Vietnamese pianist Lương Khánh Nhi has won the third prize of the Leeds International Piano Competition. Photo courtesy of the Leeds International Piano Competition

HÀ NỘI Vietnamese pianist Lương Khánh Nhi has won third prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition, one of the world’s foremost music competitions.

The final night of the event took place at the historic St. George's Hall concert hall in Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK, on the evening of September 21.

Nhi performed Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No 3 in C major with the orchestra. Before that, three contestants had competed on the evening of September 20.

Canadian contestant Jaeden Izik-Dzurkocame came first, Junyan Chen from China second and the Vietnamese representative was third place.

Kai-Min Chang from China's Taiwan, a student of renowned Vietnamese pianist Đặng Thái Sơn, finished fourth while Julian Trevelyan from the UK secured fifth place.

The organisers also awarded several special prizes. Kai-Min Chang received the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society prize and Junyan Chen, the silver medalist, also received the Alexandra Dariescu prize.

After the finals, three winners of the Leeds International Piano Competition 2024 will each have a solo concert night at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.

The Leeds International Piano Competition is ranked fifth among the top ten most prestigious international piano competitions in the world. Co-founded by Fanny Waterman, a local piano teacher and Marion Thorpe, Countess of Harewood, the competition has launched the careers of some of the greatest pianists of our time over the past 60 years. This year's event attracted 65 contestants from around the world.

Nhi is the first Vietnamese contestant to reach the finals of this competition and was awarded the bronze medal.

Her recent award is the greatest achievement by Vietnamese contestants in over 40 years, following Đặng Thái Sơn's first-place win at the Chopin International Piano Competition in 1980.

Nhi, 27, is a Vietnamese pianist renowned for her captivating performances across three continents. Introduced to the piano at the age of four within a musical household, her talent bloomed early.

In 2014, she secured a full scholarship to study at Kunstuniversität Graz in Austria, chosen as the sole candidate from Southeast Asia after rigorous auditions conducted by ASIA-Uninet and OeAD.

Throughout her tenure in Austria, Nhi showcased her artistry in prestigious venues across Europe, including performances in Austria, Germany and Denmark.

The Vietnamese pianoist has won many accolades, including victories at renowned competitions like the Yong Siew Toh Concerto Competition, Lee University International Piano Competition, and MTNA National Piano Competition. Notably, Nhi’s recent triumph at the Sicily International Piano Competition earned her a prestigious five-concert tour in Italy for 2024.

She is pursuing her Doctoral of Musical Arts degree at the University of Michigan under the mentorship of Prof. Christopher Harding. VNS