A young pianist from Taiwan has won the top prize in the Tel-Hai International Piano Festival in Israel, organizers said Saturday.
Yang Chien-ying (楊千瑩), who is now studying at Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory on a scholarship from Taiwan's Ministry of Education, was one of 75 pianists from around the world to be invited to take part in the Tel-Hai festival.
After two weeks of intensive training and contests, Yang emerged as the winner, capturing the award in memory of Israeli musician Marina Bonderenko.
Yang was the only piano student from Taiwan to be invited to compete. She charmed and surprised many Israeli music fans by performing famous contemporary Israeli pieces in a unique style and even outperformed her Israeli competitors in her readings of contemporary Israeli masterpieces, according to music critics.
In recognition of her accomplishments, the organizers also invited her to take part in the 2006 Tel-Hai piano festival.
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