HONOLULU (KHON2) -- The second installment of the Keʻalohi International Piano Competition is returning to Honolulu, with talented young pianists from across the world meeting in the Pacific to fight for the title of "brightest star."

Founded by Lisa Nakamichi under their parent organization of the Aloha International Piano Festival, Keʻalohi looks to create a hub of piano talent in the west, similar to how the esteemed piano competition Van Cliburn does in Texas.

"The Van Cliburn is the jewel of all piano competitions. It's the most known, it's the most famous... it is the creme de la creme," said Jill Arbetter, executive director of the Keʻalohi International Piano Competition. "And the goal is to make the Keʻalohi the Van Cliburn of the west."

The competition features 13 pianists from countries such as Russia, Japan, Taiwan, China and even some competitors from the states.

All 13 competitors will perform solo pieces, with six advancing to the semifinals and three advancing to the finals, who will perform at the Blaisdell on Aug. 24.

The winner of the overall competition will win $10,000, with cash prizes for second and third place, as well as the semifinalists.

Keʻalohi will be judged by an esteemed panel of professional pianists, with Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi serving as the honorary chair of the competition.

The competition is more about winning the cash prize, however. For Arbetter, the competition highlights how the classical music genre is still as strong as ever -- despite public opinion that the genre is dying.

"It gives me hope that classical music is still alive, and kids are still out there wanting to play instruments, whether it's the cello, the clarinet, the piano, the violin, so that there's still a future for classical music, which I think is very important," Arbetter said. "Classical music has been around a lot longer than we have all been around, and I'm hoping that it will continue to be so."

The young adults competing in the competition -- which Arbetter affectionately refers to as "kids" -- have the opportunity to continue the legacy of classical music that has been hundreds of years in the making.

For Yu-Wei Lee, a 21-year-old competitor from Taiwan, the competition provides an opportunity for her to share her piano talent, which is a quintessential aspect of her young life.

"[Music] is kind of like breathing right now for me, because music is with me every time, every day, in different locations," Lee said. "I want to have a chance to experience Hawaiian audiences and then being on the stage and play for others. I think that's where the joy comes from."

With 17 years of piano under her belt, Lee hopes to snag the grand prize.

But she's got some stiff competition in 28-year-old Yi-Chen Feng, who also hails from Taiwan. For Feng, sharing his music is an opportunity to escape from the chaos of the outside world.

"For me, it's like a way to escape from the reality. Especially right now, there's a lot of things going on in the world. Everyday from the news you just hear a lot of chaos," Feng said. "But when I start playing the piano in the practice or in my room, I just feel I can purely enjoy the music."

Sharing the "beautiful" works of composers from throughout history is a key to being able to drown out the loudness of the outside world, Feng also said.

For those looking to join the 11 other competitors, as well as Lee and Feng in their "escape from the reality," the first rounds of the competition are free to attend at the Orvis Auditorium at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

The first rounds will take place Aug. 17 and Aug. 18. Semifinals will also take place at the Orvis Auditorium on Aug. 21 for free. The finals will be on Aug. 24 at the Blaisdell, and will be a ticketed event.

For more information on the Keʻalohi International Piano Competition, visit their website.