Triple treat: Three Vietnamese piano students and their teacher Ta Quang Dong pose with Livio Bollani, artistic director of the Val Tidone International Music Competitions. — Photo courtesy of Ta Quang Dong

HA NOI (VNS)  — Three Vietnamese piano students scooped up the top prize in three out of five categories at the Val Tidone International Music Competitions, which wrapped up in Milan on Monday.

Nguyen Hoang Linh Phuong, Nguyen Hoang Phuong Thy and Quach Hoang Nhi topped the all age, 7-9 and 10-12 categories, respectively.

The three were among 40 contestants from 11 countries and territories competing at the final round of the piano contest.

This year's Val Tidone Competitions included piano, accordion, strings, plucked instruments, singing and chamber music categories.

The prestigious music contest requires entrants to meet a professional standard, with the coveted prize representing a valuable passport toward an international career, said Livio Bollani, artistic director of the Val Tidone Competitions.

Thy was also bestowed with the honour of being named the competitions' best performer. She beat out 15 other contestants who won piano, accordion, vocal music and guitar contests.

The jury delivered glowing praise of Viet Nam's piano students at the awards ceremony, said Ta Quang Dong, lecturer of the National Music Conservatory, who taught the students.

"This is the first time Viet Nam has had many students winning at the same international piano contest held in Europe," he said. "The success once again affirms the talent of Vietnamese piano students who are gradually playing world classic music at a high level."

Dong also sent his students to the Piano Talents 2014 - International Competition for Young Pianists, with the aim to expose them to professional music.

At the contest, also held in Milan, the Vietnamese pianists competed against 109 piano students from 31 countries and territories. Thy won the first prize of the category A (7-9 years old) and Nhi won second prize of the category B (10-12 years old) at the contest.

The highly challenging contest requires contestants to perform the difficult works of Schumann, Liszt and Grieg. — VNS