University of Western Australia: UWA piano prodigy awarded prestigious ‘Young Lev’ Vlassenko crown
A third-year student at the UWA Conservatorium of Music has taken out first place in the 2022 Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition “Young Lev” category.
Tina Algeri was one of nine of Australia’s most talented young pianists invited to present a 25-minute piano recital, with three grand finalists chosen to travel to Brisbane and perform a piano concerto with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
An international panel of judges then determined the winner to a livestreamed audience around the world. Taking out first place also earned Tina $1500 in prize money.
The 17-year-old, who was offered a scholarship to The University of Western Australia at the age of 14, said it was an amazing opportunity to even just play with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
The Woodvale resident was not only awarded the “Young Lev” but also the Concerto Prize and the Orchestra Musician’s Choice Award, an award selected entirely by members of the orchestra.
“It means more than you can imagine, I was really shocked in general,” Tina said.
“To get first prize is a lot, but to get those special prizes as well… I was like woah, no way!”
In previous years Tina was juggling University commitments and the busy life of a high school student, while also finding time to practise and prepare for upcoming competitions.
Once Year 11 arrived she made the tough choice to focus purely on her tertiary music studies and is now a full-time student at UWA, which has allowed her to fast-track her education and build her reputation.
“I’m hoping to do more international competitions, build my resume and then eventually do my masters, PhD, get my degrees, see what happens along the way and just get myself out there,” she said.
Professor Alan Lourens, Head of the UWA Conservatorium of Music, applauded Tina on her achievements.
“Tina is a great example of the talent we nurture in the Conservatorium,” Professor Lourens said.
“We teach performance by performing and Tina’s success is testament to this strategy. We wish her warm congratulations on this national success.”