A 21-year-old music student from Latvia made it to the semi-finals of the 8th Sydney International Piano Competition, a presitigious contest scheduled every four years in Australia.

Arta Arnicāne, now a student at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, was one of 36 pianists selected to compete. The competition is held in five stages. Arnicāne made it to Stage Four. The competition is scheduled from June 30-July 17. Top prize is AUD 25,000.

In her various recitals during the competition, Arnicāne performed works by Beethoven, Brahms, Brenton, Chopin, Debussy, Mozart, Prokofiev, Ravel, Schumann and Scriabin.

Arnicāne also has studied in Moscow, at the the Dārzinš Specialist School of Music in Rīga and at the Latvia Academy of Music, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

She has performed in Latvia as well as in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Mexico and Russia.