We have some wonderful news to share! Danish (13) and Alyssa (14) have both been awarded Gold at the APCS International Music Competition 2026. Congratulations to you both, we are so proud of you!
About the competition
The APCS International Music Competition is a competition open to musicians of every age, instrument and nationality. Performers enter by video, in categories by instrument, age and style, and the top prize is the chance to perform with an orchestra. Open to musicians everywhere, it asks every performer to bring their very best, and a Gold is a result to be really proud of.
Danish and Alyssa
Both Danish and Alyssa learn with Teacher Jovanna, and both filmed their competition videos right here at our studio. For this competition, the recording is the performance, so every detail counts. Playing on our grand piano, in a room with proper acoustic treatment, gave their recordings a rich, clear sound, and we think that made a real difference too.
Preparing for a competition means learning every note, phrase and dynamic until the piece feels like your own, and then playing it with confidence when it counts. They did exactly that, and the judges noticed.
A Gold is a big moment for any young pianist. We hope it is the first of many!
Awards like these count beyond the certificate, too. When students apply to secondary schools through DSA, some schools ask for their top music awards from the last three years. Our parent's guide to DSA with piano explains how it works.
A Silver for Ellie, too
Earlier this year, seven-year-old Ellie won Silver at the Oxygen Music Festival 2026 competition.
Ellie learns with Teacher Jovanna too. Her mum, Jasmine, shared a lovely moment from her lessons:
One memorable example was when she told Ellie 'Want to know a secret? C Major and A minor are actually sisters', making the idea of shared key signatures both fun and easy to remember. With Teacher Jovanna, the music comes alive and Ellie looks forward to lessons with her every week.
Celebrating our musicians
You can find Danish, Alyssa and Ellie on the Awards & Achievements wall on our Our Academy page, alongside every Polaris musician who brings home an award. Thinking about piano for your own child? Find out how to learn piano at Polaris with our teachers.
Congratulations again to Danish, Alyssa and Ellie, and thank you to their families for all the encouragement at home. We look forward to seeing what you achieve next!
