Taiwan musicians claimed gold and silver at the 4th Unheard Notes Piano Para, an international competition for pianists with physical or mental disabilities, Dec. 3 in New York.
Lee Shang-hsuan and Wang Weija Vega, both of whom have autism, claimed first and second place, respectively, according to the Association of the Care of Music Learning by People with Disabilities.
The nongovernmental group based in central city of Taichung led a team of eight Taiwan musicians to the quadrennial event where they competed against pianists from 15 countries including Egypt, Germany, Japan, the U.S. and U.K.
Born in 1988, Lee started learning piano at the age of 5, according to his blog. He has won numerous awards in local and overseas competitions and performed at the Office of the President when he was 14.
Wang started practicing music when he was in kindergarten, according to video interviews he gave to online media. The 19-year-old plays several other instruments including the clarinet and violin.
The Taiwan contestants spent hours every day practicing for the event, association Chairperson Chen Wei-chi said. The NGO is planning to produce a documentary on the team’s preparations for the competition and its achievements in New York to raise awareness about how persons with disabilities can overcome obstacles. (CPY-E)
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