By arts editor Helen Musa

In a new experience for ArtSound FM, the four finalists in its ACT Young Virtuoso Awards held last Sunday were all young males under 15 and all pianists.

Ethan Britt, James Neeman, Ryan Xing and Yongmin Yin, were all given an opportunity prior to the finals to play in the studio so they could understand the acoustic difference between a recording studio and performing in an open venue and all had a chance to promote themselves with an interview that was aired on ArtSound’s Arts Café.

The broadcast, hosted by MC Meri Tibbitts, went to air for two hours with each finalist performing live on the Yamaha Grand Piano for 20 minutes.

The adjudicators, Lindy Reksten and Jane Raynor, were seated in the control room, so couldn’t see the performers at the piano and Reksten later told those present that she had closed her eyes while everyone was playing, giving her a completely different view of each performance.

Raynor announced that the James Neeman was winner of the Belconnen Rotary Club Award of $1250, Ryan Xing was the runner-up, winning $750. Both also received recording time at the ArtSound studio.

The annual awards are for instrumentalists under 25 and vocalist under 30 and are held in conjunction with Fine Music stations in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

Neeman, the son of well-known local pianists Edward and Stephanie Neeman, will now represent the ACT at the National Finals, which this year are being held in Canberra, where he will compete against the four winners from the other states.

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