9th PF 2026 — Awards & Prizes
Discover the awards, cash prizes, scholarships, and performance opportunities available at the Festival.
Award Levels Descriptors
Participants will receive:
- Adjudication reports: Will be WhatsApp to participants after the event (approximately one week later)
- Certificates: To be collected onsite after your performance (NO MAILING)
- Video recordings: The link will be WhatsApp to participants after the event (approximately two months’ time)
Award Levels: Based on your performance, participants shall qualify for 1 of the five levels of awards:
Platinum & Gold recipients will be awarded trophies at the Gala Concert & Awards Ceremony.
Silver, Bronze, and Certificate of Participation recipients will receive certificates.
Awards Descriptors — Singapore Performers’ Festival
© Copyright SMTA 2006 • Info is correct @ time of print (v.1 as of Feb 1st, 2026)
PLATINUM
- Demonstrates a high level of technical accuracy and command of the instrument
- Displays an exceptional sense of musicality, maturity and attention to musical detail
- Demonstrates a strong awareness of refinement of sound
- Communicates very effectively and shows strong personality, resulting in a very persuasive performance
GOLD
- Demonstrates a good technical command of the instrument
- Displays clear musicality and sensitivity to musical detail
- Consistently produces nice and beautiful sound
- Produces a real feeling of performance
SILVER
- Demonstrates a competent technical command of the instrument (some minor inaccuracies, but no major errors)
- Displays a musical approach and some sensitivity to musical detail
- Adequate sense of sound production, but not always ideal
- Gives some feeling of performance
BRONZE
- Has some technical errors within a reasonably accurate performance
- Musicality and sensitivity are apparent, but not always consistent
- Mildly aware of sound and tone quality
- A sense of communication and performance is sometimes obscured by a preoccupation with the technical demands of the music
CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION
- Performed with score(s) (excluding exceptions)
- Technical weaknesses are immediately apparent
- Little feeling for the spirit of the music
- Sound production is not a priority
- Could try to give more thought to the requirements of a performance
Announcement of Awards Recipients & Gala Concert
Recipients’ names for selected awards will be announced on the SMTA website and Facebook by Sat, Jun 27, 2026.
Awards to be announced (by Sat, Jun 27)
- Platinum & Gold Awards
- PF Scholarship Awards
- Bach Concerto Soloist Prize
- CHUREN Prize for Young Musicians
- Dennis Lee Prize for Outstanding Debussy
- FIMA Scholarship Awards
- The Jena Pang Chopin/Liszt Award
Performers (Please be on standby)
- Performers will be contacted via phone/WhatsApp by Sat, Jun 27, 2026.
- Your piano accompanists should be on standby.
Important Notice (Awards Collection)
- Participants must check their names on the SMTA website to come and receive their awards at the Gala Concert & Awards Ceremony on Jun 28, 2026.
- No phone calls will be made.
- If you cannot attend, a representative may collect on your behalf from the registration counter on Jun 28. Please inform SMTA via WhatsApp ahead of time.
- Any uncollected awards must be arranged for collection from SMTA within two weeks.
Gala Concert & Awards Ceremony
Performers and recipients need to report earlier (TBA).
Selected recipients may be invited to perform at the Gala Concert
- Outstanding Platinum recipients
- Bach Concerto Soloist Prize recipient
- CHUREN Prize for Young Musicians – 1st prize winners (Junior, Intermediate, Senior)
- Dennis Lee Outstanding Debussy prize winner
- FIMA scholarship recipient(s)
- The Jena Pang Chopin/Liszt Award recipient
Admission
Free admission to watch the festival performances and Gala Concert (first come, first serve).
Info is correct @ time of print (v.1 as of Feb 1, 2026).
AWARD AND PRIZE category Overview
| Award / Prize | What you receive | Performance / Invitation to Perform at Gala Concert |
|---|---|---|
| PF Scholarship Awards
(Only students of SMTA members are eligible for the consideration) |
Cash awards for selected outstanding Platinum recipients. | Selected outstanding Platinum recipients. |
| Bach Concerto Soloist Prize | Trophies + total of SGD$500 cash award. | Awardee(s) will perform the 1st movement of J.S. Bach A minor or E major Violin Concerto with the Senior String Ensemble (Gala Concert). |
|
CHUREN Prize for Young Musicians
(Category based on birth year) | Trophies + total of SGD$1,500 cash prizes. (6 pianists across Junior/Inermediate/Senior) | 1st prize recipients (each category) |
| Dennis Lee Prize for Outstanding Debussy | Trophies + total of SGD$1,000 cash prizes. | Selected recipient(s) |
| The Jena Pang Chopin/Liszt Award | Trophies + Total of SGD$500 cash prizes. | Selected recipient(s). |
| Fiestravaganza International Music Academy (FIMA) Scholarships (Basic Tier) Non-transferable; airfare/accommodation not covered; confirm attendance within 5 days or scholarship is cancelled. |
Total value of €3,000 (Tier 1 Basic scholarships) for pianist(s) and string player(s) (violin/viola/cello). | Selected recipients |
PF Scholarship Awards
Cash awards will be awarded to selected outstanding Platinum recipients. The Festival has supported promising participants through various ways. To date, more than SGD$60,000 of scholarships have been awarded to outstanding Platinum performers.
Eligibility: Cash award for selected outstanding Platinum recipients whose teachers are SMTA members (eligibility applies).
