians in the Greater Houston area. After the first round of video applications and evaluations by multiple musicians, five youth chamber music groups entered the finals. These groups included Cellissimo Cello Choir, Formosan Quartet composed of FASCA members, Riviere Piano Trio composed of Memorial High School students, Reisender Quartet composed of Dulles High School students, and Wildcats Quartet composed of Cypress-Wood High School students.
Huang Shiting stated that Aya Chamber Music aims to promote and convey Asian musical elements and encourages young music learners to participate. The competition is open to passionate individuals under 18 years old, with the youngest participant this year being 13 years old. The repertoire must include distinctive elements from Taiwan, China, and Japan. In addition to judges’ scoring, there will also be audience voting. The first-place winner receives a prize of $500, the second-place winner $200, the third-place winner $100, Special Awards, and the “Audience Award.”
Wang Yingrong and Michael Fahey took the stage to encourage the talented young musicians, emphasizing the beauty of the future visible through music. They thanked the Aya Trio for supporting young musicians.
After nearly two hours of competitive performances, the Riviere Piano Trio and the Formosan Quartet received the Special Awards. The third place went to the Wildcats Quartet, the second place to the Cellissimo Cello Choir, and the first place to the Reisender Quartet. The audience’s choice award went to the Formosan Quartet. The winner of the best folk performance award was the Wildcats Quartet for their Taiwanese children’s song “Diudiutongzi.”
Parents and audience members in the audience highly praised the heartfelt and professional level of the music competition, many recording and sharing videos on their phones. Many parents participated throughout, cheering on all the music-loving teenagers. Finally, all participants, judges, and guests gathered for a successful group photo to conclude the event.