BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Performing live-to-air is not an easy thing to do. It’s even harder when you’re playing music as part of a competition, which means your every note is being analysed by your listeners.
That said, the participants of 3MBS radio competition The Talent generally tend to walk away with a feeling of enrichment. Despite the pressures of preparing for a competition, their experience is a positive one that fulfils their desire to make music for others to enjoy, to connect with their passion, and to see just how far they can push their drive for success on their chosen instrument.
This is what The Talent winners Chuen (Lawrence) Wang and Diego Yu seemed to gain from their 2026 competition wins. This year, they each took part in the radio series and were offered major prizes including a substantial marketing package with 3MBS worth thousands of dollars, passes to engage in live music as a concertgoer across the largest arts organisations in Melbourne, and plenty of general celebration including, of course, this winners’ interview in CutCommon.
As part of their prize, they share their passion for music once again — but this time, through their words. We sat down with Lawrence and Diego to hear what they made of their 3MBS wins, which they balanced around their school work.
Lawrence, pictured above, won The Talent’s Season 2 this year. The pianist is in Year 9 and also completed his LMusA this year while taking out first prize in another setting — the Ringwood Eisteddfod’s 18-and-under group.
Pianist Diego Yu, pictured below, won Season 1 of The Talent this year at 15 years old. He achieved his LMusA last year, and also won prizes in Musica Viva’s national Strike a Chord chamber music competition with his LED Piano Trio.
Hi Lawrence and Diego — congratulations on your wins this year! What was the immediate feeling or thought that you experienced when you first found out you won The Talent?
LAWRENCE: I was honestly so shocked at first! So I really didn’t expect to win because there was a lot of exceptionally talented people performing, and I was super happy and very surprised as well.
DIEGO: When the mentors announced me as the winner of The Talent, I was really surprised as I wasn’t really expecting to win, because I knew the other two finalists were both very good cellists […] But immediately after the initial surprise, I was immersed in joy and was really happy that both the mentors liked my interpretation of the piece I played.
The Talent has a long tradition of supporting early career musicians. What made you decide you wanted to get involved in this competition specifically?
LAWRENCE: I’ve always thought it was cool how 3MBS helps young musicians get their music out there. What really made me want to enter The Talent was that it didn’t feel like just a intense competition. It seemed like a great place to perform live, build confidence, and meet other people who love music as much as I do.
DIEGO: There are many reasons why I decided to get involved in 3MBS The Talent. First of all, many of Melbourne’s outstanding young musicians around me have entered 3MBS The Talent before. In addition, this competition offers the unique and rare opportunity of playing live on radio. Finally, my teacher Glenn Riddle suggested that I would really enjoy such an opportunity.
What did you most enjoy about performing on air, and how did that experience feel different to you compared to performing in front of a physical audience?
LAWRENCE: I loved knowing that people were listening in from all over the place, like in their cars or at home, with both people I know and strangers listening. Playing live on radio is definitely different from playing in a concert because you can’t see anyone reacting to your music.
DIEGO: Performing live on air was definitely a great and unique experience! It was different to performing in front of a concert audience because there wasn’t anyone directly watching my performance. However, personally it didn’t really feel that different because I was quite focused on enjoying the piece I was performing.
The competition was a huge commitment that required you to learn your music to the highest possible standard that you could — and it paid off! How did you navigate this around your other involvements, such as your school work?
LAWRENCE: It was definitely hard to balance piano practice with schoolwork. Instead of just sitting at the piano for hours, I tried to make my practice time count. Taking breaks to hang out or do other things also kept me from burning out. It was stressful sometimes, but it definitely taught me how to manage my time better.
DIEGO: I would have to admit that balancing my musical goals with schoolwork isn’t an easy task—and I’m sure all young musicians would agree with me. Since I had to balance these competing interests, practicing for endless hours wasn’t possible for me. Instead, I try my best to set goals for each practice session/day, and practice as efficiently as possible during my limited practice time. Ultimately, although this was challenging, I learnt a lot in terms of time management and discipline, and I feel like the time spent is all worth it when I finally perform the pieces I like.
You’ve won some major prizes with The Talent. How do you want to make the most of these opportunities and build momentum as you burst into this next stage of your career?
LAWRENCE: I’m really excited for what’s next! I want to use this momentum to get more stage experience, learn from different teachers and judges, and work on new music. I don’t see this win as the finish line. it’s more like extra motivation to keep getting better.
DIEGO: I’m really excited for receiving all of these great prizes! I’ll try to go to as much concerts as possible, and I will definitely try to make use of the other prizes given to me when I can. More than anything, I hope these opportunities will inspire me to continue improving as a musician and enjoy music!
What are your ultimate ambitions for your life in music?
LAWRENCE: My main goal is to keep playing the piano and hopefully perform on bigger stages, as well as on national stages. Music is amazing because it can share big feelings without using any words, and I’d love to spend my life sharing that with people.
DIEGO: Music is one of my favourite things in life, and I enjoy both playing and listening to music. If possible, I would like to continue exploring and learning repertoire that I enjoy, including solo and chamber music pieces, as well as concertos. No matter what I do in the future, I genuinely hope that music would always be a major part of my life.
What would you say to other musicians who are thinking of entering The Talent, especially to give them the confidence to do so?
LAWRENCE: Just go for it! You learn so much just by taking part. My best advice is to pick music you actually enjoy playing, and just focus on having fun with it instead of worrying about the final result.
DIEGO: To other musicians thinking of entering The Talent — definitely enter! It would be a great experience for you, because you get to meet a lot of equally aspiring musicians and hear them perform. You also get to receive valuable feedback from different mentors! Playing live to air is also a great and very unique aspect of The Talent, and I’m sure you will all enjoy that experience!
Anything else you’d like to share?
LAWRENCE: I just want to say a huge thank you to 3MBS and the whole team at The Talent for putting on such an awesome competition. I’m also super grateful to my teachers and my family for always supporting me. This whole experience has been awesome and winning this competition is a valuable experience. I will keep working and continue pushing my passion for music. Thank you so much for having me on the magazine!
DIEGO: I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made opportunities like The Talent possible—from the organiser 3MBS and adjudicators to all the listeners. I also want to thank everyone has supported me throughout my musical journey, including my piano teacher and my mom. Finally, thanks to CutCommon for this great interview opportunity! And to all aspiring young musicians—continue pursuing your music dreams, and you will definitely get to experience many great things along the way!
Images supplied.
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