Asia-Pacific Electone Festival 2017 – Our Passion to Popularise Music
While education is taught, passion and performance is caught. One way to hone our students and teachers is by encouraging them to participate in music festivals and concerts on local and international platforms. The Asia-Pacific Electone Festival is one such platform.
Each year, contestants will first compete at the local Yamaha Electone Festival. Thereafter, Grand Prize winners from Junior Sections 2 and 3, and Senior Section will move on to the Asia-Pacific Electone Festival. The hosting region will have two representatives in each section.
Asia-Pacific Electone Festival 2017
Yamaha Music (Asia) Private Limited has had the honour of hosting the Asia-Pacific Electone Festival in 1978, 1986, 1992, 1999, 2006, and 2011. This year, Yamaha Music (Asia) is once again privileged to have the opportunity to present the Asia-Pacific Electone Festival, at the Capitol Theatre on 15th October. Twenty-three talented contenders from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand will compete on one stage on that day.
The Gold and Silver Prize winners from the Junior Sections 2 and 3, and Senior Section of the Asia-Pacific Electone Festival 2017 will advance to compete at the Yamaha Electone Concours in Osaka, Japan, on 2nd and 3rd December, 2017.
Photos of Contestants
Guest Artiste Masahide Nakano
To bring the Asia-Pacific Electone Festival 2017 one level up, electone artiste Masahide Nakano will give the audience a treat with his original, genre-free, and powerful performance that is rapidly gaining popularity amongst young electone players. An avid performer, Nakano has been touring major cities in Asia with his own brand of music since winning 2nd place in the Yamaha Electone Concours in 2008.
On home ground, he is a tireless performer who frequently appeared at events. He held his first self-produced live show named Live.1 in 2012, in Japan. In May 2015, his concert at Yamaha Ginza Studio was a huge success.
Among the numerous accolades of the Tokyo Metropolitan College of Music graduate is the highly regarded Electone Performance Grade 2 certification. He published a personal collection of songs named STAGEA EL Pop Score Series 5th - 3rd Grade Masahide Nakano: Bolero -Electro Remix- in 2015. In addition to electone solo performances, he is engaged in a variety of activities, such as composing music for events and conducting music seminars.
Mark the date 15th October 2017 and join us at the Capitol Theatre at 3.30pm. Come and be enthralled as our talented musicians create and express their unique music with a myriad of tone colours on this extremely versatile electronic keyboard instrument, the “ELECTONE”.
Asia-Pacific Electone Festival 2017 tickets are available at all SISTIC outlets, at $30 each (SISTIC charges apply). Early Bird group discount of 7% for a minimum of 5 tickets in a receipt is valid from 11 August to 10 September, 2017.
Capitol Theatre
Facts of Electone Festivals
The Yamaha Electone Festival is divided into four age groups of solo performance competition:
- Junior Section 1: Open to individuals aged 8 or younger as of 1st April 2017.
- Junior Section 2: Open to individuals aged 9 to 11 as of 1st April 2017.
- Junior Section 3: Open to individuals aged 12 to 14 as of 1st April 2017.
- Senior Section: Open to individuals aged 15 or above as of 1st April 2017.
According to the contestant’s age, the duration of total performance shall not exceed:
- 4 minutes, for Junior Section 1
- 4 minutes, for Junior Section 2
- 5 minutes, for Junior Section 3
- 5 minutes, for Senior Section (original composition or own arrangement)
Contestants from Junior Sections 1, 2, & 3 are required to play one repertoire piece, free selection, of his/her own choice. Contestants from Senior Section are required to perform an original composition or own arrangement.
On the day of APEF, all contestants in the Senior Section are required to play an improvisation based on one of the three motifs assigned on the day in a closed session.
The Grand Prize winner of Junior Section 1 will be auditioned through a video recording of his/her performance at Yamaha Electone Festival (national final) to gain the right to enter Yamaha Electone Concours. Grand Prize winner from Junior Sections 2 & 3, and Senior Section will proceed to Asia-Pacific Electone Festival – to be held in Singapore this year. The Gold and Silver Prize winners from each section of the Asia-Pacific Electone Festival will advance to Yamaha Electone Concours, which will be held in Japan.
The Asia-Pacific Electone Festival jury consists of three accomplished musicians – two from Japan and one from Singapore. From Japan, Mr. Eiichi Ohara, General Manager of Music Education Division, Yamaha Music Foundation; and Ms. Saori Iwauchi, Electone Player of Yamaha Music Foundation. From Singapore, Mr. Ang Chek Meng, a member of the award-winning T’ang Quartet.
Brief History of Electone Concours
The Electone Festival was first held in Japan in 1964 and was originally named All Japan Electone Concours. By 1974, the competition was divided into two divisions – the All-Japan Electone Concours and International Electone Festival. The latter has been renamed Yamaha Electone Concours, which is held annually in Japan.