A young musician who followed his father in becoming a violinist won the top prize in the 2010 NTSO conducting contest, an honor giving him the chance to become the orchestra's guest conductor, organizers said Monday. National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (NTSO) leader Liu Suan-yung said Chang, who has played the violin since he was five years old and was now one of the orchestra's violinists, was the top prize winner. The son of a man who once was the NTSO's lead violinist and assistant conductor, Chang said that when he was young, his father would show him videotapes of legendary conductor Herbert von Karajan. 'I just felt there must be great energy in the act of conducting, as sounds would come from the stage at the gesture of the conductor,' he said, describing it as an experience that made him want to be a conductor one day. He played violin until high school, when he switched to percussion, majoring in the subject until his graduate school days. When he moved to The Juilliard School in New York for his second master's degree, he focused on conducting. In 2004, he returned to Taiwan to begin his military service. It was during that time when he had opportunities to play and conduct in front of foreign dignitaries. He said winning the top prize in the contest was 'no big deal, ' and vowed to work harder to sharpen his professional skill in cooperating with local and foreign music groups. Liu said Chang and other prize winners would be given chances to act as the orchestra's guest conductors. The second prize went to Lin Chao-chin and the third prize to Hou Chao-yung. 