Generally, major domestic competitions were held in small halls or school auditoriums.
Naturally, the scale couldn’t be large.
Usually, the seating capacity ranged from 100 to a maximum of about 500.
You might think, “Isn’t that too small?”
But this method of organizing had never been a problem.
In the first place, it had never even happened that all the seats were filled.
The people who came to watch the competitions were mostly relatives of the participants, so the limit on numbers was clear.
Buying tickets to enter was something that only applied to the early 2000s or a few international competitions.
Now, classic music lovers attended concerts by famous pianists and had no interest in watching amateur contests.
So, most competitions were held in private or with free admission.
However, this time the situation was a bit different.
[74th Joseon Music Competition Piano High School Division Finalists]
We announce the finalists for the Piano High School Division of the 74th Joseon Music Competition as follows.
Do-hee Lee Hanseong Arts High School
Seung-min Baek Seoul Arts High School
Sun-ho Choi Sunhwa Arts High School
…
─Total 12 people
It was because Do-hee was among them.
No matter how many classical musicians were gathered, this was a competition hosted by a major newspaper, so there was no way they were unaware of Do-hee’s influence.
Therefore, the newspaper had not only assigned entertainment reporters to write exclusive articles but had also prepared ways to manage the incoming fans.
And the result was Do-hee’s home mama helplessly watching the ticket purchase site displayed on the monitor.
“Wow, 10,000 won? Jackpot!”
Seeing the usual 150,000 won idol concert tickets, Do-hee’s home mama jumped for joy at the price of the contest ticket.
“What the heck, 300 seats? What’s this?”
Then, upon seeing the number of seats, she let out a curse.
Having seen idol concert seats surpassing full capacity, it was impossible not to make a sound at the tiny 300 seats.
“Is this real? They don’t even sell the front row? Huh?”
It was a small space to begin with.
Leaving the front row and the judges’ seats empty made the remaining seating only 300.
It seemed like the competition would be quite fierce.
…
But the home mama finally achieved victory.
“Damn it, I did it!”
At the same time, her phone chimed with a familiar notification sound.
“Oh!? This notification sound?”
The home mama quickly checked her phone.
Sure enough, it was a bubble message alert from Do-hee for her fans.
[Piano Lover Do-hee: Is anyone coming to watch the competition~?]
“What, what is this?”
[Piano Lover Do-hee: In that case, urgent notice!!! If you come, please maintain basic etiquette for the other participants!! Especially no banners, posters, or placards!!!]
Although it was admirable how considerate and respectful she was towards the other participants, her new nickname “Piano Lover Do-hee” was somehow infuriating to the home mama.
Her heart felt proud, yet the newly changed nickname “Piano Enthusiast Do-hee” oddly irritated the Home Mama.
*
Nearby the finals venue, the familiar sound of shutters was ringing everywhere.
“What motivated you to participate in the piano competition again after debuting as an idol?”
And surrounding me were classic culture journalists and entertainment reporters I usually saw.
“Our Team Leader suggested I enter the competition. Since I’ve been practicing piano continuously while being active as an idol, they must have noticed my affection for it and made the suggestion out of consideration. Plus, they scared me saying there wouldn’t be another chance, so I thought, why not give it a shot while I can?”
“Isn’t it a bit excessive for a competition? It seems like you went to a salon too.”
What is up with this reporter I’ve never seen before?
“Oh, I tried to emulate the style of a pianist I respect. I guess I lack the calmness that those musicians have.”
Girl, it’s just your flashy face.
“Do-hee has a dazzling record of being called a piano genius since childhood. What is your goal in this competition? Is it first place?”
Ah, trap question.
“Of course, results matter, but this time I think what’s more important is how much I’ve grown.”
“If you could say something to the fans who came today?”
I waved at the fans in the back and said, “Thank you always for your support. However, I hope you can also cheer for and respect the other participants today!”
‘Wow, why am I so good at speaking? Am I a genius or what?’
After finishing the pre-interviews with the reporters, I finally entered the main hall.
“Do-hee, you handled the interview beautifully.”
Team Leader So-hyun had a slight smile on her face.
“Of course. It’s not like it’s the first time.”
The Team Leader seemed to be worried, thinking she put pressure on me to participate in the competition, and even came along to the venue amidst her busy schedule.
Moreover, she had come up with a black dress for me and even stopped by a makeup shop for visual directing.
“Do-hee, it’s okay if you don’t get first place.”
The Team Leader said this with a straight face, but deep down, she was clearly anxious.
“Yes. Just growing is what matters, right?”
Team Leader So-hyun nodded.
“Right. Just play comfortably what you’ve prepared.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
*
Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Schumann, Wagner, etc.
The pianist Jung Han-bin, who studied abroad in Germany—a country that birthed countless geniuses—stifled a yawn without noticing.
‘So boring… Joseon music.’
As twelve finalists repeatedly played Chopin’s Ballade No. 4 for 11 minutes each, it became inevitable.
Having repeated the performance for 11 minutes, it was an unavoidable situation.
