Rising Stars: Young Caledon talent to perform at CNE talent show

By Zachary Roman

Serena Kuang is just 10 years old and will perform in front of a huge crowd

A dedicated Caledon girl is ready to shine at the Canadian National Exhibition's annual Rising Star Competition.

Serena Kuang is 10-years-old, sings and plays the piano, and lives in Southfields Village. She's been practicing hard in preparation for the competition, which begins on August 19.

The competition is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, and it's the first one to be held in over two years as the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) was unable to be held during the pandemic. 

Tuan Le Hoang, from the CNE's media relations team, said talented vocalists, dancers, and performers from across Ontario will be competing on the CNE stage in front of thousands of spectators.

He explained that hundreds of hopefuls apply for the Rising Star Competition each year, and only the top candidates earn a spot to compete at the CNE.

Kuang was once one of those hopefuls who didn't quite make the cut, but she stuck to her dream and made it into the competition this year alongside three other Caledon youth.

Kuang has been singing since she was six-years-old, and hasn't stopped since.

Her favourite part of singing is expressing her feelings, and her favourite styles of music are classical and pop. Kuang has a love for classical music because during her piano lessons, she learns many classical pieces.

At the Rising Star Competition, Kuang will play piano and sing at the same time as she performs Olivia Rodrigo's hit song, “drivers license.” She's excited for the competition, but a little nervous as well as it will be the first time she's ever played piano and sang at the same time for an audience.

Despite her young age, Kuang has a wealth of performing experience already. She's performed at events like the Peel Music Festival, ORMTA Piano Festival, and Canada International Children's Art Festival.

Le Hoang explained Rising Star contestants, who are all between the ages of six and 21, will be judged on their abilities, performance quality, stage presence, and audience appeal.

The finals of the Rising Star Competition will be taking place on September 4 inside the Enercare Centre in Toronto.

Bianca Yong is 14 and

loves music with powerful vocals

A Caledon teen is hoping to make a big impact with her vocal performance at the upcoming Canadian National Exhibition Rising Stars Competition.

Bianca Yong, 14, is a vocalist from Caledon and will be competing in the 35th running of Rising Stars alongside three other Caledon youth, and vocalists, dancers, and performers from all across Ontario.

Yong has been singing since she was five years old and her favourite types of music are pop songs with powerful vocals and musical theatre. She found out about Rising Stars from her mom and music teacher.

“They told me (about) Rising Stars and they explained it a bit more to me. And I was like, ‘oh, that sounds so fun, like such a good experience.' So, I auditioned and then I got the email back that I made it to the live show, so that was very exciting,” said Yong.

Yong has experience performing at Royal Conservatory competitions, as she's been doing music lessons since she was five-years-old. She's also performed at gigs “here and there” over the years, and said it's always really fun to be on stage. Yong is going to be performing Secret Love Song by Little Mix at the Rising Stars competition.

Yong's favourite part about singing is that it calms her down when she's stressed out. What she's most excited for at Rising Stars is meeting other people with her interests and seeing their talent.

“Just experiencing that… I think it's such a great experience,” said Yong.

Rising Star contestants will be judged on their abilities, performance quality, stage presence, and audience appeal at the competition that begins August 19. The finals of the Rising Star Competition will be taking place on September 4 inside the Enercare Centre in Toronto.