Nguyen Ly Long Hai, an 11-year-old boy from Vietnam, won double gold trophies at Asia Pacific Arts Festival 2023. (Photo: Nguyen Huong Linh)

At the festival, Hai performed Sonatina No 2, Op 36 by the Italian composer, Muzio Clementi. After that, he continued with a four-hand piano performance with Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, an outstanding work in the career of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The jury gave the Vietnamese contestant's performance a favorable evaluation for its skillful combination of emotion and technique. Hai won two gold trophies by scoring highly and outpacing competitors from other Asian nations.

“I just tried my best and did not put too much pressure on winning or losing. When my name was called as a winner, I burst out with happiness. This is a meaningful reward for me to follow the career path of being a piano artist in the future,” Hai said.

Hai, who was born in 2012, currently studies at an international school in HCM City. With a father working in the music industry, from a young age, Hai expressed his passion for musical instruments such as piano, guitar, and drums.

Before participating in the Asia Pacific Arts Festival, Hai had completed some achievements in music, including a gold medal at the 9th Asian Art Festival held in Singapore in 2022.  

Asia Pacific Arts Festival (APAF), which has been successfully held since 2013 with participants from Asia countries, aims to promote harmony, peace, and global friendship through diversified cultural exchange, workshops, and performing arts competitions.

This year, the festival took place from June 22 to 25, 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand.