Offering a Global Stage for the Rising Stars
Four outstanding young pianists selected as the 2016 BNP Paribas “Rising Stars” made their international music event debut at the 12th Piano aux Jacobins in China. Li Ziyi, Li Xiaoxuan, Ye Zifan and Xing Biguo performed on stage with world-famous pianists Philippe Bianconi, Sandro de Palma and Rémi Panossian. The Rising Stars’ understanding of music and their excellent performances deeply touched the audience.
Peter Kwok, CEO of BNP Paribas (China) Ltd, Jean-Jacques Goron, Managing Director of the BNP Paribas Foundation and Paul-Arnaud Péjouan, Artistic Director of the Festival Piano aux Jacobins, presented the “Rising Stars” certificate to the four young pianists, encouraging them to pursue their piano ambitions and continue to inspire people with music.
The annual “Rising Stars” selection and associated events, initiated by BNP Paribas in China and the BNP Paribas Foundation, are one of the most important cultural events held by BNP Paribas in China. It aims to identify young talented pianists in China and offer them a stage to demonstrate their genius. Since 2013, BNP Paribas has selected 21 “Rising Stars” in the Chinese piano arena and helped pave their way to the international stage.
The “Rising Stars” were selected through a stringent screening and assessment conducted by music experts, including Paul-Arnaud Péjouan, Artistic Director of the Festival Piano aux Jacobins and Professor Ying Wu, Steinway Artist and Dean of the Piano Department of the Central Conservatory of Music. Among the four winners this year, Li Ziyi and Li Xiaoxuan are from the Secondary School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Ye Zifan and Xing Biguo are from the Secondary School Affiliated to the Central Conservatory of Music. They represent the highest level of new-generation Chinese pianists. At the Piano Aux Jacobins concerts that were held in Beijing and Shanghai during 6 to 21 May, they performed classical pieces of Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven and Bach, and demonstrated their extraordinary talent. The outstanding “Rising Stars” may also get the chance to play on an international stage in France in the near future.
Peter Kwok said, “We are very pleased to see that so many talented new-generation pianists have been discovered over the past three years. Through the platform of ‘Rising Stars’, young pianists have strengthened their confidence in pursuing their musical dreams. We have achieved our initial goal of establishing the ‘Rising Stars’ platform, and we continue to support cultural and artistic development in China. By leveraging our global network we will create more opportunities for cultural exchanges between China and France.”
Li Xiaoxuan, the youngest “Rising Star” of 2016 said, “After 11 years of practice, I feel very lucky to have won many awards. It is my greatest honour to perform at Piano aux Jacobins because it is lauded as the ‘Dream Works of Star Pianists’. It is a great event for me to perform along with so many famous piano masters. Their skilled performances and unique understanding of music really impress me. I appreciate it very much for BNP Paribas to give me such an opportunity and it is a great incentive for me to continue pursuing my piano dream.”
Through its charitable foundation and many philanthropic activities, BNP Paribas continuously demonstrates its commitment to supporting and developing programmes all over the world promoting education, culture and research. In China, BNP Paribas is also committed to contributing to cultural development and will continue efforts to share the charms of culture and the spirit of art with the public.
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