Concert for the Awarded Players of “SHS” Cup Piano Contest

---Sharing one stage with the Shanghai Oriental Symphony Orchestra

and the prestigious musicians

Shanghai “SHS” Cup Piano Contest has been successfully held for three years. Strongly supported and recognized by Shanghai Musician Association, Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Shanghai Municipal Education Commission,“SHS” Cup Piano Contest has become an official piano contest for amateur piano players throughout Shanghai. In order to enrich the stage for the contestants, and to broaden the playing field for the amateur piano learners, president of Shanghai High School TANG Shengchang decided tocooperate withthe Shanghai Oriental Symphony Orchestra to hold a special concert for the outstanding awarded players of “SHS” Cup.

On Mar. 25^th2012 at 14:30, the Concert for the Awarded Players of “SHS” Cup Piano Contest was held in the Performance Hall of Shanghai Oriental Art Center. The Shanghai Spiritual Civilization Construction Committee Office, the Shanghai Education Committee, Shanghai Technology and Art Education Center,The district department of educationand other leaderswereinvited to attend the concert. The first half of the concert were piano solos played by six contestants, and the second half were piano concertos performed by three contestants which isaccompanied by the Oriental Symphony Orchestra, and XU Zhong, the esteemed pianist and French musician JeanFrancois-Helsser as the conductors. The players are outstanding awarded contestants of “SHS” Cup Piano Contest, coming from different schools in different districts, two of them from Shanghai High School. The three concerto players and the works that they played had all been approved and confirmed by the experts. The repertoires of the concert cover the works of seven composersrangingfrom the classical, romantic period to the modern style.

The main highlights of the concert are that all performers are amateur piano learners from middle schools and high schools, and that the concerto isaccompanied by professionals from Shanghai Oriental Symphony Orchestra, giving the young players a chance tohave a close contact with world famous masters,and to performunder the conduction ofworld’s esteemed conductors.

Shanghai “SHS” Cup Piano Contest was launched by Shanghai High School in the year of 2009, since then three “SHS” Cup Piano Contests have been successfully held, attracting thousands of young piano amateursto enroll ineach year. The contest is not only meant to build a stage to showcase the talent of piano amateurs and the level of music education of SHS, more importantly, it enhances the students’ art accomplishment in Shanghai, providing a rare platform to develop their interest in piano and to inspire their creativity on music expressions and the enthusiasm on learning piano.

The Shanghai “SHS” Cup Piano Contest consists of two rounds, the “masterpiece playing” and the “improvisation”. The improvisation part that has received extensive attention and praise from the experts encourages the piano amateurs of primary, middle and high school students to bring their music imagination and creativity into full play, and to express their understanding and feelings of music by the performance of their fingers. SHS is willing to make every effort to contribute in the development of art education of primary, middle and high schools in Shanghai and in the enhancement of the students’ art accomplishment.