THE $20,000 Southern Highlands International Piano Competition isn’t due for another year, but organisers are giving us a taste of what’s coming in 2013 by bringing the 2011 winner to Canberra from Hong Kong for a recital tonight at the National Gallery of Australia. 

Nineteen-year-old Wai Yin Wong, who just pipped our own Teddy Neeman at the post at Frensham School’s Clubbe Hall in Mittagong with Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11, will perform special recitals in both the Southern Highlands and Canberra.

She was the youngest-ever entrant in the biennial competition.confirmed her prize money, as well as international performance opportunities.

Her recital program tonight will include works by Schubert, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Dohnanyi and Turina.

Ms Wong, student at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts under Professor Gabriel Kwok, has won many prizes in international competitions, most recently the Second Prize at the 17th Hilton Head International Piano Competition in the USA

She is a Guiomar Novaes Award winner for the second BNDES International Piano Competition of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Gold Prize winner of the International Chopin Piano Competition in Japan.

The Southern Highlands International Piano Competition was established to provide performance opportunities for pianists to perform and associate with artists of first class calibre from around the world, and to bring to the Southern Highlands region a memorable experience.

Last year’s competition attracted 60 international entrants from 25 countries and next year’s fourth biennial competition finals will be held in Canberra for the first time at Llewellyn Hall, featuring the full Canberra Symphony Orchestra.

Wai Yin Wong, in recital at the James O. Fairfax Theatre, NGA, 6.15pm tonight (October 23) tickets at the door.