SEASONED PERFORMER: Lim also performed in 2011.
KUCHING: Given the right environment and opportunities, Malaysians have the potential to excel as first class classical music performers.
2011 PERFORMANCE: Antony bowled audiences over during his first performance in 2011.
Bui Yik Ling
Dr Nicholas Ong
To share this message, Lai Mei Kuan, a philanthropist and music educationist with a career stretching over 40 years, is organising a series of concerts in Tawau, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching this month to showcase some of the nation’s best and brightest classical music talents.
Lai hopes that these concerts will help to raise public awareness of local talent and dispel the myth that Malaysians are incapable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder alongside other first-class classical music performers.
“These concerts are meant to inspire and encourage all Malaysian students, teachers and parents that if our children are given the right environment and opportunities, we will achieve success,” she said, when interviewed recently.
Performers will include Dr Nicholas Ong, the first Malaysian to receive a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the world-renown Juilliard School in New York; 19-year old James Dong who recently placed first in the Kendall National Violin Competition in New South Wales, Australia and in the 2012 Gisborne International Music Competition in New Zealand; and Tawau-born vocalist Bui Lik Ling who holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the UK’s Birmingham Conservatoire and has also won a number of national and regional vocal competitions.
Also performing will be 13-year old violinists Antony Goon Kin Seng and Lim Jia Ying who bowled Kuching audiences over when they first performed here in 2011. Despite their tender ages, both are already seasoned performers and competitors with a string of accomplishments behind their names.
Among them, in 2011, Antony placed first during the Japan Asean Music Competition. In the same year, he placed first in the Malaysia Youth Orchestra Festival (MYOF) Music Competition and captured the Overall Patron’s Award. More recently, he performed for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their visit to Malaysia.
Jia Ying is currently preparing for her violin FTCL exam, after obtaining a Distinction for her violin ATCL Recital Diploma and also for the violin LTCL exam. She also holds a Distinction in her Pianoforte exams and passed her Grade 8 piano exam with Honours.
Lai observed that Malaysians still had some way to go to do away with the mentality that music education and performance are poor cousins to academic studies. She noted that the mental and cognitive skills, self-awareness and discipline acquired during music studies often had a positive spillover effect into other areas.
“An early start in concert performances will help all music students gain confidence, thus creating in them a passion, interest and love for music. Not only will these children excel in music, but they will also do well academically,” she said.
“Music education should not be seen as only teaching students how to play an instrument. In fact, it is a holistic development of the whole being and can help to prepare students for their future.”
GETS FIRST PLACE: 19-year old James recently was placed first in the Kendall National Violin Competition in New South Wales, Australia.
Lai Mei Kuan
Lai knows first hand the impact that music can make on a person’s life, having taught a number of Malaysia’s top classical musicians during her long career, many of whom have gone on to become successful performers and teachers themselves in the region as well as all over the world.
Her former students include pianist and educator Dr Nicholas Ong, concert pianist and composer Ng Chong Lim, London-based concert pianist Foo Mei Yi, and composer Adeline Wong who currently also lectures at National University of Singapore’s Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.
“The East Malaysia concerts will present an opportunity to local audiences, music students and teachers to be exposed to first-class music, as well as create awareness that Malaysians “Boleh” as all the performers are Malaysians. The only exception is James who is half Malaysian,” Lai said.
Admission for each concert is by donation of RM30 for students and RM50 for adults.
The concerts in Tawau are scheduled for Jan 25 at the Belian Room, Promenade Hotel, Jalan Kuhara. The first show is at 7pm followed by the second at the same venue at 8:30pm.
Tickets can be obtained from Yamaha Music School (089-773577), Kudos Music (089-777791 / 777792), Zoe Music (089-770941), Creative Hands — Art & Craft Studio (0168313348), The Music Makers (0138855050) and Lim Kiao Wei (0198137667).
The Jan 26 concert in Kota Kinabalu will be held at Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka, starting at 7:30pm. For tickets, please call Yap Ling (0168200355) or Pang (0198616670).
There will be two concerts in Kuching on Jan 27. The matinee show is scheduled to commence at 2:30pm at Classic Music Conservatory (CMC), Jalan Stutong. The evening show will be at 6pm at Century Music Recital Hall, Jalan Padungan.
Tickets for the Kuching shows can be obtained from CMC (082-454640/ 0128890589/ 0168912286), Century Music (082-233901) or David (0168707093).
After East Malaysia, the concert tour will head over to West Malaysia for performances scheduled in Malacca, Johor Baru, Penang, Ipoh and Petaling Jaya. For more details, contact The Talent Makers (03-78748984/ 0123359028).