Registration deadline 18 August 2026

Quatre Music International Festival 2026

Live & Virtual Festival for Piano, Strings & Voice.

26–27 September 2026SRMC Recital Studio & SOTA Concert Hall, Singapore

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The QMIF serves as a meaningful platform for cultural and musical interaction, uniting young musicians from diverse backgrounds through the shared language of classical music. By encouraging musical excellence through healthy competition, the festival fosters growth, discipline, and artistry. More than just a contest, QMIF is a vibrant space for musical expression, performance, and mutual sharing, where participants inspire one another and celebrate the rich traditions and evolving artistry of classical music.

This year, the festival is presented in two formats: Live and Virtual. Participants may choose whichever format they prefer.

The Live Festival will take place at SRMC Recital Studio, Singapore, where participants will perform in person at the venue. Performances will be adjudicated by the jury panel, and prizes will be awarded accordingly. Gala Concert & Prize Giving Ceremony will take place at SOTA Concert Hall, Singapore.

The Virtual Festival is conducted through recorded submissions, which will be evaluated by the jury panel, with prizes awarded based on the results.

WHO CAN APPLY

The festival is open to participants of all nationalities and it’s divided into different categories and age group.

Solo — Piano, Strings and Voice

Category & Duration

Junior A (Age 5 years old and below) — max 3 mins
Junior B (Age 6-7 years old) — max 5 mins
Intermediate A (Age 8-9 years old) — max 5 mins
Intermediate B (Age 10-11 years old) — max 6 mins
Advanced A (Age 12-14 years old) — max 8 mins
Advanced B (Age 15-17 years old) — max 10 mins
Young Artist (Age 18 and above) — max 10 mins

REGISTRATION DEADLINE

Registration deadline: 18 August 2026

Virtual Festival video recording submission deadline: 18 August 2026

Age for each applicant will be calculated by 18 August 2026.

Registration fee for is SGD$180 per entry (for live festival) and SGD$70 per entry (for virtual festival).

REPERTOIRE

Eligible works include compositions from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century, and 21st Century period. Please note that works by living composers are not permitted.

ADJUDICATING PANEL

A panel of judges will evaluate the festival, the final selections of awards and winners will be based on the juries’ decisions.

More information about our jury members can be found on our website.

HOW TO APPLY

Click here for live festival registration.

Click here for virtual festival registration.

To ensure that your application will be properly processed, please prepare the following material when you are ready to fill in the form:
1. Youtube link (for virtual festival only)
2. Credit and/or Visa card to proceed with the payment at the end of the application. Please contact us if you are unable to pay online.

PRIZES

1. Live festival participants are eligible to receive:

Trophy (for Platinum Award)
Medal (for Gold & Silver Award)
Certificate
Comment sheet from juries
Cash prize up to S$2000
Opus Music Camp Scholarship up to S$5000
All Platinum Award recipients will receive direct admission eligibility to the Opus Music Camp in Salzburg & Vienna.
Platinum, Gold, & Silver Award (will be given based on the jury evaluation).
Selected Platinum Award recipients may be invited to perform at the Gala Concert.

Virtual festival participants are eligible to receive:

Trophy (First, Second, and Third Prize). Required to collect their trophies at the Gala Concert.
Digital Certificate
Digital comment sheet from juries
Platinum, Gold, & Silver Award (will be given based on the jury evaluation).
Selected Platinum Award recipients may be invited to perform at the Gala Concert.

NB: All participants are required to be present during the Gala Concert for Prize Giving Ceremony.

TEACHERS APPRECIATION

We sincerely appreciate the dedication and commitment of all teachers in nurturing and guiding their students throughout their musical journey.

All teachers will receive a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of their support and contribution to their students’ participation in the festival.

Teachers of Platinum Award recipients will receive a Certificate of Excellence in Teaching in recognition of their outstanding guidance and achievement.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The registration fee is neither refundable nor transferable.

