Van Anh was one of few young talented people who were invited to play the piano at the Sydney Opera House when she was just eight years old. Van Anh’s parents are both professional artists. Her father Nguyen Xuan Anh is a classical guitar player and her mother Phan Thi Kim Oanh is a music lecturer and a pianist.

From an early age, Van Anh won numerous musical prizes in Sydney, particularly in competitions for young pianists. In 2003, she won a prize at the “Vienna International Pianist Summer Festival” in Austria.

Her education achievements have also earned a lot of respect for her. However, Van Anh was modest in saying: “I don’t think I am a “music talent” as some small awards are not enough for me to deserve the title. If any one had the chance to study like me, they could be as successful.”

In 2007, Van Anh returned to Vietnam for the third time and performed in Ho Chi Minh City. She said every time she comes back to Vietnam, she receives a warm welcome from the audience.

“The Vietnamese audience show a real interest in chamber music,” Van Anh said. “I am moved to draw enthusiastic applause from the audience after my performances.”

While studying piano, Van Anh took part in a communication and law course in Sydney, writing articles for the magazine of ABC Television. In early 2006, Van Anh was the only Vietnamese-Australian among 35 pianists attending an international music camp in Australia.

After finishing the communication and law course, Van Anh plans to travel to the US to further study piano.

“I will never stop playing the piano,” Van Anh said. “However, I still want to study another subject as classical piano is only for a small audience.”

Born and raised in Australia, the 19-year-old girl speaks Vietnamese quite well.

“It is all thanks to my mother,” Van Anh said. “She is a patient teacher. First she taught me the letter A. Then she put marks of rising tone and falling tone, or question mark above such words as ‘ca, cá, cà, cả”. Later, she taught me to make sentences. Every day, I learn about 10 new words.”

Van Anh added that her family still speaks Vietnamese at home and her father encouraged her to read Vietnamese newspapers every day.

Talking about her plans for 2007, Van Anh said she will study harder to win more prizes and come back to Vietnam to perform.

“I want to serve the Vietnamese audience. I feel real emotion towards the homeland,” Van Anh said.

Van Anh also hopes she can return to Vietnam to teach piano and run music courses for children.