Cultural and artistic exchange - 2024
A Look at the Global Digital Trade Expo | 2024 AI International Piano Competition
2024.09.30
On the afternoon of September 28, 2024, at the Hangzhou Convention and Exhibition Center, the 2024 AI International Piano Competition finals, as part of the 3rd Global Digital Trade Expo, concluded successfully amidst enthusiastic applause.
At the invitation of Professor Zhou Keng, the organizer and artistic director of this competition, and Professor Zhu Mei, the chairman of the competition jury, from the Piano Department of Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, pianist/composer and president of the US-China Cultural and Artistic Exchange Association, Dong Rongcan, as the sole observer and commentator for the competition, participated in the intensive preparation work and felt the warm and friendly cooperative atmosphere of the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music Piano Department team.
Before the competition, Dong Rongcan, as one of the important guests, participated in a meeting with Lu Shan, Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province.
This AI International Piano Competition is a groundbreaking and landmark international event: 1. It combines high technology, allowing performances by international contestants from around the world to be transmitted in real-time via MIDI signals to the piano at the competition venue, enabling the audience to hear the actual performances. The metal wires produce sounds with varying degrees of softness and dynamic contrast as they are struck by the keyboard hammers. 2. It combines online and offline judges from China and abroad, with AI participating in scoring and providing comments.
This competition was judged by renowned judges from Italy, Hungary, the United States, and Russia, as well as professors from the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music's Piano Department. Seven contestants, including Sergei Davychenko, winner of the 2023 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition, participated in the finals. After 105 minutes of performances, the nine judges went into a room to discuss the rankings. On stage, commentator Dong Rongcan provided commentary and summaries of the competition, answered audience questions, and engaged in interactive activities (see photo).
Dong Rongcan emphasized that the involvement of AI technology highlights the fairness and impartiality of the competition. Furthermore, AI will belong to people and serve piano art education, serving as a valuable tool to improve teachers' teaching quality, enhance students' learning efficiency, shorten the practice cycle of new pieces, and broaden students' artistic horizons. However, the ultimate emotional expression of music remains human-centered, something that no amount of high technology can replace.
Following the conclusion of the first AI International Piano Competition and an invitation from the 4th Global Digital Trade Expo, the second AI International Piano Competition is already on the agenda and preparations are about to begin.
