ALBAWABA - Youssef Shendi, a 16-year-old musician from Egypt, recently made history by becoming the first Arab to win a prize in the Fujairah International Piano Competition. This competition, which has been running for some time now, has never seen an Arab winner until now.
Youssef took home the third prize in the "Young Music" category, earning himself a generous sum of 10000 UAE dirhams.
Youssef, who is currently a first-year high school student at the Conservatory School associated with the Academy of Arts, positively exceeded the expectations of his mentor, Professor Dr. Mustafa Jarana.
Professor Jarana, who happened to be a former Dean of the Higher Institute of the Conservatory, had high hopes for Youssef and was thrilled to see him succeed against a large number of fellow talented competitors in the competition.
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The international jury for the competition was made up of talented music professionals from around the world, including members from Italy, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Finland, and France. Despite facing tough competition, Youssef’s talent and hard work shone through, impressing the judges and securing him a place among the winners.
Youssef's achievement could become an inspiration for young musicians, both in and outside the Arab world, showing that with dedication and passion, anything is possible, as his hard work did let him win the Fujairah International Piano Competition at a very young age.
