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.

There are three age categories: children under 11 years old, 12 to 17 year-old kids, and 18 to 25 year-old young adults.

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

Hi, Thomas.

Hello.

Can you tell me a little bit more about your Hungarian heritage and your love and affinity for Hungarian music?

Yes, I love Hungarian music.

It's my favorite.

I love to play Liszt and to play Brahms.

And I always had a special connection with these composers who had a connection to the Hungarian gypsy music, but also the traditional music as well.

Composers like is also one of my favorites.

So I definitely feel close to my roots.

So tell us about your favorite way to celebrate after a big concert or audition?

My favorite way to celebrate after a concert, I guess ...

I perform a lot with my friends at school.

I'm currently doing my artist diploma, so after concerts we usually like to go out, maybe have a beer.

Grab something to eat?

Just with friends.

I love that.

I feel the same way.

After a performance or audition, that's how I unwind.

But who would you like to thank?

I'd like to thank, first and foremost, my mom.

My mom was my number-one supporter since day one.

There were times where I felt piano wasn't for me or I wasn't the best at it, or I felt discouraged.

And my mom always said, o.

If you chose something, you're going to stick to it because everybody knows you're talented And she was the one that kept me going through it.

My dad was also really supportive, but my mom was there through the thick and thin of it.

Well, thank you so much for being part of this competition with us.

We are so grateful to you.

Hi, Sofia.

How are you feeling about your performance in the competition so far?

Hello.

Well, I'm really happy.

Like I said before, it's a pleasure to be here.

And I'm really grateful to just be able to share music with everyone.

So what do you like to do right before you go on to the stage to get ready?

Well, normally I feel like the day before, it's very important to have a good rest.

Normally, even I don't even play that much the day before.

I like to go for a walk and take my head away for a bit and do lots of slow practice day before and even just practicing outside of the instruments as well.

I love that.

I love that.

That sounds like a really nice process.

And who would you like to thank?

Okay, so I feel like my biggest inspiration, it's my accordion teacher.

He's for Djordje Gajic and he's a Serbian accordionist.

And he teaches me something new every day.

And he has so much love for music, and he's always supported me with everything I do, but also being realistic and telling me what's wrong and what I need to improve.

But I'm also so grateful to my parents.

Of course, I wouldn't be here without them because they've been supporting me all my life.

Well, thank you so much, Sofia.

We're so proud of you and so grateful to have you part of Classicalia.

What a performance!

There's just so much great talent in this competition.

Unfortunately, there can only be one winner.

Let's say hello to our judges again.

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

Gerald Grünbacher is the founder and managing director of the Vienna Mozart Orchestra and a former clarinetist with the Vienna Philharmonic.

And Albert Franz is a concert pianist, educator and a Bösendorfer artist.

Let's hear what they have to say about Sofiia and Thomas's performances.

Albert?

Well, first of all, thanks to both of you for two just extraordinary performances once again.

So, so hats off.

Just for starters, Sofia, again, I was just taken aback by your sheer range of tonal colors and just the expressive range.

I didn't know that that instrument, the accordion, was capable of that.

So congratulations.

And Thomas, I really loved your middle section because that's when Chopin's lyricism really came to life.

And you relaxed and let the music speak.

The ... with the outer sections - you're very strong.

If you listen to the old, old masters and try to find some of the earliest Chopin recordings on record and listen to in particular, to the lyricism with which they play fortissimo.

So you don't want to play fortissimo in a way where you just reach the upper limit and then you have nowhere to go.

Just hold back in reserve and and let the music speak.

But congratulations, in any case, I still really enjoyed the performance.

Thank you, Albert.

Gerald?

Congratulations to both of you.

Sofia, Thomas.

It was a great performance - both of you.

And I will start with you, Thomas.

It's a great composition, and it's a big piece and.

And a powerful piece.

And you showed us what ... are you able to with the instrument.

And I loved it very much.

And you, Sofia.

It's amazing what you are doing with your instrument, because it's an orchestra and solo instrument and everything all together at the same time.

It's marvelous.

And you can play pianissimo that you really can hear it and fortissimo.

And it's.

It's was really very great.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Gerald.

Thank you, judges.

So it's over to you, Pia, Now for the decision.

Well, Arabella, this has been an unbelievable competition.

All of our performers are so talented, it's hard to pick a winner.

But the judges have done their best to make that difficult decision.

And I have been informed that the winner of the Senior division of Classicalia is Sofia Ros Gonzalez.

Congratulations.

And so well-deserved.

Sophia.

Sofia, how do you feel now that you've won?

Well, I'm really happy, but like I said, it's all the winning experience playing here and enjoying performing and being in Vienna.

It's a win for itself.

Did you enjoy the judges comments?

Yeah, they were really useful.

And I will work on the things that you said, and I really appreciate you both.

II'm Pia Toscano.

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

Goodbye for now.

Thank you for watching Classicalia.

I hope you will support programs like this with a contribution to your local PBS station.

It's so important that the arts continue to shine a light for future generations.

Thank you so much.