Viet
Nam’s Hoang Pham Tra Mi won the first prize for the under-15-year-old category
at the Singapore International Chopin Piano tournament, which ended on Sunday.

Key player: Pianist Hoang Pham Tra Mi won the under-15 category at the Singapore International Chopin Piano tournament which ended on Sunday. — File Photo

The competition, to
commemorate the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth, was organised for the first
time by the Chopin Society (Singapore) and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

The competition
attracted 140 candidates from 15 countries and territories, including China, the
Philippines, Indonesia, Viet Nam and host Singapore.

Mi, a 13-year-old
student at the Viet Nam National Academy for Music, beat 30 other competitors to
win the prize for her performance of Ballades No 1 and Etudes No 5.

Previously she won
prizes in South Korea and Russia.

“Mi has shown great
aptitude for the piano since her childhood,” said Ta Quang Dong, a lecturer at
the National Academy of Music, who accompanied the Vietnamese competitors.

“After two years
teaching her, I think she has made great strides.”

The Vietnamese team of
eight pianists aged between 10 and 16 entered four out of five categories.

“Mi’s victory is a big
honour for the Vietnamese team because the international piano competition was
judged by leading performers,” Dong said.

“Taking part in
international events is great experience. The students can learn from
competitors from around the world.”

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News