Singaporean pianist Wang Congyu now a Steinway Artist

Singaporean pianist Wang Congyu was only 16 when he left school to pursue music in Paris.

"It was a very bold move and everyone around me was very much against it," says the 30-year-old, who is now based in Reunion Island, which is in the Indian Ocean, close to Africa.

He was selected for a scholarship to attend Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris. Moving to Paris without much parental support, however, meant that he struggled both financially and mentally.

After going through tough times - including living on the streets and making a living by playing music in bars - he has made a mark in the classical music scene.

He is the founder and artistic director of the Piano Island Festival and was recently named a Steinway Artist.

These artists are chosen to perform on Steinway pianos exclusively. Wang joins the likes of Chinese pianist Lang Lang, Argentinian classical pianist Martha Argerich and American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth. Singaporean pianist Benjamin Loh is also on the roster.

"I was really, really delighted when I got the news via e-mail," says Wang, who was a Young Steinway Artist for about 10 years. "I've been asking for a couple of years now to convert to Steinway Artist, but each time, something would happen, not necessarily to me, but to the world, like the pandemic."

He says the conversion depends on the merits of one's career. With his concerts and shows back on after being postponed or cancelled during the pandemic, he was nominated a Steinway Artist.

During the earlier part of the pandemic, he took in more piano students, teaching them virtually via platforms such as WhatsApp, Zoom and Instagram.

His dream is to develop the next generation of musicians in South-east Asia. This drove him to create the Piano Island Festival in 2017, which aims to give young musicians a chance to learn from professionals and interact with music enthusiasts.

Mr Jeremy Yeo, 35, who manages the festival, says: "Our motto is always to live your dream. It is not about doing what other people want you to do, but also doing what you like."

This year will be the fifth edition of the festival, which the organisers say is the biggest in terms of the number of teachers and students, as well as the size of the venue and quality of pianos used.

The plan is to take in at least 80 to 100 students, an increase from about 40 in previous years.

Wang says: "We haven't done a physical festival since 2019 so we have been saving all of our energy and resources to make this festival a huge one."

The first part of the event is a series of concerts in Singapore in October, titled French Piano Series. Apart from Wang, French pianist Jean-Marc Luisada and Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino will also be performing at the Victoria Concert Hall.

After that is a festival with students in December, to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

"I haven't played in Singapore since 2015," says Wang. "So, I very much look forward to playing in Singapore again during my homecoming concert."