Quach Hoang Nhi, the 9-year old Vietnamese pianist, won first prize among 22 contestants in the 7-9 year old category at the Mozart International Piano Competition 2013 in Thailand, followed by two Thai pianists.
The final round of this competition took place from July 22nd- July 26th in Bangkok, Thailand, with the participation of 69 young pianists from Vietnam, Thailand, the USA, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia.
The contest was divided into four age-group categories from 7-24. In the final round, all candidates had to compete in two parts and performed a complete work, movement or variation of Concerto or Sonatina by Mozart.
According to Dr. Ta Quang Dong, the competition required higher qualifications and much more complicated skills than other piano contests. In part 2, all 7-9 year old contestants had to play 3-movement-Sonata by Mozart. This is difficult not only for the length, but also the required technique for young pianists to perform each movement.
Quach Hoang Nhi played Sonatina No. 3, Op.151 by Diabelli, and continued to play a complete C major Sonata KV 545 by Mozart. Her performances received many compliments from the jury, such as bringing a musical breath of fresh air, as well as satisfying the high requirement of difficult piano techniques. In 2012, she won a gold medal at the ASIAN International Festival and Competition in Cheonan, the Republic Korea.
Besides Hoang Nhi, other Vietnamese pianists were also highly appreciated by the jury, including well-known musicians and teachers from Italy, Israel, and Hongkong (China).
This is a great step to open a brighter future for young Vietnamese pianists, Dr. Ta Quang Dong added.
Source: VOV
Translated by Vu Linh