Yamaha International Highlight Concert

  • The 7th Yamaha International Highlight Concert in KOREA

Performances by Students of Yamaha Music School Around the World

The Yamaha International Highlight Concert marks the culmination of the year’s accomplishments by Yamaha Music School students.

The concert brought together selected high-level students from around the world, regardless of genre, including original compositions written by the students themselves, classical piano pieces, and bands.

Fifteen pairs of students from Korea, Malaysia, China, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Canada, USA, and Japan participated on that day.

One of the concert’s highlights is an improvisation performance, where students—fuelled by creativity and musicality—craft an original piece based on a short melody suggested by the audience.

This embodies Yamaha Music School’s philosophy of “fostering creativity” in music education and demonstrates the transformative power of musical expression.

The concert video was released as an online premiere on May 16th (Sat) at 11:00 AM (JST), on our YouTube channel. Please visit our YouTube channel and enjoy the breathtaking performances of Yamaha Music School students from around the world.

  • Concert Pictures 1
  • Concert Pictures 2
  • Concert Pictures 3

Performers

Special Stage

Kim Hael (12), Moon Scarlett Yura (11), Park Juha (12), Roh Ahyeon (12), Choi Seungwon (14), Park Jeik (11), Ra Gyubin (11) Korea

Time of Our Life (K-pop Cover)

Day 6

<Time of Our Life> is the product of hope that our mundane days will be left as special memories. Hopefully, the current performance will be a beautiful memory that will be remembered by the artists and the audience in the years to come.

Performers image

Adam Wong Zi Xuan (10) / Malaysia

The Investigator (Adam Wong Zi Xuan) / JUNIOR ORIGINAL CONCERT / Piano Solo

I chose to compose this piece because I find investigators very fascinating. They are clever, mysterious, and determined, and I wanted to capture that feeling in music. Through this piece, I tried to imagine the suspense, excitement, and bravery of an investigator chasing after a dangerous criminal.

Performers image

Ting Leung (12) / China

Iridescent (Ting Leung) / JUNIOR ORIGINAL CONCERT / Piano Solo

In memory of my school days, I blend the mottled light and shadows of that period into the piano keys — disaggregated chords portray morning dew falling, dissonant intervals hiding the restlessness of youth, and complex rhythms echoing the heartbeat of adolescence. When the confused emotions lingered at my fingertips in the ending notes, a rainbow of youth will eventually rise.

Performers image

Yee Hong Shyan (14) / Singapore

Sky Painter (Yee Hong Shyan) / JUNIOR ORIGINAL CONCERT / Electone Solo

One evening, as I waited for the bus home, I looked up and saw the sky bathed in brilliant gold, deep orange and streaks of purple. The breathtaking colours lifted my spirits and stirred a long-forgotten memory. I thought of my favourite childhood book, Sky Color, and imagined a boy painting the sky with vibrant hues. With this piece, I wanted to recreate that childhood fantasy in music.

Performers image

Lee Yeonwoo (9) / Korea

The Bicycle in the Sky (Lee Yeonwoo) / JUNIOR ORIGINAL CONCERT / Ensemble

My dream is to be a scientist who creates inventions that bring joy to people. Last year, when playing the OST of Howl’s Moving Castle with my friends in an ensemble concert, an idea of creating a flying bicycle came to me and allowed me to provide people with the pleasure of flying. I envisioned the whole experience of riding the bicycle, flying in the blue sky, and traveling through large fluffy clouds. This is the vision that I had in mind when writing this piece. And shall we ride this aerobicycle together and rise flying up out of the earth to the heavens?

Performers image

Lee Hyoseo (13) / Korea

Cloudy (Lee Hyoseo) / JUNIOR ORIGINAL CONCERT / Ensemble

This piece was written based on a mountain hike. It starts with the happiness of being at the beginning but after a while when you are tired of the work there comes a time when you want to quit. However, it is well worth the struggle that you make to the top and get a spectacular show of the world laid out beneath you. The ten years I spent at Yamaha Music School have been no exception as it has been both happy and challenging, yet music finally provided me with the feeling of success and overwhelming feeling. It is my fervent hope to be able to share that experience and feeling with you.

