Three Vietnamese piano students scooped up the top prize in three out offive categories at the Val Tidone International Music Competitions,which wrapped up in Milan on June 16.

Nguyen Hoang Linh Phuong,Nguyen Hoang Phuong Thy and Quach Hoang Nhi topped the all age, 7-9 and10-12 categories, respectively.

The three were among 40 contestants from 11 countries and territories competing at the final round of the piano contest.

Thisyear's Val Tidone Competitions included piano, accordion, strings,plucked instruments, singing and chamber music categories.

Theprestigious music contest requires entrants to meet a professionalstandard, with the coveted prize representing a valuable passport towardan international career, said Livio Bollani, artistic director of theVal Tidone Competitions.

Thy was also bestowed with the honour ofbeing named the competitions' best performer. She beat out 15 othercontestants who won piano, accordion, vocal music and guitar contests.

Thejury delivered glowing praise of Vietnam's piano students at the awardsceremony, said Ta Quang Dong, lecturer of the National MusicConservatory, who taught the students.

"This is the first timeVietnam has had many students winning at the same international pianocontest held in Europe," he said. "The success once again affirms thetalent of Vietnamese piano students who are gradually playing worldclassic music at a high level."

Dong also sent his students tothe Piano Talents 2014 - International Competition for Young Pianists,with the aim to expose them to professional music.

At thecontest, also held in Milan, the Vietnamese pianists competed against109 piano students from 31 countries and territories. Thy won the firstprize of the category A (7-9 years old) and Nhi won second prize of thecategory B (10-12 years old) at the contest.

The highly challenging contest requires contestants to perform the difficult works of Schumann, Liszt and Grieg.-VNA