Nguyen Lee Hieu, an eight-year-old boy of Vietnamese ancestry, won the first prize for the Guitar - Ukulele category for elementary-school students at the Hong Kong International Music Festival 2024.

Hieu, an Australian national, lives in Ho Chi Minh City and studies at an international school in the southern metropolis.

Pianist Nguyen Le Thuyen Ha, chairwoman of the Hong Kong International Music Festival in Vietnam and leader of the team of Vietnamese contestants at the fest, said that Hieu had previously competed in international contests and music fests in the United States and Malaysia, earning several big prizes.

However, the Hong Kong International Music Festival 2024 was the most difficult and scholarly competition that he has participated in.

The preliminary round of the festival attracted over 90,000 candidates worldwide.

The final round, which took place in Hong Kong from August 15 to 21, featured the participation of over 4,000 talents from around the world.

Among 60 first-prize winners at various categories, just 28 talents, including Hieu, were selected to perform at the closing ceremony of the Hong Kong International Music Festival 2024.

During the closing night, Hieu performed ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps,’ a song which was originally released by The Beatles in 1968.

Hieu has a good feeling about the renowned song as he always hopes that everyone worldwide will love and share more, Ha said.

“Hieu is a talented boy, and is the pride of the Vietnamese team at the festival,” Ha said.

Members of the Vietnamese team pose for a photo at the Hong Kong International Music Festival 2024 in Hong Kong, China. Photo: Supplied

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