Performers image

Puri Puengpipattrakul (14) / Thailand

Lost in the Storm (Puri Puengpipattrakul) / JUNIOR ORIGINAL CONCERT / Piano Solo

This composition was inspired by a motif I created, expanded while hearing heavy rain. It made me think of the animation movie “Flow” leading to the idea of a storm before the flood. I then imagined a young wolf who got separated from its pack during the storm, feeling frustrated, lonely, disappointed and hopeful.

Performers image

Vanessa Christy Saimima (16) / Indonesia

The Farewell Song “Until We Meet Again” (Vanessa Christy Saimima) / JUNIOR ORIGINAL CONCERT / Ensemble

This song is really special to me because it marks the end of a big chapter in my life, the closing of my journey with JOC, which comes to an end this year. JOC has played a huge role in my growth in music and in learning how to express myself through my compositions. Performing this piece will be my way of saying goodbye and giving thanks for all the memories, lessons, and amazing people I’ve met along the way. It’s like my final letter to everyone who has supported me, and I hope it leaves a piece of my heart with the audience.

Performers image

Improvisation

Multinational

Mizuho Murata (13), Rio Matsui(13) / Japan

The performers choose one of the melodies collected from the audience that day and improvise in their own style in a relay format.

A song created by the audience and performers was reverberated throughout the concert hall!

Improvised performance is to play spontaneously by expressing the feelings and ideas that occur in one's mind.

Yamaha Music School aims to develop the student's ability to express music creatively by learning music comprehensively.

Performers image

Nop Nimmanahaeminda (17) / Thailand

Cuban Paradiso (Nop Nimmanahaeminda) / Yamaha Electone Festival 2024, Junior 2 Finalist / ELECTONE SOLO

I chose this piece because it reflects my love for rhythm and melodies and it challenges me to express both strength and sensitivity. This piece I will perform is my own Electone arrangement called “Cuban Paradiso”, which won the Grand Prize for Senior Section at the Asia-Pacific Electone Festival 2024.

Performers image

Zoe Augusto Pook (14) / Indonesia

Études de concert, Op.35 No. 2 “Automne” (Cécile Chaminade) / Yamaha Junior Piano Competition 2025, Div. D 1st Prize / Ensemble

I chose this piece because I recently heard a performance of it — and the memory is still so vivid. The opening captured me immediately, mellow but full of quiet intensity. As the piece unfolded, its lyrical melancholy and hidden technical challenges moved me deeply. The sweeping arpeggios, rich harmonies, and sudden bursts of passion felt like autumn itself — reflective, unpredictable, quietly powerful.

Performers image

Jeong Inah (11) / Korea

Monster’s Happy Birthday party (Jeong Inah) / JUNIOR ORIGINAL CONCERT / Ensemble

I wrote this work because I envisioned that my neighbor is a monster. But don’t worry, he’s not scary!

He is a funny little monster and my one and only friend. He has invited me to his birthday party today. We are going to have some fun together at Monster’s birthday party?

Performers image

Chang, Zong-Nong (10) / Taiwan

Ten-Minute Adventure (Chang, Zong-Nong) / JUNIOR ORIGINAL CONCERT / Piano Solo

In my school life, I treasure every ten-minute break, especially the time playing tag with my classmates. That’s why I want to express those brief but joyful moments through music and share them with everyone. I also put the excitement of playing tag into this piece, so that we can all recall the wonderful times of playing games during break.

Performers image

Keira Chung (12) / Canada

Toucan (2can) Dance(Keira Chung) / JUNIOR ORIGINAL CONCERT / Piano Duet

This colourful latin-style piano duet reminded us of the colourful toucan bird from South America. It’s a cheerful song that feels like we are watching “two” toucans, who are have fun while learning to dance together! Listen for many surprises along the way, and be ready to join the fun!

