16 Year Old VC 'Rising Star' Grace Clifford Awarded Australia's Top Classical Music Accolade

16 year old violinist, VC 'Rising Star' Grace Clifford, from Sydney has been awarded 1st prize at the ABC Symphony Australia 'Young Performer of the Year' Awards, in Adelaide, Australia.

Regarded as Australia’s most important classical music prize for instrumentalists 30 years and younger, previous winners include international string soloists: Adele Anthony, Li-Wei Qin, Ji Won Kim and VC ‘Young Artist’ Suyeon Kang.

A student of Dr Robin Wilson, at the Sydney Conservatorium Pre-College Programme, Grace is a two-time String Finalist in the Awards - and in 2012 was awarded 4th prize in the Junior Division of the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition, in Beijing, China.

She will receive AUD $25,000, a CD recording and a number of important solo engagements.

In addition, Grace was awarded two $5,000 cash prizes for the 'Best Recital Round' and the 'Best Chamber Music Performance'.

Grace will next month commence studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, in Philadelphia – with respected violin pedagogue Ida Kavafian.

This evening's judges praised the performances of all three prodigious teen finalists – also highly commending the professionalism of 15 year oboist, Andrew Kawai and 18 year old violinist, Anna Da Silva Chen.

“They are all winners. Who could not be optimistic about the future of classical music here in Australia? We had three superb concerto performances!” conductor, Christopher Seaman has said.

The $7,000 'Nelly Apt Scholarship', to aid international study in Israel, was awarded to 18 year old violinist, Anna Da Silva Chen.