A 91原创 Community Music School student is bound for the Big Apple, where he will perform on one of the most famous stages in the world.

Piano student Ben Su won first prize at the 2013 New York International Artists Piano Competition, granting him the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Feb. 24.

鈥淲e are very proud of Ben,鈥� said LCMS principal Susan Magnusson.

鈥淗e is an exceptional young pianist.  It鈥檚 great to see yet another 91原创 student achieving recognition on the world stage.鈥�

Competing in the 15 to 17 years category, 16-year-old Su played a Mozart Sonata, the Chopin 鈥淏lack Keys鈥� Etude, and 鈥淒umka鈥� by Tchaichovsky in his prize-winning audition.

Su has had previous competitive success, and is the winner of the 2012 Performing Arts BC Provincial Music Festival in the intermediate piano category, and the 2012 Canadian Music Competition Scholarship winner in duo piano 15-18 category with LCMS student Stephen Li. At LCMS, he won the 2012 Concerto Competition.

鈥淚鈥檓 really excited about this award and going to play at Carnegie Hall in New York,鈥� said Su.

鈥淚t will be an amazing experience and so many professionals have played there 鈥� that provides a great deal of motivation and inspiration to me.鈥�

Su has played the piano for 10 years, the last seven spent at LCMS studying with Bernard Duerksen.