After a show-stopping performance during the 2010 National Youth Concerto Competition (NYCC) Finals Concert on Sunday 24 October, 14-year old Anna Lisa Da Silva Chen was awarded the 1st prize.

Anna’s charming and expressive musicianship, and her outstanding virtuosity on the violin combined for a winning performance in the prestigious competition.

Anna said: “I thought it was really nice meeting wonderful musicians, same age and older, who share the same interest in music as me. I admire the effort of the whole Queensland Youth Orchestra for their amazing musicianship and commitment to this competition. Winning it was just a bonus but the best of the week was the fantastic experience.”

After winning the NSW Secondary High School Concerto Competition in June 2010, this is the second major success for Anna this year. A full scholarship student at the Rising Stars Program in the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Anna has won many prizes at the Wollongong, St George and Sydney Eisteddfod.

On Sunday 24 October, Anna impressed the judging panel of professional musicians (Warwick Adeney, Jann Keir, Matthew Kinmont and John Curro) with her performance of Henri Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, playing with the Queensland Youth Symphony under conductor John Curro AM MBE. Anna competed against two strong performances from Eddy Chen (aged 17, from QLD) and Kako Miura (aged 15, from NSW).

Presented by Queensland Youth Orchestras, the NYCC is the most significant competition in Australia for outstanding string players aged up to 17 years. Now in its 35th year, the competition not only showcases the outstanding talent of young musicians, but also the high standard of string teaching in Australia. As well as gaining a $2,500 prize, Anna joins the ranks of some of Australia’s finest musicians who are former winners of this competition, including the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Richard Tognetti, Nicholas Milton, Jane Peters, Zoe Black, Li Wei Qin and Ray Chen.