Pianist Daniel Le Selected as a Finalist in The Australian National Piano Award

Daniel Le will compete in The Australian National Piano Award from September 8-13 in Shepparton.

Staged every two years, the awards showcase performances from pianists under the age of 30 in front of an audience and three international judges.

The 21-year-old will play against musicians from Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales for experience, applause and major cash and prizes valued at $65,000.

Le, who has been playing since he was three, is studying and living on campus in Singapore.

He is in his third year of a Bachelor of Music degree on a full-tuition scholarship at the Yong Siew Toh ­Conservatory of Music.

When asked what he hoped to get out of the competition, Le said he wanted to challenge himself.

“I hope to push myself to new limits and simply learn more about myself as a ­performer and as an artist,” Le said.

“I think music for me has always been enjoyable to ­listen to and to perform.

“In more recent years, I have loved the challenging process of taking these works and exploring their complexities with a teacher and trying to make sense of it all.

“It’s a fascinating process that I think you learn to enjoy more and more as you go deeper into your studies.”