TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese conductor Huang Wei-chieh (黃蔚傑) won the Fourth International Conducting Competition for Chinese Music, with its final round held at the end of July in Hong Kong.

The event was hosted by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (HKCO). It aims to foster the development of Chinese orchestral music, per HKCO.

Huang is a graduate of the Tainan National University of the Arts and a master’s student at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He expressed his gratitude to the judges, orchestra members, and fellow competitors, per CNA.

Born in 1992, Huang played the erhu, a Chinese instrument, before turning to conducting. He said Taiwan’s music education provides a wider range of exposure, while China offers a deeper focus.

Huang attributed his victory on July 27 to a combination of hard work and luck. He plans to use his prize money, NT$488,820 (US$15,000) to cover tuition and living expenses in Shanghai.

He will guest conduct the 10th Anniversary Concert of the Tainan Chinese Orchestra on Sunday (Aug. 11), per Tainan Cultural Center.