Participants and supporters of participants shall not communicate with or seek influence over the adjudicating panel.
Video recording must show participants’ face and hands clearly at all times. (For virtual festival only)
Professional recording is not mandatory, but the submitted video recording must be of a reasonable video and audio quality with minimal background noise. (For virtual festival only)
Only unedited video recordings will be accepted. Videos that are, in any way, edited or re-engineered, will be unacceptable. (For virtual festival only)
The Quatre Music Organization reserves the right to cancel the event or any categories should it be necessary such as due to insufficient participants or any unforeseen circumstances. As such, the registration fee will be refunded.
The participants are allowed to take videos and/or photos during the festival and the Gala Concert.
The participants give consent to allow the organizer to record all or part of the performance for broadcast and promotional purposes freely.
The participants will grant the organizer the exclusive rights to the recorded materials and pictures.
Incomplete applications will not be processed.
The decisions of the Adjudicating Panel are final. Thus, no discussion or correspondence will be entertained.
Participants are responsible for ensuring they are medically fit to attend and participate in festival activities.
Participants are expected to attend the Gala Concert for Prize Presentation Ceremony in person to receive their awards. The organizer reserves the right to withhold unclaimed prizes for participants who are absent from the ceremony. No mailing, delivery, or third-party collection arrangements will be provided unless otherwise approved by the organizer in advance.
Quatre Music Organization reserves the right to amend the Information, Rules, Terms and Conditions of the Festival without prior notice. It is the participant’s responsibility to check the website regularly for updates and announcements.

ENQUIRIES

Cindy +6586121709
Evelyn +6586934380

The Panel

Panel

Dr Nicholas Ong

QMO Advisory Panel & QMIF 2026 Judge

Dr Nicholas Ong is the recipient of many international prizes, including First Prize at the Yvonne Lefébure International Piano Competition in France and finalist at the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition in Switzerland. The New York Times praised him for his “firm rubber-ball touch and bounce” and Le Figaro for his “astonishing virtuosity.” He has performed in numerous concert halls across the United States, Europe, and Asia. As a versatile chamber musician, he has collaborated in chamber concerts with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra musicians, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts faculty chamber concerts, and concert tours with principals of major orchestras and young talented musicians. He received a Doctorate in Piano Performance at the Juilliard School in New York. Dr Nicholas Ong is Head of Keyboard at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), University of the Arts Singapore. He was on the jury for the Singapore International Young Pianist Competition, Steinway Youth Piano Competition, Ananda Sukarlan Award International Piano Competition, Singapore Raffles International Music Festival and Music Singapore International Piano and Violin Competition. He is in demand for masterclasses and a frequent guest faculty at the Asia International Piano Academy Festival (AIPAF) in South Korea.

Alexey Pudinov

QMIF 2026 Judge

Alex Pudmann is a German-Russian pianist whose playing combines poetic depth, vivid emotional expression, and architectural clarity of musical thought. Until 2025, he performed under the name Alexey Pudinov. Today, his concert activity spans Europe and North America, where he presents solo recitals and chamber music projects that bridge tradition and contemporary artistic vision. Pudmann’s musical language has been shaped at the intersection of cultures — the expressive freedom of the Russian piano school and the structural precision of the European tradition. His interpretations unite dramatic intensity with refined lyricism, transparency of texture with rich dynamic range. Critics have described his playing as “emotionally alive, technically flawless, and virtuosic” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), while Pizzicato Luxembourg has named him “one of the most interesting young pianists of recent years.” He is the founder of the chamber music festival AD Festival Days in Manchester and the concert series Pudmann & Friends in Frankfurt, and a co-founder of the ensembles TWO4PIANO and Frankfurt Piano Trio. Pudmann received his musical education in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Russia, integrating the traditions of three major piano schools. Important artistic impulses came from Norma Fisher, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Leon Fleisher, Hans-Peter Stenzl, Bernhard Wetz, Angelika Merkle, and Paul Schenly. As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Gießen, and the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra. His chamber music partners include Johannes Moser, Benedict Klöckner, Michelle Cann, Jonathan Crow, Konstantin Soukhovetski, Elene Gvritishvili, and the Eliot Quartett. Pudmann regularly appears at international festivals such as the Rheingau Musik Festival, Pianofest in the Hamptons (Artist in Residence since 2022), Toronto Summer Music, Thüringer Bachwochen, and Musikfestspiele Sanssouci. His discography includes releases on Kaleidos Musikeditionen and Naxos. Notable recordings include the solo album Neue Bahnen, duo recordings with TWO4PIANO, and the project Silent Songs featuring music by Valentin Silvestrov. At the center of his repertoire are German Romanticism, the late-Romantic Russian tradition, and chamber music of the 20th and 21st centuries, presented with carefully crafted dramaturgy and artistic vision. www.pudmann.com & www.two4piano.com

