Posts

Careers in Classical Music: Workshop Presenter, Soon Kun Ming

Image
When we think of a musician, we're probably imagining them performing onstage, or perhaps in a rehearsal, or teaching. But what do musicians do when they're not honing their instrumental prowess, putting it on display, or passing it on to the next generation of musicians? In this series, I find that out from musicians doing interesting things in the world of classical music.  A few weeks ago, I got to go behind the scenes of a workshop presented by pianist Soon Kun Ming. With all the attendees opting to join online, I got the unique opportunity to observe the workshop from behind the cameras. For over an hour, I got to watch as he switched between speaking to the audience through a front-facing camera, while walking them through his presentation on his laptop, and performing segments of the pieces as part of the demonstration which was being recorded and streamed through his overhead camera. In addition to the three pedals on the Kawai grand piano he was presenting from, a four...

Concerts and Performances to Watch in Malaysia - April 2024 Update

Image
From Baroque to Broadway, the dark to the heroic, a variety of experiences await audiences in the coming months.  This list is updated periodically, so check back to see what's new! Please note that this is a collection of publicly available information and this site is not affiliated with the events listed. For the latest details or any enquiries regarding these events, please contact the event organisers directly.  Penang Maxy Chan's Mini Tour: Penang Rondo Production | Maxy Chan, piano 13 April 2024 | Saturday | from 7.30pm Penang Harmony Centre Ticket prices: RM58 (Concession) | RM70 (Standard) RondoFest 2024 Closing Gala Rondo Production | RondoFest Festival Orchestra | RondoFest Festival Chorus 15 June 2024 | Saturday | from 7.30pm  Majestic Theatre, Penang Ticket prices: RM58 | RM78 Perak Maxy Chan's Mini Tour: Ipoh Rondo Production | Maxy Chan, piano 14 April 2024 | Sunday | from 3.30pm Mamut Room, 1Lasam, Ipoh Ticket prices: RM53 (Concession) | RM63 (Standard) Se...

Concerts and Performances to Watch in Malaysia - March 2024 Update

Image
Crossovers into pop and jazz, as well as opportunities to see cellists in action are on the schedule this month.  This list is updated periodically, so check back to see what's new!  Please note that this is a collection of publicly available information and this site is not affiliated with the events listed. For the latest details or any enquiries regarding these events, please contact the event organisers directly.  Penang Georgetown String Festival Georgetown House of Strings 9 March 2024 | Saturday | from 8.00pm Dewan Sri Pinang Ticket prices¹: RM35 (Student) | RM65 (Adult) Selangor Beethoven and the Cello | An epic musical journey Lyubomira Stankova, cello | Lee Jae Phang, piano 2 March 2024 | Saturday | from 8.00pm 3 March 2024 | Sunday | from 8.00pm Deciso Fine Violins, Bandar Sri Damansara Ticket prices: RM50 (Student) | RM80 (Adult) Tea For Two Janet Lee x Cher Siang 10 March 2024 | Sunday | from 2.00pm Jaz & Ro Auditorium, Da Men Mall, Subang Jaya  Tic...

Concerts and Performances to Watch in Malaysia - February 2024 Update

Image
A recorder ensemble from the Netherlands, and a celebratory Chinese New Year recital are piquing my curiosity this month! Scroll down to see what else is coming up for classical music audiences in Malaysia.  This list is updated periodically, so check back in to see what's new! Please note: This is a collection of publicly available information. This site is not affiliated with the events listed. For the latest details or any enquiries regarding these events, please contact the event organisers directly.  Penang Strings of Prosperity SYNC Quartet 24 February 2024 | Saturday | 7.30pm - 9.00pm Penang Harmony Centre Ticket prices: RM40 (Concession) | RM45 (Standard) Selangor The Bassanos of London | Music from the court of Henry VIII The Holborne Consort | Wicked Music People  6 February 2024 | Tuesday | from 8.00pm KS Strings Recital Hall, Petaling Jaya  Ticket prices: RM60 (Adult) | RM50 (Student) Beethoven and the Cello | An epic musical journey Lyubomira Stankova,...

Euroasia Youth Music Festival 2024 Registrations Open on February 1st

The Euroasia Association of Performing Arts has announced the dates for its live Preliminary and Final rounds of the Euroasia Youth Music Festival 2024 . Live Preliminary Rounds: Johor Bahru - 16 March 2024 Kota Kinabalu - 23 March 2024 Kuala Lumpur - 20 & 21 April 2024 Miri - 27 & 28 April 2024 They are also accepting online submissions as part of the preliminary round from 1-28 February 2024, with the results of the online submissions announced by 15 April 2024. Grand Finals: Sunway University - 1 & 2 June 2024 Image courtesy of the Euroasia Association of Performing Arts The Euroasia Youth Music Festival (EYMF) was introduced in 2022 and is an inclusive competition platform for piano and strings learners of all levels.  Musicians can choose to compete in the Solo or Duo category. The Solo category is divided by grade level from Initial to Diploma based on the ABRSM or Trinity College London graded systems. The Duo category is divided into the Elementary, intermediat...

Concerts and Performances to Watch in Malaysia 2024

Image
It is the beginning of a new year, and if your goal is to enjoy a little more classical music in your life this year, scroll on down to see what performances are available near you.  This list is updated periodically, so check back in now and again to see what's new! Please note: This is a collection of publicly available information. This site is not affiliated with the events listed. For the latest details or any enquiries regarding these events, please contact the event organisers directly. Selangor The Bassanos of London   |  Music from the court of Henry VIII The Holborne Consort  |  Wicked Music People 6 February 2024  |  Tuesday  |  from 8.00pm KS Strings Recital Hall, Petaling Jaya Ticket prices: RM60 (Adult)  |  RM50 (Student) Kuala Lumpur New Year's Concert 2024 "Timeless Pop, Rock & Broadway" Selangor Symphony Orchestra 14 January 2024 | Sunday | from 4.00pm The Platform @ Menara KEN TTDI Ticket Prices: RM94.50...

Fun piano syllabus updates and more at Trinity Malaysia's event

Image
A few weeks ago, I got to take a behind the scenes look at Trinity Malaysia's Associates Celebration event where around 200 invited guests joined them for the launch of their exciting new Piano syllabus and several interesting new opportunities for teachers to upskill themselves.  The New Piano Syllabus Before the presentations started, I got to take a peek at the new Piano exam pieces and I thought they seemed incredibly fun! In addition to the standard classical repertoire, I even spotted Mixed Nuts, one of the themes from Spy X Family that I've been listening to on repeat this year, amonst their Grade 7 piano exam pieces. This really surprised me! I was not expecting anime themes to be among the selections for their music exam pieces, and definitely not ones that were released as recently as 2022.  via GIPHY In addition to the standard classical repertoire, these were the interesting pieces I noted from each grade in their new Piano exam syllabus: Initial: The Pokémon Them...