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It's been a winning week at the the Australian National Academy of Music.

At a glittering concert on Tuesday evening twenty-five year old violinist Rebecca Chan won the Academy's annual concerto competition. Senator the Hon. George Brandis SC, Minister for Arts and Sport, presented Chan with a cash prize ($2,000) and the opportunity to perform her winning performance of the Erich Korngold Concerto with the ANAM orchestra in the second half of 2007.

Chan, a graduate of both Medicine and Music is a member of the Hamer Quartet. The quartet made an auspicious debut in March to critical acclaim. 

Brett Dean, the Artistic Director of the Australian National Academy of Music described Chan's performance as 'a winner amongst winners'. The judging panel of the evening included New York's Marc Silverman (Pianist- in-residence), Geoffrey Collins (flautist) and Roger Benedict (viola). 

Distinguished guests at the concert included Sir Zelman Cowen, Lady Cowen and conductor John Hopkins OBE.

Earlier that day in Sydney, Brett Dean was himself presented with the Bulletin's Smart 100 Arts Prize by Stephen Conroy, the Shadow Minister for Communications, Information and Technology. Also nominated for the award were other arts luminaries including actor/ director Richard Roxburg (Romulus) and Malthouse Theatre's Michael Kantor.

'Life can get very, very full, but I do find all the things I do feed off each other," Dean says. 'And the challenges the Academy poses are really important, they make me think a lot more about the education I've had and would like others to have.'

Tonight, Dean will be awarded yet another honour. Griffith University will confer an honorary degree Doctor of the University to Brett Dean in recognition for his distinguished services to music. The ceremony will include a performance by Dean and pianist Piers Lane, who has also been bestowed the honour.