On 2 July, the 10th Hong Kong International Drum Festival and 6th Asia-Pacific Drumming Competition came to a triumphant end. The esteemed event not only brought drummers together from across the Asia-Pacific region, but also gave them the perfect stage to showcase their spectacular talents. It was a world-class drumming feast for Hong Kong music enthusiasts.
The festival commenced with an amazing performance by six-time Grammy Award winner Daniel Ho & Friends. They set the tone for this year's festival and dazzled the audience with their signature fusion of Hawaiian vibes and world music.
This year's Asia-Pacific Drummer Competition featured five categories which included:
- Hong Kong Young Drumset Category
- Asia-Pacific Professional Young Drumset category
- Asia-Pacific Professional Drumset Open Category
- Asia-Pacific Professional Snare Young Category
- Asia-Pacific Professional Snare Open Category
Contestants from cities such as Kaohsiung, Shenzhen, Quanzhou, Bangkok, and many more competed passionately to let their talents shine through and demonstrate the potential of drummers across the Asia-Pacific region. There were three compulsory rounds of the competition that each contestant had to undergo, the Preliminary Round, the Semi-Finals, and the Finals.
The preliminary round required participants to send recorded performances of a piece that was assigned and a piece of the contestant's own choice that would be reviewed by world snare drum solo champion, Kaito Haruta and the founder of the festival, Dr Tang Lok Yin.
Following that, the Semi-Finals required contestants to demonstrated their technical skills through self-selected pieces, free drum solos, and intense single-stroke speeding up battles. The highlight of these battles was that contestants were required to set a record of 150 BPM for 32nd notes.
Performances in this round were judged by a professional panel that consisted of Nate Wong (drummer of Nowhere Boys), music producer Julian Chan, Baby Giant Drumline coach Jeff Leung, and Festival Director and Producer Dr. Tang Lok Yin.
Finally to wrap up the fierce competition, the Final round saw contestsants take to the stage alongside the admirable judging panel that included internationally renowned drummer Senri Kawaguchi, keyboardist Jun Abe, bassist Juna Serita, saxophonist Miho Terachi, and Dr. Tang Lok Yin.
Together, the judging panel and the contestants played four pieces, 'EUPHORIA', 'J Funk', 'Anything But Here', and 'Hunter'. The contestants set the stage ablaze with their incredible talent. A performance by 2023 Asia-Pacific Open Class champion, Luke Jozsua Danneil Lumunon from Indonesia, was the perfect way to conclude the Final round.
After each contestant across all five categories battled through three intense rounds throughout the competition, the Rising Stars of Asia-Pacific Drumming Talent were announced.
Ching Yat Sing clinched the win in the Hong Kong Young Drumset category. Supawith Promma from Bangkok emerged victorious in the Asia-Pacific Professional Young Drumset category. In the Asia-Pacific Professional Drumset Open category, Kanniti Kasilerk, also from Bangkok, drummed their way to the championship title.
Meanwhile, Wan Junchen from Shenzhen took the top spot in the Asia-Pacific Professional Snare Young category. Lastly, Weng Peixuan from Fuzhou claimed victory in the Asia-Pacific Professional Snare Open category.
Each victor expressed their true talent on stage. They represented their cities perfectly, and showcased the talent of Asia-Pacific drummers as a whole.
The festival came to an end with an exhilarating closing performance by the exceptionally talented judging panel's band. The performance was followed by a post-concert autograph session, where young drummers eagerly interacted with music masters—exchanging techniques and insights, and creating a perfect conclusion to the event.
This year's Drummers Festival continued its emphasis on drumming education and cultural innovation, just as it has over the past decade. Through the Asia-Pacific Drummer Competition, countless rising stars have been discovered by fostering cultural exchange across the region.
In the future, the festival will continue to deliver world-class performances and embrace diverse musical styles, bringing more extraordinary music experiences to audiences in Hong Kong and around the globe.
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