Tony Lee, a 24-year-old pianist from Sydney, takes home the $25,000 first prize.

Sydney pianist Tony Lee has taken home the $25,000 First Prize at this year’s Australian National Piano Award competition held in Shepparton, Victoria. The biennial competition saw 11 pianists performing at Shepparton’s Eastbank Centre competing for a total prize pool of $65,000. The award has been running since 1992, and past winners include Alex Raineri, Daniel de Borah, Jocelyn Ho and Kristian Chong.

“It’s been quite a musical journey,” said Lee, who has studied in Sydney, Melbourne and Moscow and is currently working with Professor Michael Endres at the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Norway, “and the experience has been positive and fruitful. Winning this Award helps me to remain focussed on being true to myself and my music. Best of wishes and my thanks to the fellow pianists for the wonderful gift, that is making Music.”

^{First Prize winner Tony Lee}

In addition to First Prize, Lee was awarded $1000 for best performance of music from the Romantic Era (excluding Chopin) or for the first half of the 20th century.

Second place – and a prize of...