Dr Nicholas Ho

QMIF 2026 Judge

Hailed as a “gifted young artist” (Fanfare Magazine, USA) with a “dazzling technique and bravura” (The Straits Times, Singapore), Singaporean pianist and composer Nicholas Ho has appeared throughout Asia and North America in both capacities. Notable performances in recent seasons include a New York City debut at Steinway Hall, and an American concerto debut with the Rachmaninoff Third Piano Concerto at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago, and recitals in Singapore, Phnom Penh, Munich, Texas, and Missouri. In 2006, Nicholas appeared in the Channel NewsAsia mini-documentary series, “Wonder Kids of Asia”, and went on to have his concerto debut with Mozart’s 14th Piano Concerto in 2007. He had subsequently made several concerto appearances with various orchestras in Singapore, with works including Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto, Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto, and the world premiere performance of Robert Casteel’s Concerto pour piano et orchestra de chambre. His performance of Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto was described by The Straits Times as “electrifying”. Also an avid recitalist, Nicholas has given numerous recitals in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for various charitable causes. In addition, he has also given Asian and American premieres of new solo piano works. Nicholas was a Piano Fellow at the 2018 Manchester Music Festival, where he performed major chamber works including Schumann’s Piano Quintet, Shostakovich’s Piano Trio no. 1, and Milhaud’s La Creation du Monde. Nicholas holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he received a full-tuition scholarship. He also holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance (Distinction) from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, as well as a Master of Music in Piano Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts. His teachers and mentors include Ong Lip Tat, Tedd Joselson, Edward Auer, and Ran Dank. Amongst various accolades, Nicholas was awarded the Jury Special Prize at the 5th Asian Youth Music Competition Open Category in 2012, Second Prize at the 2018 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and First Prizes at both the CCPA and CCM Concerto Competitions. Also a composer, Nicholas studied composition with eminent Singaporean composer Tan Chan Boon. His output includes two sets of art songs, a Sonata for Violin and Piano, and a Piano Sonata. Recently completed compositional projects include a monumental set of 12 Études for solo piano, which will soon be released commercially. Eminent pianist, composer, and writer Sir Stephen Hough describes Nicholas’ Twelve Etudes as “an important addition to the repertoire…full of invention, colour and virtuosity, combining intellectual rigour with emotional warmth.” The Straits Times also declares the etudes as “musically and technically substantial when performed alongside the masters’.” Nicholas is an Arabesque Records artist, having released his debut commercial recording, Illumine, consisting of works by Carter, Ho, and Rachmaninoff on the New York based label. Huntley Dent on Fanfare proclaimed Nicholas as an pianist possessing a technique that is “powerful and fluent” and as an artist with a “poetic nature”. A second recording on Arabesque, Interplay, exploring sonata-form works by Schumann, Ho, and Barber, has also been released in September 2022. His recordings have been broadcast on important radio stations over the globe, including WQXR and WGXC in New York, WFMT in Chicago, WGUC in Cincinnati, KMFA and WRR in Texas, and KUSC and KALW in California. Nicholas is also an artist-faculty at Voyage Music. Besides his musical activities, Nicholas also enjoys solving puzzles; he developed the "Sandwich Method", a direct-solving method for higher order Rubik's cubes (4x4x4 and above).

Jeremy Chiew

QMIF 2026 Judge

Jeremy Chiew (M.Mus, Longy School of Music) was a recipient of the Patricia Sherman Award 'in honour of a high level of accomplishment, an exemplary attitude and a record of contribution to the life of the Longy Community.’ He actively performs as a freelance violist locally with various ensembles and with the Macao Symphony Orchestra, and maintains a full teaching schedule consisting of classes at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, secondary school ensembles and a private studio. He also volunteers as a viola coach at Beautiful Minds Charity, where he applies Alexander and Dalcroze techniques in his classes while serving children with special needs. Jeremy engages students frequently and encourages partnership-building between them and the communities at large. Arising from his prior creative work where he conceptualised, produced and marketed Classical concerts for various organisations, Jeremy’s own recurring ‘Potpourri’ viola recitals aim to increase awareness of this lesser-known member of the string family to the local audiences. These recitals have seen collaborations with Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and T’ang Quartet musicians, as well as the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO). Recent years saw Jeremy take on leadership, creative programming and administrative positions with different performing arts groups and non-profit organisations, most notably Dance Nucleus (2024 - present) as General Manager and New Opera Singapore (2019-2023) as Asst. Artistic Director.

