Thirteen-year-old child prodigy Nathanael Koh likes Canberra - and he says he'll be back.
He missed his graduation with first class honours at the ANU on Friday but said he would return to begin a PhD early in the new year.
The affection for the place and city shine out. "Canberra is clean. Everyone is actually very friendly. There's nothing to not like about Canberra because Canberra is a very interesting city, to say the least," he told The Canberra Times.
He was sorry to miss the graduation ceremony but there will be more degrees to come after this one. "I feel like it's the start of my journey. Graduation is not the end. It is merely the start to another higher degree. I will be doing a PhD next year. I am really excited about a PhD."
But first the holidays during which he said he would read mathematics text books. He is not a boy with the usual amusements. In his spare time, he teaches music theory and mathematics. He said he finds talking to grown-ups easier than talking to people his own age.
His development has been phenomenal, from primary school at the age of three to high school at seven and university at 11. And now, two years later, a first class degree.
The ANU music department spotted his talent for both mathematics and music and the links between the two.
Professor Kim Cunio at ANU remembered getting a request about an "unorthodox" application. He read it before realising the applicant's age, but the strength of the proposal convinced the professor that age shouldn't be a barrier.
"The ANU ethos should be if you're good enough, we will take you," Professor Cunio said.
For his honours project, the gifted teenager devised his own musical system using algebra. He had first thought of the idea at the age of 10.
"It's like messing around with the music of a lost civilisation," he said. "Imagine an alternate universe where our musical theory doesn't exist."
The piece he composed is called Eternity. It was inspired by the vastness of the night sky.
He got a view of that vast night sky when he was living in New Zealand for the sake of his health.
At 12 months old, he was diagnosed with a condition affecting physical and cognitive areas. His parents were told that his lack of muscular strength meant it was unlikely he would ever be able to function independently.
A cooler climate might help, so the family moved to New Zealand. He took piano lessons there as well as having a lot of home schooling.
Piano playing became physically easier by the time he was 10. He now also plays saxophone, clarinet and a bit of cello.
"The reason I'm learning so many instruments is because, as a composer, they all need to make sense," the teenager said. "It's important I understand how they work and what their limitations are."
"As Socrates said, 'I know that I know nothing'."
"We're only going to explore a very small part of any subject, even when we devote our lifetimes to it. For me, that space is music."
