Chapter 281: The Award Ceremony (Third Update) (Vote for Me)
Tokyo International Music Hall.
The lights dimmed gradually, and the spotlight brightened on the stage center.
The host stepped forward, holding a microphone in hand.
“Esteemed judges, dear contestants, and fellow music lovers, welcome to the Sato Sakura International Piano Competition’s award ceremony!”
With the smooth flow of his English, the atmosphere at the scene was invigorated.
“Here we go, the final awards!”
“Just waited for this moment!”
“Today’s competition was fantastic, Mr. Burke, keep going! We gotta get that gold medal!”
.”
In this austere and solemn setting,
Even in the official live stream recording all these moments, people from around the world gathered online.
Many hadn’t even watched the competition, only viewing some live clips, yet they logged in during this award ceremony just for the excitement, causing all sorts of different languages’ comments to fly by.
To say, piano music enthusiasts from all over the world right now are all focusing on this grand event happening at the Sato Sakura International Competition!
Inside the rest room, the contestants were all standing in front of a large screen.
At this time, the judges also returned to their seats.
From the stern or sweat-wiping expressions of the old geezers, it was clear the judging meeting must have been quite intense.
Maybe, even when the final results came out, there would still be many who weren’t satisfied.
But they still took their seats anyway.
Meaning: even if they were dissatisfied with the outcome, there was nothing they could do! Let it be!
“The very first to announce is the Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals! We will be awarding them to the three pianists with the most remarkable performances in this competition. The winners will receive sponsorship funds from not only the Tokyo International Music Association but also the Sato Sakura International Music Association, and more importantly, a series of global concert opportunities.”
The moment the host spoke these words,
There was an uproar both inside and outside the hall.
“First announcing the champion?!”
Pianist Lloyd couldn’t believe it,
“There’s never been such a precedent!”
Traditionally at the Sato Sakura International Piano Competition, special awards came first before the announcement of the Gold, Silver, and Bronze medalists.
It made sense, why should the overall winner be announced last? It’s the default rule in any competition.
After all, what everyone cares most about and is full of suspense should naturally be the overall title!
What on earth could be going on?
Lloyd just didn’t understand.
Right then, all the media reporters present were also buzzing.
Already, the fact that the judging meeting for this competition had taken so long was rather strange, let alone now the unusual decision to announce the prizes. This had sparked endless guesses among the audience.
Meanwhile, the judges remained composed, as if everything was under control.
Williams thought for a while and said:
“The only possibility is…”
“That perhaps the special awards are far more full of surprises than the champion, so they’re left to the end.”
Could special awards be more surprising than the champion?
Hard to believe.
They couldn’t fathom how the special awards could be so pivotal as to need a special announcement.
“Does that mean the audience favorite gold and silver prize winners didn’t win?”
Lloyd tentatively asked.
“It’s not impossible,” Romanov replied.
As pianists with little advantage in this round of competitions, the closer they got to the finish line, the more eager they became to speculate.
And the constant focus points of West Side Nishikawa and Burke at this moment were already in a tense silence, waiting for the result to come forth.
“First up, we’ll announce the Bronze medal winner.”
The host opened the envelope in his hand,
Raised his head and announced,
“Williams!”
!
Lloyd and Romanov’s eyes widened to see Williams.
No way, wasn’t it supposed to be us three enjoying the drama and discussing the ins and outs?
You’re the first one to snag an award?!
This feeling of being betrayed was overwhelming.
I told you international friendships aren’t dependable, eh?
However, thinking it through, Williams’ strength has always been top-notch. Winning bronze isn’t really surprising.
Williams smiled at the two men rather politely,
“Sorry about that.”
The remaining gold and silver awards, as everyone expected, were for two specific individuals.
So after a brief period of teasing, the host promptly announced them:
“Silver, Alves Burke!”
“Gold, Westside Nishikawa!”
“Let’s give a round of applause to this year’s champion of the Sato Sakura International Piano Competition, Mr. Westside Nishikawa!”
!
In the midst of the thunderous applause,
Westside Nishikawa froze.
The … champion?
The crowd in the resting area found it hard to believe, erupting in chaos!
“My God, I didn’t expect it, Westside Sensei still won the championship!”
“After losing in the original composition to Teacher Lin Tian, he still managed to capture the favor of the jury!”
“Still, Westside’s musical skills are top-notch! His playing skill compensated for any shortcomings!”
!
People were talking excitedly.
At this moment—
Burke stood up and approached Westside Nishikawa.
He stretched out a hand, calm as ever, saying,
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks. This is my home ground; this trophy should have been yours.”
Westside clutched his hand earnestly.
Burke looked stunned, then chuckled.
“Thank you.”
Indeed, a social butterfly.
Seeing this scene, Lin Tian sincerely sighed.
But indeed, Westside deserved this trophy.
Starting in the first preliminary round, he could create a performance equal to Lin’s “Croatian Rhapsody” with just “Dawn Night’s Lament.”
This proved his formidable instrumental prowess.
Or, he continuously lost to Lin in composition yet still maintained such popularity, proving his unparalleled mastery in piano performance.
Then,
Westside Nishikawa, Burke, and Williams went up the stage to receive their awards.
Under the witness of the audience, they each gave their acceptance speech.
The atmosphere at the venue surged to its first climax.
Then came the four major special awards.
“The first is Best Newcomer.”
“It goes to China’s pianist, Lin Tian!”
Without a doubt.
When the host announced it, the audience erupted in cheers.
On the official livestream,
It was flooded with Chinese:
“Brother Moonlight, awesome!!!”
“Winning for our country!”
“It’s been twenty years, and this is the first time a Chinese pianist got recognition at the Sato Sakura competition!”
(End of Chapter 281)