‘If the performance had at least been different…’
So far, from piece 1 to 8, the students’ performances were all the same.
Of course, the seasoned judge Jung Han-bin had five mechanical judging criteria to match that.
Tempo, rhythm, phrasing, pedaling, and attitude.
Tempo had to be consistent and responsible without any fluctuations.
Rhythm was expected to give pleasure in the performance, ensuring accurate interpretations of notes, rests, and the lengths between rhythms.
As for phrasing…
‘If it’s similar to what I was thinking, I’ll add extra points.’
Of course, phrasing could vary among the performers.
If that was the case, it needed to be convincing.
‘But… high school students… can’t manage that. It lacks persuasion.’
Fortunately, Jung Han-bin had set the phrasing standards similar to what school and academy teachers generally taught, so it didn’t really matter.
‘And… pedaling.’
Pedaling had to be executed precisely to avoid interrupting the subsequent chords.
In fact, even friends who played perfectly often failed at this.
‘It must belong to the realm of talent.’
While students might think their hearing was fine, people with sensitive ears like Jung Han-bin could sense dissonance.
Now, the final evaluation criterion: attitude.
In truth, attitude meant how well the piece was studied and interpreted, but everyone was just indoctrinated by teachers at the academy and school, making it ultimately meaningless.
‘At least the expressions on each student’s face, the positioning of their arms, and gestures vary. It’s a relief that they can be assessed based on that.’
Nodding to himself in affirmation, Jung Han-bin quickly jotted down the score for the 9th participant with his pen.
‘Good tempo, good rhythm… good phrasing. Not bad pedaling. Attitude is okay. Is this guy currently in first place? For high school, out of 100 points… 90 points.’
Of course, if it were the university division, 90 points would be a joke.
He would’ve given 30 points instead.
In the university division, students had to infuse their own interpretations, moving from being a student to becoming an artist.
‘Even if the 9th student performed perfectly, it showed they diligently followed the teacher’s guidance.’
In fact, he would’ve given 50 points to the 5th participant, who had a few mistakes but made their argument clear.
─Clap, clap, clap.
As the 9th performance concluded, a neat round of applause emerged from the audience filling the back.
‘Come to think of it, there seem to be quite a few people today. It’s not an international competition. Is there anyone famous among the remaining performers?’
Jung Han-bin subtly asked the university professor sitting next to him.
“Excuse me, Professor. Is there a famous piano prodigy performing today?”
“Excuse me…?”
The professor looked at Jung Han-bin with a bewildered expression.
“I mean, the audience is fully packed today. It can’t be that public interest in classical music surged overnight… I was just wondering if there’s an international competition winner or something. Is it that friend of yours, Jo Bae-jin? The one who won the Osaka International Competition last year…”
“There’s no way public interest in classics could have skyrocketed in just a day or two… Unless there’s an international competition winner coming out or something. Is that friend of yours, Jo Bae-jin? The one who won the Osaka International Competition last year…”
“Han-bin.”
“…Yes?”
“Really, you didn’t know who’s participating today?”
At that, Jung Han-bin’s face lit up for a moment.
Finally, someone was going to end this boring, monotonous performance.
“Is this the time to be smiling? If you’re a judge, at least check some competition articles. I mean, you must have seen the crowd in front of you, right?”
“Well, I came in through the back door, so I’m not really sure…”
The female professor sighed as if to say, “What in the world is wrong with this person?” and began to speak.
“Ugh… she was a promising piano talent.”
“Were?”
Were? It’s not like there were only a few of them.
“Remember? She was a sensation back in the day. A professor from Korea University wanted to take her on as a personal student, but she turned him down.”
Well, that’s something you could refuse if you were thinking of studying abroad like her.
“Isn’t there that girl who won the Student Music Association Competition seven times in a row?”
“Wow, that’s surprising. I must have missed that while studying in Germany!”
“Ha-ah…”
The female professor next to him took out her phone and started typing slowly to search for something.
Then she shoved it in Jung Han-bin’s face.
“Here, look. You don’t know her? Do-hee Lee?”
The screen profile showed a stunningly beautiful girl.
“Wow… she’s super pretty, right? You mean she’s performing today?”
“It seems like you really don’t know. Do you have any idea how famous she is among young people these days? My daughter is begging me to get her autograph. She’s an idol, an idol. A member of a girl group. She does pop music.”
“Oh, she’s an idol. I guess it is a shame her face doesn’t fit the image of a pianist, haha.”
“Is she actually a pianist, though?”
“Haha…”
It was an awkward moment where responding felt out of place.
Just then, the announcement rang out.
─ “Number 10, Do-hee Lee.”
And the audience in the back started buzzing.
“So… is she good?”
“From your question, I guess you’re definitely a pianist after all.”
“Of course. Where else would you find someone who loves the piano as much as I do?”
Before long, the girl who had taken the stage bowed and greeted them.
“So… is she good?”
The professor turned to face her and nodded slightly.
“Yes, she used to play well. But I don’t know about now.”
The pianist adjusted her posture.
“Well, let’s see then.”
She readied herself to listen intently.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
