Devoted kids

Foreign judges at the competition say they notice a difference in the young piano students in China compared with the United States.

"Young students in China are very devoted, and their parents are also very devoted. They practice and work very hard, and are very serious about what they do," says Deborah Moriarty, chair of the piano area at the Michigan State University College of Music.

Another judge, Barry Snyder, a tenured professor at the Eastman School of Music in New York City, says there is somehow a difference in the understanding of the word "discipline" in China and the West.

"Here, it means something that's hard work but enjoyable. But in the US, it's like a bad word. So kids are, in most cases, forced to practice," he says.

"In China, I feel strongly that the parents are behind the children, which is a big help and provides a good learning environment."

Snyder adds that he saw the enthusiasm of the children and says that they really wanted to learn when he gave an open class on Aug 13.

"Their levels and ages may vary, but they are all listening and trying," he says.

Lu Haijun, director of the organizing committee of the competition, which is held annually during the summer, says the winners of last year's competition were invited to the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna on an exchange visit in February.

They took classes taught by esteemed professors, who said that the children's high level and talent were beyond expectation.

"They were amazed that children as young as 7 years old could achieve such a high standard. They were impressed that Chinese learners started at very young ages," he says.

Zhang Yiqiao, a 5-year-old from Xi'an city, Shaanxi province, who's impelled by her natural love for piano, started learning the instrument 10 months ago, even after her parents twice explained to her how much hard work it'd be. They have since expressed how moved they have been by her persistence.

"She has practiced for two hours a day without fail. Even when we traveled to the US for a trip, she insisted that we find a piano studio so she could practice every day," her mother, Lu Jing, explains.

She also planned to look for famous teachers in big cities for her daughter, whom she believes harbors a special talent.

"I know there are some young learners who travel all the way to Beijing or Shanghai to take lessons from famous teachers－some of whom may charge as much as 2,000 yuan ($290) for a 45-minute class," Lu says. "But I believe an excellent teacher produces brilliant students."