Hannah Shin wins top prize at the Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition
Melbourne Conservatorium of Music graduates, Hannah Shin (Bachelor of Music 2021) and Tian Tian Lan (Diploma of Music Studies 2020) were awarded first and second place at the prestigious Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition.
Established in 1999, The Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition is recognised as Australia’s eminent competition for pianists aged 16 to 30. Held bi-annually in Brisbane, the competition selects a small number of talented pianists to compete for several prizes totaling $60,000.
Hannah and Tian Tian were among six pianists to compete in the Finals Concert held at Griffith University’s Conservatorium Theatre on Thursday 24 February. Each of the finalists performed with the acclaimed Queensland Symphony Orchestra and international conductor Johannes Fritzsch.
Hannah’s performance of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No 3 earned her the competition’s first place prize, valued at $25,000. This performance was also awarded the Jury Concerto Prize, voted by an international jury, and the Orchestra Concerto Prize, voted by members of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Hannah is the first graduate of the Conservatorium to take out the competition’s top spot since its inception.
Hannah said of her win: "It was a pleasure to have been able to participate in the event, and even more so to have received first place. I feel very grateful above all else for the support I received from my teacher and mentor Glenn Riddle, as well as from family and friends by always being there to support me."
Having previously performed with orchestras and ensembles from China, Austria, Thailand, and Poland, Hannah is very much at home on a concert hall stage. Her previous accolades include awards from several international competitions, and only last year, she won the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Concerto Competition, performing with Associate Professor Richard Davis and the University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Equally exciting, is Tian Tian Lan’s second place win for his performance of Rachmaninoff’s mighty Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor.
Lecturer in Music (Piano) at the Conservatorium, Glenn Riddle said: “both students have been studying with me for the last 10 years, and it has been a privilege to see their musicianship and artistry develop over such a sustained period.”
“Taking first and second place at this prestigious competition is quite a coup for the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music and I am very proud of both Hannah and Tian Tian on their most recent achievement.”