The 2024 Music Singapore International Competition, an annual championship of young artists from across the world, recognized the exceptional skills, creativity, and flair of budding musicians.
Founded in 2020 by seasoned educator Vivian Gao, the premier platform aims to uncover and develop talents by providing them with accessible avenues to showcase their interpretative aptitude and emotional resonance.
With partnerships from industry leaders Henle Verlag Music Publishing House, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), and Asia Music Bookstore, the host links participants with high-profile individuals in the global music scene.
For its fourth iteration, the Music Singapore International Competition 2024 expanded its reach from just violin and piano, to likewise accommodate entrants in voice, pop and jazz, ensemble, and choir categories in independent virtual and physical formats.
Filipino protégé Kyla Nicole Lim nabbed the first prize in the first-ever Voice Solo Category for young adults aged 18 to 24.
She performed “Think of Me” from The Phantom of the Opera Musical by English composer and impresario Andrew Lloyd Weber and “I Have Nothing” by American songwriter Linda Thompson and Canadian record producer David Foster.
The distinction earned her a well-deserved spot at the closing Gala Concert, wherein she staged her winning pieces.
Fellow Filipina Maria Jasmin Panizales secured second prize in the same division.
She exemplified her virtuosity in a rendition of “With You” from the musical Ghost by English musician and songwriter Dave Stewart, American lyricist Glen Ballard, and American screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin. She likewise showcased her artistic expression in a presentation of “Hymne a l’amour,” a classic by French songwriter and composer Marguerite Monnot and French singer Edith Piaf.
Lim and Panizales, both students from the Music Production Program of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) School of Arts, Culture, and Performance, underwent rigorous training under the guidance and encouragement of vocal music teacher and applied music mentor Ghira Casille.