Kanako Mizuno

QMIF 2026 Judge

Japanese-born pianist KANAKO MIZUNO has achieved some remarkable feats in her young career. Successful as both soloist and collaborative pianist, UK-based Mizuno has received a Global Talent Visa and is a recipient of numerous prizes and scholarships in recognition of her skilful piano playing. Winning placements include the Japan Player’s Competition, the Young Artist Piano Competition, Le Brillant French Music Competition, Tokyo Piano Competition and Japan Classical Music Competition. She also won the Gold Medal at the Royal Northern College of Music in 2019. Kanako obtained her BMus from the Toho Gakuen School of Music before moving to the UK, where she studied at the Royal Northern College of Music on a scholarship. She graduated with a Professional Diploma from the Royal Academy of Music in 2020. Kanako has a strong passion for chamber music. She is currently performing as a member of Trio Kagura, a piano trio who have been selected as Britten Pears Young Artist for 2024-2025. Trio Kagura is going to make their debut in the Bridgewater Hall as part of then Manchester Midday Music series 2026-2027. She is also interested in cross-artform collaboration and currently works in collaboration with dancers.

Dr See Ning Hui

QMIF 2026 Judge

Dr. See Ning Hui is a pianist recognised for her ‘sensitive touch and broad tonal palette’ and as a ‘complete recitalist’ (The Straits Times). Ning Hui has concertised widely in the UK at spaces such as Steinway Hall London, St James’s Piccadilly, and the Leeds International Concert Series. She has also performed in Paris, Brussels, Venice, Gothenburg, Budapest, Manila, and the Harris Hall at Aspen Colorado. Chamber music engagements include the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Series at the Victoria Concert Hall. Earlier in her career, Ning Hui was a laureate of the ‘Citta di Padova’ and Cesar Franck International Piano Competitions, a 2014 BBC Young Musician keyboard finalist, and Grand Prize Winner of the 2012 Singapore Steinway Youth Competition. Ning Hui attained her PhD, MMus, BMus (Hons) as a scholar at the Royal College of Music London, where she won the Esther Fisher Prize for best undergraduate at the Chappell Gold Medal finals. She obtained her Artist Diploma at Trinity Laban, where she was awarded the Founder’s Prize for best accompanist. Ning Hui is presently an adjunct lecturer at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (University of the Arts Singapore) and Singapore Raffles Music College. She was previously a Teaching Assistant at the RCM for BMus Historical Studies. Since 2013, she has kept a diverse private studio of students who have won awards at the Singapore SMTA, Stratford & East London, North London, and Woking Festivals, and both Junior and BMus offers to study at the RCM and RNCM. [www.ninghuisee.com]

Renata Hann

QMIF 2026 Judge

Renata Hann is an internationally acclaimed soprano known for her refined artistry, expressive musicality, and compelling stage presence. With a career spanning Europe and Asia, she is active as both a performer and a highly respected voice educator, and is currently based in Singapore and Korea. She holds dual Master’s degrees in Vocal Performance from Korea and in Opera Performance from the Conservatorio di Arrigo Boito di Parma in Italy. Her international background continues to inform her nuanced approach to performance and pedagogy. Renata has appeared as an opera soloist with leading companies and theatres in Italy, Korea, and Singapore. In Singapore, she has performed major roles including Morgana (Alcina), Lucia (The Rape of Lucretia), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus), Amina (La Sonnambula), Gilda (Rigoletto), and Donna Anna (Don Giovanni). In December 2025, she portrayed Pamina in Singapore Lyric Opera’s production of Die Zauberflöte, receiving outstanding critical acclaim, including a highly positive review from The Straits Times. In January 2026, she appeared as Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello with New Opera Singapore. Alongside her performance career, Renata serves on the faculty of Capital College, where she mentors young vocalists with a focus on technical excellence, interpretation, and professional development. In October 2026, she is scheduled to appear in Verdi’s La Traviata with The Opera People. She continues to be an active and influential presence in Singapore’s classical music scene.

