Pianist Wins Award

Melbourne pianist Hoang Pham has won the prestigious 2013 ABC Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year award.

His performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 Op.23 at Saturday night’s grand final at Melbourne Town Hall was described by the judges as outstanding.

Pham, 28, won a cash prize of $25,000, the ABC Sir Charles Moses Young Performer’s Trophy, a professional CD recording and a paid performance with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

A child prodigy, Pham said his inspiration was seeing pianist David Helfgott perform at Hamer Hall.

Born in Vietnam, Pham moved to Australia as a child and studied privately with Rita Reichman at the Australian National Academy of Music.

He then moved to the US to study under Marc Silverman at the Manhattan School of Music, where he completed a master of music degree.

‘‘From fleeing Vietnam as a baby with his refugee family to being awarded the 2013 ABC Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year, Hoang Pham’s journey is truly inspirational on many levels,’’ said Kate Lidbetter, chief executive of Symphony Australia.

‘‘It is testament to his tremendous dedication and talent.’’

The other two finalists at Saturday night’s competition – 15-year-old oboeist Andrew Kawai and 28-year-old pianist Stefan Cassomenos – won prizes of $7500.