Bach Concerto Soloist Prize
Award: Trophies and a total of SGD$500 cash award.
Performance opportunity: Awardee(s) will perform the 1st movement of J.S. Bach A minor or E major Violin Concerto with the Senior String Ensemble at the Gala Concert.
Dennis Lee Prize for Outstanding Debussy
Debussy aficionados — here’s your chance to enthral us with the mesmerising piano music of Debussy. To celebrate and commemorate the rich legacy of the late pianist, Dennis Lee (1946–2023), outstanding pianists may be awarded this special prize and perform at the Gala Concert.
Award: Trophies and a total of SGD$1,000 cash prizes will be awarded to outstanding pianists.
The Jena Pang Chopin/Liszt Award
Award: Trophies and a total of SGD$500 cash prizes will be awarded to outstanding pianists for their rendition of Chopin/Liszt.
Selection: Selected recipient(s).
CHUREN Prize for Young Musicians
The CHUREN Prize, founded and donated by pianist-composer Churen Li, honors young pianists who perform newly commissioned Singaporean piano works. Presented as part of the Singapore Music Teachers’ Association Singapore Performers’ Festival, the Prize recognizes artistic excellence and encourages students to explore contemporary local repertoire, develop interpretive depth, and contribute to Singapore’s growing body of music.
If you’re looking to stand out with something fresh, meaningful, and uniquely Singaporean, this is an exceptional opportunity to champion new music and have the chance to present your work at the Gala Concert — a distinguished platform to shape the next chapter of Singapore’s musical legacy.
Commissioned Composers
Composer – Senior Category
Composer – Intermediate Category
Nostalgie
Composer – Junior Category
Award: Trophies and a total of SGD$1,500 cash prizes will be awarded to six outstanding pianists.
Categories & Prizes
| Category | 1st Prize | 2nd Prize |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Age 11 & below (Born in 2015 or after) |
$300 + trophy Invitation to perform at the Gala Concert |
$200 + trophy |
| Intermediate Age 12–15 (Born between 2011–2014) |
$300 + trophy Invitation to perform at the Gala Concert |
$200 + trophy |
| Senior Age 16–18 (Born between 2008–2010) |
$300 + trophy Invitation to perform at the Gala Concert |
$200 + trophy |
- Participants can only join one category according to their birth year. No crossing of categories.
- Please present your student pass at the registration table on performance day for verification.
*Performers need not perform from memory.
Commissioned Works
- Junior Category (Age 11 & below): (Will be released soon) by Syafiqah ‘Adha Sallehin
-
Intermediate Category (Age 12–15): Nostalgie for Piano Solo by Shaun Choo
- Senior Category (Age 16–18): (Will be released soon) by Churen Li
Please download and print the scores and watch the composers’ videos
Synopsis of the Commissioned Works
- Junior Category (by Syafiqah ‘Adha Sallehin) Score will be released soon!
Intermediate Category (by Shaun Choo) — Nostalgie
-
Senior Category (Churen Li) Score will be released soon!
Score download:
Download “Nostalgie” (Piano Solo) – Shaun Choo
Composer Video: https://youtu.be/Hf3tFCePR8E
Nostalgie originated as an improvisation, reflecting the composer’s affinity for the Romantic piano tradition. With gentle nods to his favourite Romantic composers — Felix Mendelssohn, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and especially Frédéric Chopin — the work draws on lyrical expressiveness and poetic character.
Encouraged by his partner Rebekka, Shaun later refined the sketch into a miniature work, which he dedicated to her. Structured in ternary form, the piece evokes a reflective atmosphere and a gentle sense of remembrance. The German title “Nostalgie”, translating to nostalgia, points to the idea of sentimental memory, inviting performers to explore cantabile tone, nuanced phrasing, and musical storytelling within a Romantic idiom.
Piano & String Scholarships to Fiestravaganza International Music Academy (FIMA), Berlin
Berlin, Germany
- A total value of €3,000 of Tier 1 Basic scholarships will be awarded to selected deserving pianist(s) and string player(s) (violin/viola/cello) identified for further development to participate in FIMA in Berlin.
- Scholarship is non-transferable and not exchangeable for cash.
- Selected recipient(s) must confirm attendance within five days after receiving the scholarship; otherwise it will be cancelled.
- Airfare, accommodation, and expenses are not covered.
Useful links:
- FIMA official trailer: https://youtu.be/aBMFBve-Ugo
- FIMA 2026 – Piano https://fiestravaganza.com/academy/fima-2026/piano/
- FIMA 2026 – Strings https://fiestravaganza.com/academy/fima-2026/strings/
- FIMA 2025 program book: https://fiestravaganza.com/web-stories/fima-2025-program-book/
- FIMA 2024 (Singaporean participant reflections): https://youtu.be/jyMf3lrEQGU
- FIMA 2023 post-festival reflections (featuring Lena Ching): https://youtu.be/3ZYyTE7wsuE
FIMA AT FIVE: 5th Anniversary Gala Concert 2027 (Singapore)
- In celebration of its fifth anniversary, FIMA will present a special gala concert in Singapore in 2027, hosted at the Victoria Concert Hall, featuring a curated selection of outstanding FIMA participants from the academy’s first four editions. Participation is by invitation only and based on artistic excellence; travel and accommodation are not covered for international participants.