Sixteen-year-old Esa beat seven other competitors in the 16 and under Classical Guitar section to take home the medal and $150 cash prize.

Faced with some pretty fierce competition Esa said he was not sure he could wipe the floor with Heita Villa-Lobos Prelude No.1 in E minor on the day.

"The judge seemed pretty tough too," Esa said.

"But it's not all about how you play, it's also about how you present yourself."

In awarding Esa with first place the judge thanked him for the performance, which he said demonstrated commitment, technical proficiency and musical expressivity.

Esa has been learning to play the classical guitar for about seven years under the watchful eye of Leslie Spencer from the Cooma School of Music, who has helped foster his talent.

Esa is also a member of the Canberra Classical Guitar Society and said he has not made the switch to rock or electric guitar because it does not have the same soul as classical.

"With classical guitar the music just feels so rich and to play it is so satisfying," he said.

The youngster not only excels at his musical talent but also holds a black belt in Karate and is currently completing year 12 studies at Monaro High School.

The soft spoken, disciplined student now has to balance his passion for music with his studies.

"I practice every day for as long as I can but I will have to schedule it with the studying for the HSC now, which will be a bit difficult."

Esa is working on raising his profile with the hope of eventually undertaking a Bachelor of Music at the Australian National University in Canberra.

When asked if he would prefer to play professionally or teach in the future, Esa could not decide.

"I'd like to get more experience and do both I think," he said.

Esa will be working on building his public profile when he plays live on ABC Radio this Friday.