The closing ceremony and award concert of the second Changsha Piano Open Competition was held in the Changsha Concert Hall on the evening of Oct 6.

A total of 24 professional piano players from 14 countries and more than 2,000 amateurs have competed in Changsha since Oct 3. After four days of competition, Georgy Voylochnikov from Russia and Caterina Grewe from Germany tied for first place in the professional category. Hao Yilei from China won third place.

In order to attract more participants, the amateur category has been divided into many smaller categories, including an infant category, child category, junior category, youth cateogry, etc. The first place awards were presented for each category at the concert.

During the competition, classes taught by famous pianists from around the world, as well as some other activities, such as piano flash, were also offered. The event was broadcast live all over the network, providing people with a rich musical experience.

The two winners in the professional category were both left with a positive impression of Changsha and enjoyed the piano competition. Chinese contestant Hao Yilei said that the competition is a great opportunity for communication and he hopes more Chinese pianists will take part in order to learn and improve their skills.

Georgy Voylochnikov from Russia and Caterina Grewe from Germany tie for first place in the professional category. [Photo/rednet.cn]

First place awards for all amateur categories were presented at the concert. [Photo/rednet.cn]