Brussels, Aug. 29 (CNA) Taiwanese pianist Wu Kuan-han, who won third place in the Vienna International Piano Competition, said Tuesday that his win has motivated him to work even harder.
The 28-year old pianist was competing against 26 players from eight countries in the competition (the Wiener Pianisten Wettbewerb), which ran from Aug. 4-10.
During an interview with CNA, Wu recalled the immense pressure he felt participating in an international competition for the first time.
He noted that he practiced for almost eight hours each day before the competition and felt happy about the result of his efforts.
Wu said that winning third place was a valuable learning experience that will serve to push him to work harder in the future.
The competition taught him that there is a higher standard for pianists at the international level and that he needs to develop more personality as an artist, he continued.
The Chiayi native started learning to play the piano at the age of 5 and went on to major in music at National Taiwan University of Arts.
In 2014, he began studying under Austrian pianist Roland Batik in Vienna, where he is currently completing his residency.
Each year, Wu hosts a music festival in his hometown of Chiayi City to share his musical journey with students from his senior high school, with the aim of giving back to the land that raised him.
