2015年10月3日
Miss TAM Wan Ching, Hannah who won the 1st prize in Concorso Andrea Postacchini Music Competition in Italy 

Miss TAM Wan Ching, Hannah, who won the 3rd prize in the violin section of The Second/ Third Japan Hong Kong International Music Competition, received the 1st prize in Concorso Andrea Postacchini Music Competition in Italy. Congratulation to Miss Hannah!  

Japan Hong Kong Musicians Alliance <JHMA> held an interview session with Miss Hannah and her mother, Mrs. Tam after the competition to hear her thought in detail.  
 

Interview with Miss Hannah and her mother, Mrs. Tam

Q: Congratulation for wining the 1st prize in Concorso Andrea Postacchini 2016 (Fermo, Italy) held this May. Could you tell us about this music competition?
 
Mrs. Tam:  The Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition was first organized in 1993 in memory of the famous Italian violinmaker Andrea Postacchini. The competition was introduced to me by one of my friends who was studying music in the UK. I found that Hannah just fitted their age requirements and so we joined the competition.which makes young kids, like Jason, like him much.
 
Q: How did Hannah prepare for this music competition? Tell us the technical aspect, and how she managed her mind.
 
Mrs. Tam:  Before the competition, Hannah practiced quite hard, both basic skills and the pieces for the competition. However, I found that Hannah didn’t seem so stressed, and she enjoyed the practices and performance so much.
 
Q: Hannah has participated in various music competitions in Hong Kong including our competition and achieved excellent results. What do you think about the difference between the competitions in Hong Kong and this Italian competition?
 
Miss Hannah at 2nd Prize Winner's Concert in JapanMrs. Tam:  The competitions in Hong Kong usually require their participants to play only one piece of music. Also, many of the competitions have only one judge for theassessment. Sometimes I am afraid the assessment would be too subjective. If the only piece of music doesn’t suit the judge’s taste, the participants’ hard work would be confirmed. In contrast, there were 7 judges from various countries in The Andrea Postacchini Violin Competition. I believe that the judgement was more objective.
 
Hannah:  The level of the competitors in The Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition was very high. When I saw the performance of the girl who later got the 2nd prize, I was so impressed. But this also motivated me to do my best in my own performance.
 
Q: Hannah is the 1st prize winner in our 1st competition in Hong Kong. Since then, she has participated in various events of Japan Hong Kong Musicians Alliance (JHMA), including violin master classes by Mr. Kaoru Kondo, the prize winners concert in Japan, Autumn Music Festival 2015 hosted by The Hongkong Japanese Club. Tell us if there is something our activities helped Hannah's career.

Mrs. Tam:  JHMA has provided stages for Hannah to perform in public. Those were rare opportunities for Hannah to participate in concerts as a performer, and this helps her acquire more experiences. With these experiences, Hannah has become less nervous when performing in front of others.
 
Q: Hannah also took some violin master classes taught by Mr. Kaoru Kondo (the chief jury of the violin section). What do you think the most interesting or memorable experience in these classes with Mr. Kondo?
 
Hannah:  I remember that when I first took the master class of Mr. Kondo, I focused too much on the pitch and rhythm and was told that my performance was too dull. It was the first time I learnt that understanding about the style and history of the composers was crucial to the performance as well.
 
Mrs. Tam:  Both Hannah and I were impressed by Mr. Kondo’s high-level performance. He allowed us to know how well a piece of music could be played and inspired Hannah to develop her career as a violinist since she wants to become a great musician as Mr. Kondo.
 
Q: Tell us if there is something you have achieved, or you feel something has changed in your mind through the experiences overseas. Hannah: Visiting foreign countries has broadened my horizon. I have realized that I should not be satisfied with my current states. It always helps me improve by setting a higher target for myself, not only in the music, but also in other aspects of my life.
 
Mrs. Tam:  Hannah’s will has been reinforced. In order to become a good performer, it is necessary for her to practice repeatedly. The process may be boring but the patience to withstand boredom and difficulty helps her become tolerant. Now she doesn’t give up easily under any circumstances. Hannah has become less nervous when performing in front of others.
 
Q: We believe you will continue your career as a violinist. Do you consider your career overseas in the future? If so, what is your ideal image of a violinist?
 
Hannah:  I want to be a popular violinist who plays great music, and share the joy of music with people all around the world.
 
Q: Hanna's achievement in Italy will be a great encouragement for youngsters in Hong Kong looking for their careers overseas. Do you have any words for those young musicians participating in our competition?
 
Hannah:  Violin is a really, really great instrument and plays beautiful music. And-Practice Makes Perfect!
 
Mrs. Tam:  Hannah wasn’t born with a natural talent for playing violin. Practice might be boring but it definitely promote improvement. With passion and hard work, I believe anyone can achieve what Hannah has.
 

Interview : Katrina Chin