Performers image

Aaron Hsieh (14) / USA

Ava and Me (Aaron Hsieh) / JUNIOR ORIGINAL CONCERT / Ensemble

I thought the pianica and piano showed a balance between similarity and difference, much like my relationship with my sister Ava, who is two years younger than me. Even though our personalities differ, we are alike in many ways and have a strong sibling bond that can be competitive, supportive, loving, and full of fights. I could never explain these feelings to my parents, so I composed something that expresses our connection.

Performers image

Mizuho Murata (13) / Japan

Symphonic Suite “To the Future" I. Encounter II. Wavering III. Ray of Hope (Mizuho Murata) / JUNIOR ORIGINAL CONCERT / Ensemble

I composed this piece because I wanted to create a work that I could perform with Rio — with whom I’ve studied music since childhood. This piece captures the act of facing music: the joy of meeting a new piece, the doubts that arise while playing it, and the joy of having something to aim for.

Performers image

One song, One dream, One light -YAMAHA- (YAMAHA BOYS AND GIRLS CHOIR) / Korea

This piece was created based on one of the works awarded in the “Lyrics and Composition Challenge” conducted last year for this concert. Countless passions for music have come together as one, and today, they will shine together through our voices.

Performers image

What is the Yamaha International Highlight Concert?

The first Yamaha International Highlight Concert (YIHC) was held in Singapore in 2019.

Established as the top Yamaha Music School (YMS) concert worldwide, the YIHC showcases high-level performances by Yamaha students from countries around the world.

This concert will feature students who have participated in various concerts organized by Yamaha worldwide, including the Junior Original Concert (JOC), Yamaha Electone Festival (YEF), Yamaha Junior Piano Competition (YJPC), and Popular Music Course (PMC).

  • Yamaha International Highlight Concert image

Yamaha Junior Piano Competition

The Yamaha Junior Piano Competition (YJPC) was launched in 2016 to encourage promising young pianists. A unique feature of YJPC is that it allows participants to perform pieces in any style of music, as well as their own musical arrangements. The competition was restructured to accept applications from international contestants in 2021, making it an international event.

*The 2021 competition only featured contestants from Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yamaha Electone Festival

The Yamaha Electone Festival (YEF) provides a forum for Electone players to impress audiences with their performances. As a competition, YEF aims to help participants improve their Electone skills and musical ability.

Popular Music Course

Popular Music Course (PMC) offers lessons for a range of instruments such as the guitar, drums, and piano. These lessons target beginning players who want to learn how to play an instrument while enjoying music, as well as intermediate and advanced students who want to improve their performance skills in a fun way.

Junior Original Concert

The Junior Original Concert (JOC) features Yamaha Music School students aged 15 and younger from around the world performing their own original compositions. Based on the Yamaha method, and focusing on creativity and originality, each JOC concert presents young performers/composers communicating their own heartfelt emotions using the international language of music. Founded in 1972 on this philosophy, JOC activities have spread to over 40 countries around the world.

Presented by Yamaha Music Korea Ltd. and YAMAHA CORPORATION

Supported by YAMAHA MUSIC FOUNDATION

(*) For information about each "Performance History" on the program, please refer to the consent below, "What is the YAMAHA INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHT CONCERT?"

What is Yamaha Music School?

The philosophy of Yamaha Music School is "To foster the musical sensitivity that everyone is born with, to develop the ability to enjoy creating and playing the music of their own and ultimately share the joy of music with anyone."

We are actively involved in training teachers, developing teaching materials, implementing a Yamaha Grade Examination System, and holding concerts.

In addition, we are promoting the popularization of music and educational activities while also working on the development of schools throughout Japan as well as staff training.

Yamaha Music School first opened in Japan in 1954, followed by the first international location in Los Angeles, USA in 1964, and now over 160,000 students learn and experience the joy of music around the world.

Related Contents

to page top

Select Your Location