Learning from YouTube, Vietnamese boy wins first prize in international ukulele competition

Nguyen Lee Hieu, an 8-year-old Australian contestant of Vietnamese origin, has just won first prize in the Guitar - Ukulele competition for primary school age, at the finals of the Hong Kong International Music Festival 2024 .

Here, Nguyen Lee Hieu performed While my guitar gently weeps - a famous song by The Beatles. The lyrics include: "I look at all of you, at love sleeping peacefully, while my guitar gently cries".

Nguyen Lee Hieu at the festival

Lee Hieu said he always feels special when listening to and performing this song, because he always wishes that people in the world love, care and share with each other more. The lyrics are also the story of a guitar player - the instrument that Hieu loves ( Ukulele is a small guitar).

The sweet melody combined with the overflowing emotions when performing helped Lee Hieu receive warm applause from the judges and the audience. Thanks to that, the judges assessed that this contestant stood out among about 4,000 contestants this year.

After winning first place in the Guitar - Ukulele competition for primary school students, Nguyen Lee Hieu also passed the interview round and was selected to perform at the closing ceremony of the Hong Kong International Music Festival on August 20. The competition had 60 first prize winners, but only 28 were selected to perform at the closing ceremony.

Vietnamese delegation at the festival

The festival's president, pianist Nguyen Le Thuyen Ha, commented: "Nguyen Lee Hieu is an extremely talented boy. Standing out from many other contestants, Lee Hieu is the pride of the Vietnamese delegation. We hope that this achievement will continue to help him nurture his passion and achieve more outstanding achievements on his musical path."

Nguyen Lee Hieu started learning the Ukulele at the age of 5, and has been doing it for more than 3 years now. He started learning the Ukulele at school with a music teacher, but now Lee Hieu teaches himself the instrument by following YouTube.

Lee Hieu is studying at an international school in Ho Chi Minh City. His parents encouraged him to develop his interest in playing the instrument, and he has won several Ukulele awards in the US, Malaysia, etc.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hoc-theo-youtube-cau-be-goc-viet-gianh-giai-nhat-ukulele-cuoc-thi-quoc-te-185240831091902923.htm