The 19-year pianist will now represent Victoria in the national final of the 2016 Young Virtuoso of the Year Award.

On Sunday, 19-year old pianist William Soo won Victoria’s Young Performer Award. He will now compete with other winners from around Australia in the national final of the 2016 Young Virtuoso of the Year Award to be held in Melbourne at St Johns Southgate on November 26.

^{William Soo is named winner of Victoria’s Young Performer Award. Photo courtesy of 3MBS}

Soo, who took home a cash prize of $5,000, said that he was delighted and humbled. “What an honour to have won. I am looking forward to representing Victoria in the nationals,” he said. “Competitions are a good opportunity for aspiring musicians coming through the ranks and [for a young performer in Australia] it doesn’t get much better than this competition,” he tells Limelight. Soo is currently studying piano with Glenn Riddle at the University of Melbourne. He has given recitals in Europe and Asia, and won First Prize at the Fourth ASEAN International Chopin Competition in Kuala Lumpur, and Second Prize in the first Indonesia Pusaka International Piano Competition...