Playing the piano is Isaac Chua's passion. He started when he was 8 years old and by the time he turned 15, the Richland High senior won first place in the American Protg International Piano Competition.

That win took him to New York City and the chance to play at Carnegie Hall.

Two years have passed since that engagement, and he hasn't lost an ounce of his passion for the piano.

He continues to make an impression in the music world as well.

He recently was awarded a $20,000 music scholarship to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., where he's headed after collecting his diploma Friday at Richland High.

The scholarship is renewable each year, which makes its potential value $80,000.

But before Isaac leaves the desert of Eastern Washington, he will perform a concert of his favorite classical music starting at 4 p.m. Sunday in the theater at Columbia Basin College in Pasco. Admission is free.

"My relationship with the piano wasn't exactly an arranged marriage, in the sense that my parents didn't force me to practice eight hours before I could eat dinner or sleep," Isaac joked. "I fell in love with the piano when Mrs. Hania Dec expose me to several recordings of great artists."

Isaac, the son of Dr. Jimmy and Marlene Chua, studied with Dec of Richland and with Leonard Richtner of Walla Walla. In addition, he's traveled to Poland for lessons with renowned pianist Andrzej Jasinski, and to Vancouver, British Columbia, for lessons with Lee Kum Sing.

"They helped me tremendously with advice and lessons over the years," Isaac said. "I could write a whole article about everything they taught me in just a few lessons."

Isaac admits he spent much of his adolescence practicing the piano instead of hanging out with friends. But this serious-minded young man has metamorphosed in the past two years.

Where once he was shy and reluctant to talk about himself, he now chats excitedly about playing the piano and his future.

Yet he remains humble about what's ahead.

"I've learned that I still have much to learn when it comes to playing the piano," he said. "I've had some wonderful teachers who've guided me, and I'm very excited that I'll be able to study with Nelita True at Eastman."

True is a sought-after music professor whose students come from all over the world. And though her classes always are full, she made room for Isaac.

"Though her studio was already full, she was kind enough to increase her student capacity limit to accept me as her student," he said. "I admire and respect her not only because she is one of the greatest living American pedagogues, but also because she is a caring and compassionate motherly figure to her students."

Isaac hasn't made up his mind which direction his music eventually will take him after Eastman.

"The exciting and sometimes nerve-wracking part of being a musician is that you never know where you will end up because there is always that subjective side to music," he said. "I prefer performing for a large audience and making them feel as enthusiastic and excited about music as I am."