MusiQuest – A Journey To Find The Best Pianists In India

November 14, 2017

piano img — Image for representation only

The love for piano as a musical instrument is all set to be seen and heard at the sixth edition of the MusiQuest, a national-level piano festival.

The festival is organised by the Academy of Music, Koregaon Park, and will be held from November 14 to 19. This edition will see participants across age groups, with the youngest being a four-year-old to the oldest at 65.

“The main point of this festival is for the participants to come, interact, learn and enjoy. We are expecting 125 participants this year who will play 603 pieces. Last year, there were 160 participants. This time, we made the entry based on the body of repertoire of the participant. Usually, children just give their piano exam and that’s it. This festival is one of its kind in the country,” states Roxana Anklesaria, Founder Director, Academy of Music.

Participants in this competition are from the cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Faridabad. Out of the 125 students, 70 are from Pune. “Our past winners are doing really well and have chosen to pursue a career in music. The prize for the advanced level winner includes a two-week camp at the International Institute of Young Musicians in USA,” says Anklesaria.

She further adds that India stands better than it did 20 years ago in the number of people learning how to play the piano. “Earlier, it was 250 per cent duty that had to be paid on a piano. Now, it’s only 25 per cent. Even in terms of western exposure and getting better at academics, parents are encouraging their children to learn how to play the piano.

There are 25,000 students in Chennai who take the graded music exam by the Trinity College in London.”

The jury this year includes notable names who will be judging different categories. They include Mark Neiwirth, Phyllis Lehrer, Timothy Brown, Pierce Emata, Katherine and Jeffrey Savage, Andrew Linn and Fred Karpoff.

“This is one of the most unique festivals as participants will get to watch us, the adjudicators, perform as well. We will also be holding workshops for them. The music is new, contemporary. The environment is much more relaxed and comforting.

This is definitely something beyond the routine music exams the participants give,” says Timothy Brown.