Hi, I'm Pia Toscano, and I've been singing and performing since I was a child, so I'm happy to be here to host a brand new competition for children and young adults called Classicalia.

Hundreds of performers from around the world entered classical year in each of the age categories.

After nearly a year of preliminary rounds of judging by professional teachers and artists, we are down to the final 12 contestants.

So let's get started and meet the first contestants.

Let's go to our host in Vienna, Arabella Fenyves.

Right now, we're in my favorite category: juniors.

First up, is the only duo of the competition, nine year-old Sophie Wagner and her brother, 13 year-old Alexander from Bonn, Germany.

They are up against an 11 year-old violin sensation, Shang-En Hsieh from Taiwan.

Sophie and Alexander, it's a pleasure to meet you.

Hi!

Sophie,Alexander: you're siblings.

You've known each other for your entire lives, but you also make an amazing team.

You've won many competitions already, and today you're going to be playing a really special piece: Vivaldi meets the Pirates of the Caribbean.

Yeah, we are playing like a mixed version because we really like Vivaldi and we are hearing it a lot.

And I think the movie Pirates of the Caribbean is very cool.

Now, Sophie, I hear you have a pet.

Can you tell me about your pet?

Yes, he a hamster, and his name is Friederle, and he's really, really cute.

And every time when I take a break, I play with him.

Does he like music?

I think it's a little bit too loud for him.

So he like holding his ears?

Yeah Well you two go and have fun with Vivaldi and the Pirates!

High five Shang-En, you started playing the piano and the violin when you were five years old.

And since then you've won hundreds of competitions.

Today you'll be playing the violin.

What's your favorite bit about the violin?

Just fun and many difficult pieces: Vivaldi and all of the pieces from many pieces is maybe 200 to 300 pieces come from Vivaldi.

Many difficult pieces.

It's a challenge.

And you like a challenge, right?

Yeah.

You love a challenge.

That's why you've won so many times.

Yeah.

But you're here in Vienna, you study the violin, and in Salzburg you study the piano.

Yeah.

And we all know who used to live in Salzburg.

It was Mozart, Right?

So do you like to play Mozart?

Yeah.

Just play is very, like, easy.

But it's also very complicated to play.

Mm.

Sounds easy, right?

Or hard to make it sound easy.

Because it's easy pieces, it's more complicated to play very well.

Okay, have fun with Saint-Saëns, yeah?

What a performance.

There's just so much talent in this competition, but unfortunately, there can only be one winner.

Let's say hello to our judges.

Albert Frantz, a Bösendorfer artist a concert pianist and an educator, and GeGerald Grünbacher is the founder and managing director of the Vienna Mozart Orchestra and a former clarinetist with the Vienna Philharmonic.

Well, first of all, bravo to all of you for a genuinely beautiful performances, which was just incredibly enjoyable.

And I want to say that none of you sounded like you were playing in a competition or trying to win a competition.

I really got the impression that you all played from the heart and that that's that really, truly counts.

Gerald?

It's also it's my turn.

It's my turn to give congratulations to all of you.

It's difficult to say who is the- who will win the contest, but for you, Sophie and Alexander.

It was great to listen to you and how much fun you had during your during your performance.

And you, Shang-En, it's amazing.

the professionality.

Thank you so much for Not thank you so much for for the very difficult decision.

But thank you very much for that good music.

Thank you.

Thank you, Albert.

Thank you, Gerald, for your comments.

Well, now it's time to decide who goes on to round two.

You both should be extremely proud of what you did today, but we can only choose one.

Moving on to the second round of the junior category of Classicalia ...

The winner is Shang-En Hsieh Congratulations.

Yeah, I feel good.

You feel good?

You should feel good.

I'm Pia Toscano.

And on behalf of the judges and our contestants in Vienna, Toronto and Southern California, you and all of the contestants from around the world who entered Classicalia, thank you so much for joining us.

Goodbye for now.