Young Vietnamese-Australian pianist Pham Minh Hoang pocketed first prize at the Young Performers Awards (YPA) held by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Pham, 28, was among the contestants to enter the YPA’s final, which took place in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct 12. He won the award for his outstanding performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Concerto No. 1” with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Pham was hailed by the Australian media as a musical prodigy when he was only 5. A student of Australia’s revered piano teacher Rita Reichman for the past ten years, Pham has won several prestigious music awards including the 2005 Lev Vlassenko Award and Best Australian Pianist in the 2008 International Piano Contest in Sydney.

“This coveted award helps bridge the gap between myself and audiences from my home country to gain their support,” Pham shared.

The other two candidates for this year’s award were oboist Andrew Kawai and pianist Stefan Cassomenos. The three are set to give a performance with cellist Michael Bahlenburg at Federation Square, Australia on Nov 10.

Since 1944, the ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards has provided aspiring young artists with opportunities to perform with Australia's major orchestras in the quest for first prize.