IZMIR, Turkey
A Turkish teenager cellist bagged first prize at international competitions in Austria and Ukraine.
Arya Nur Gunes, a 15-year-old musician, won Grand Prize Virtuoso at the Salzburg International Music Competition in Vienna, Austria and first prize at the International Violin, Cello and Viola Competition in her age group in Ukraine.
Currently a student at the Conservatoire Music and Ballet Middle School of Dokuz Eylul University, Arya won the Jury special mention prize at the Kaunas Sonorum International Classical Music Competition in 2017, among 590 musicians from 18 countries aged between 10 and 23.
She also received first prize at the second Luthiers Clar held in Kiev, Ukraine.
"I've been interested in music all my life, but after finding the cello, I can say my life is complete," Gunes told Anadolu Agency expressing her happiness at being "rewarded for her efforts."
Voicing her goal to be a world-class soloist, she said: "It's a big dream, it won't be easy to achieve, but if I work hard and believe, I can do it, considering that every great musician was once a student like me."
Arya’s father Koray Gunes said he and her mother would endeavor to help Arya in realizing her goals.
"As she invests time, works hard and does her best in a concentrated way, she can reinforce her existing talent," he said. 
*Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur
