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

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.

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."

(VNS)