On March 26, Redmond resident Christopher Lu won top honors at the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Junior Piano Competition in Milwaukee.

Lu, a 14-year-old freshman enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program at Interlake High School in Bellevue, was a national finalist in the 2010 MTNA Junior Piano Competition in Albuquerque, N.M., before winning this year’s competition. He was also the first-prize winner in the 2008 Seattle International Piano Competition Junior Division.

He made his orchestra debut at age 13 and has been featured on MSNBC, as well as local TV and radio stations. Lu has been a student of Peter Mack for the last four and a half years.

The MTNA Junior Performance Competition took during the 2011 MTNA National Conference and as a national competition winner, Lu received $1,000, provided by the Kawai America Corporation.

MTNA competitions are three tiered and begin at the state level. First-place winners of each state’s competition advance to a division competition. Division winners compete in the national finals.

MTNA is a nonprofit organization of independent and collegiate music teachers committed to furthering the art of music through teaching, performance, composition and scholarly research. Founded in 1876, it is the oldest music teachers association in the United States.