Teen twins top international piano competition

Hong Kong can finally say it has a pair of musically talented teen twins.

Last week in Bialystok, Poland, 19-year-old sisters Chau Lok-ping and Chau Lok-ting (pictured on the right), won first prize at the fourth International Piano Duo Competition held in the town.

The two Academy of Performing Arts students went through three rounds of competition, performing four-handed works for one piano as well as works for two pianos by Mozart, Lutoslawski, Poulenc, Saint-Saens and Chopin. In the final concerto round, the twins blew away the jury with a snazzy rendition of Poulenc's Concerto in D Minor for two pianos, scooping the big prize of Euro5,000 (HK$49,000) and three other awards. More than 40 pairs took part, and the twins were the youngest.

'Although we sometimes hold different views on the interpretation, we can always reach a consensus, especially under the guidance of Eleanor Wong Yee-lun,' Lok-ping said. Professor Wong (left, with the twins and jury member Volker Stenzl), has been their teacher for almost 15 years. She said she was 'really proud of them'. Congrats all around.