{"id":82328,"date":"2022-10-06T16:43:20","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T20:43:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=82328"},"modified":"2022-10-13T10:22:30","modified_gmt":"2022-10-13T14:22:30","slug":"interview-pianists-bruce-liu-kevin-ahfat-share-insights-osm-competition-finalists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2022\/10\/06\/interview-pianists-bruce-liu-kevin-ahfat-share-insights-osm-competition-finalists\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Pianists Bruce Liu And Kevin Ahfat Share Insights For OSM Competition Finalists"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Bruce
Bruce Liu (Photo: \u00a9Yanzhang); Kevin Ahfat (Photo: \u00a9Donald van Hasselt Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In partnership with The OSM Competition<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The OSM competition comes at a crucial point in the career of young classical music artists. It can serve as a bridge from student recitals to launching a successful career as a performing artist.<\/p>\n

Pianist Bruce Liu, who notably went on to win the XVIII International Chopin Piano Competition in 2021, got his first Grand Prize at the OSM Competition in 2012. Kevin Ahfat, another pianist, placed second in the OSM Competition of 2018. He went on to win the Orford Music Prize and has since carved a career as a solo performer, chamber musician and recording artist.<\/p>\n

We talked with the two former competitors whose OSM experience led to starting a professional career.<\/p>\n

The Conversation<\/h2>\n

Going into the competition was a pivotal decision for both young musicians. Bruce Liu\u2019s rapid and headline-making success has become an established fact, but his focus on music wasn\u2019t always a given. As a young teenager, he was distracted by many different activities. \u201cI had a lot of hobbies when I was young,\u201d he says. That included swimming, chess, and various sports. \u201cI wasn\u2019t the guy who would always be practising,\u201d he laughs. Entering the OSM competition came at just the right time to spark motivation. \u201cAt the start, it was one of the ten hobbies I had. This really kept me interested.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is a good way to not have this pressure and let this interest grow naturally,\u201d he says, \u201cbut then at that juncture, it put everything into sharp focus. So I\u2019m very fortunate to have these things happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

After advice from teachers and looking at his schedule, he made the decision. \u201cI just started doing junior competitions in the States, and I thought it was a good idea to combine them,\u201d he says. A look at the repertoire, jury members, and the chance to play with l\u2019Orchestre symphonique de Montr\u00e9al, an orchestra he\u2019d grown up with, convinced him. \u201cLast but not least, the prize,\u201d he points out. \u201cIt was also so close \u2014 in my hometown of Montr\u00e9al.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think at that time, what matters for me \u2014 for any young talent \u2014 [were] the opportunities available for me.\u201d It proved to be a valuable learning process. \u201cI had a real chance to explore how the stage life really is,\u201d Bruce said. \u201cI was 15 and just kind of started.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Kevin, the timing was also fortuitous. \u201cI had recently moved back to my hometown of Toronto in 2018 after nearly 20 years away, and entering this competition felt like a good way to hit the ground running right when I arrived,\u201d Kevin says. \u201cThe OSM competition is certainly very special among Canadians, and it was something that I definitely wanted to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Competition means challenges of various kinds. For Bruce, it was learning a new piece in a short time frame. \u201cWe all had to play a Canadian piece,\u201d he recalls. That included memorizing it. \u201cI remember that was a little challenging.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin also remembers learning the Canadian work. \u201cI have some distinct memories of the required Canadian work being quite the rhythmic and technical challenge, and remember putting a lot of work into that piece during that week. I was lucky that it paid off!\u201d<\/p>\n

Playing in a large venue like the Maison symphonique for the finals was also a new and valuable experience. Bruce recalls projecting the sound as a concern. \u201cI think that was even harder somehow; every collaboration, every fail can be heard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Maison symphonique is a truly remarkable stage and hall, and I really treasure the time I had up on that stage,\u201d Kevin recalls. \u201cIt has such a glorious, big, warm sound, but it\u2019s also a place where one can afford to really whisper and not be afraid to be intimate with certain colours. It is a remarkable place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jury feedback is part of the process. \u201cI very much appreciated receiving written comments from the entire jury in all rounds, which certainly doesn\u2019t happen in most larger competition settings \u2014 especially if you don\u2019t have a chance to speak with the jury,\u201d Kevin notes. \u201cWhile I\u2019m sure a lot of work for the jury, it was really nice to have written feedback to go back to and learn from, and having a physical reference is very convenient.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think maybe because I won, the jury was trying to be very polite,\u201d Bruce says. It led to valuable connections, including with jury member and Executive Director, Performing Arts of the RCM, Mervon Mehta. He calls it the beginning of a fruitful professional relationship. \u201cIt\u2019s just to get out of the zone and meet people,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

In Bruce\u2019s year, the prize included a master class at Banff, one that gave him a broader perspective on the music business. \u201cIt\u2019s different than what young people think.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Kevin, the competition placement opened doors of opportunity. \u201cI had a chance to return to the Maison symphonique for a solo recital the year following (right before the pandemic), and I always treasure any moment spent at the beautiful Place des arts,\u201d he says. \u201cAfter winning the prize for Best Performance of the Required Canadian Work, I also had a chance to connect with the composer, Patrick Carrabr\u00e9. The competition has opened up a door for performances in Montr\u00e9al and elsewhere at festivals in Qu\u00e9bec, for which I\u2019m most grateful! Hoping to return soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin\u2019s advice for the semifinalists is to stay loose. \u201cThe advice I find the most useful in these scenarios is to relax and keep the focus on having a good time onstage because if you\u2019re enjoying yourself, the jury will too,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s especially important mentally to let go of things you can\u2019t control \u2014 of which there are many in the competition format. Trying to treat it like a concert rather than a competition tends to lessen the pressure for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bruce offered similar thoughts. \u201cI think it\u2019s just to forget that you\u2019re in a competition \u2014 that you really feel like you\u2019re playing in a concert season,\u201d he says. He advises the participants to simply focus on the usual: performance and playing. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t have a really competitive atmosphere,\u201d he says. \u201cJust keep doing what you\u2019re doing.\u201d As a pianist, he sees a mental advantage. \u201cWe don\u2019t need to think of it as a competitive thing \u2014 we\u2019re the only one on stage. I think at the end, I would say, of course, we unconsciously think of others, but I think your real enemy is yourself. Forget about it, and focus on every detail as you usually would,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a platform.\u201d<\/p>\n

The OSM Competition<\/h2>\n

The 83rd edition of the OSM Competition is set to take place from November 8 to 12, 2022, featuring a return to the live stage after two years of virtual performances. During the finals this year, the candidates will perform alongside the Orchestre symphonique de Montr\u00e9al under the baton of Jacques Lacombe.<\/p>\n

New to the competition this year will be a special event focusing on the work of J.S. Bach. The semifinalists will compete for a cash prize of $5,000.<\/p>\n

That special prize comes in addition to the prize package of more than $100K in cash awards, training and performance opportunities.<\/p>\n

The Semifinalists<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The list of semifinalists going into the next round is:<\/p>\n