Nine-year-old violin prodigy wins international competition

12 June 2014, 12:08 | Updated: 12 June 2014, 14:32

Nine-year-old violinist Samuel Tan has beaten off competition from adult rivals to win the Postacchini Prize at a prestigious international violin competition in Italy.

Tan, who hails from Singapore, also came top in the competition for his age-group, the 8-11 category. The competition itself had 130 entrants from 39 different countries.  

For his efforts, Tan received a $1,300 cash prize, as well as a violin made by Francesco Piasentini, modelled on a Domenico Mantagana instrument from the 18th century.

Watch: 6-year-old prodigy conducts orchestra

The Wolfgang Violin Studio, where Tan is a student, posted the following on their Facebook page last week: "Great things come in small packages, and it's definitely true in the case of our student, 8-year-old Samuel Tan! His most recent achievement will be announced soon, so stay tuned folks!"

Tan has been training with Wolfgang director Min Lee since 2012 and taken part in various international competitions since.