Cecilia Ratna

QMIF 2026 Judge

Cecilia Ratna is a pianist, collaborative artist, and music educator based in Singapore. She holds a Master of Music in Piano Performance from the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, where she studied under Edmund Battersby with full GPA, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Pelita Harapan Conservatory under the guidance of Mamoru Yabuki. During her studies in Indiana, she received the Artistic Excellence Award and was offered the position of Associate Instructor for the Secondary Piano Program. An active collaborative pianist and chamber musician, Cecilia has performed extensively with vocalists and instrumentalists in recital, chamber, and orchestral settings. Her recent work has focused particularly on saxophone repertoire, including performances and collaborations with internationally renowned saxophonists such as Arno Bornkamp and Pu Zhi during a recent concert tour in China. She has also appeared with ensembles including the ADDO Orchestra, Jakarta Concert Orchestra, Indiana Adhoc Orchestra, and D’Java String Quartet. Alongside performing, Cecilia is deeply passionate about music education and artistic development. She has been teaching piano since 2007 and regularly gives masterclasses, webinars and workshops, guiding students in areas such as technique, interpretation, collaborative performance. Dedicated to nurturing thoughtful, expressive, and imaginative musicians, she is currently an adjunct faculty member at the NAFA School of Music and School of Young Talents in Singapore.

Herlini Ong

QMIF 2026 Judge

Herlini Ong is a dedicated music educator with over 20 years of teaching experience in both classroom and private settings. Under her guidance, many students have achieved success in prestigious international competitions in Berlin, Vienna, Bangkok, and Singapore, with several invited to perform in gala and winners’ concerts locally and overseas. Her students have also been invited to perform alongside President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in 2025 and have earned accolades in the Steinway Youth Competition. In recognition of her contributions to music education, Herlini has received numerous awards, including the Excellent Teacher Award from Wiens Academy of Performing Arts and the Excellent Contribution to Music Teaching Award from the Vienna Virtuoso Festival, alongside several teaching awards from competitions such as SICPC, Music Singapore, and SYPC. Trained under renowned pianist Albert Tiu at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Herlini is passionate about nurturing both technical excellence and a lifelong love for music. Having taught at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts as well as through private instruction, she continues to inspire and shape the next generation of musicians.

Laurence Yu

QMIF 2026 Judge

Born in Hong Kong and established in Singapore, Laurence Yu is a dedicated piano pedagogue and multidisciplinary musician who views music as a transformative language for human connection. His career is built on a foundation of competitive excellence, having earned accolades from the Dynamicworkz Piano Competition, the Trinity College London Music Competition, and the Music Essentials NAFA Concerto Competition, among others. Laurence’s background is characterized by a rare versatility; his proficiency as both a collaborative pianist and an orchestral trombonist has led him to share the stage with prestigious ensembles such as the Russian National Orchestra, The Philharmonic Winds, and Ding Yi Music Company. His own artistry was shaped at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) under the distinguished tutelage of Mrs. Rena Phua and Prof. Boris Kraljevic, followed by a degree in Music validated by the University of Wales and a Diploma in Performance (Distinction). A firm advocate for regional educational standards, Laurence’s philosophy of stewardship was forged in his early years through church worship ministries, instilling a commitment to community-centric music that later fueled his regional mission. This vision led him to co-found the Asia Kodály Symposium and the Kodály Academy of Music (Singapore), where he has been instrumental in shaping the pedagogical landscape of Southeast Asia. Currently, Laurence serves as a Committee Member of the Singapore Music Teachers’ Association (SMTA) and is the Director of Artists Music Studio. With over two decades of experience, he is recognized for his expertise in restorative pedagogy—the specialized art of reigniting musical passion and rectifying fragmented learning paths to guide students toward sustainable artistry. His students consistently achieve distinctions and accolades in regional examinations and competitions. Alongside his wife, pianist Midorie Tjiawi, under the ‘2pianoteachers’ brand, Laurence bridges rigorous technical discipline with the empathetic insights of a parent, nurturing the next generation as both skilled performers and whole individuals.

Registration deadline 18 August 2026

Quatre Music International Festival 2026

26–27 September 2026 · SRMC Recital Studio & SOTA Concert Hall, Singapore