16. SUNDAY EASTERN TIMES. FEBRUARY 11, 2007

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Miri pianist

Yiaw achieves

rare feat

OUTSTANDING PROTEGE ... Siwen Piano Studio in-charge Siwen Wong (back) with Yiaw Siew Hui (Note: Original photo of this photo was positioned on the right)

KUCHING: A 16-year-old pianist Yiaw Siew Hui from Miri has been nominated for an Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM) International scholarship. Considering that only four international scholarships are awarded each year in the South East Asian region, her feat is all the more amazing.

      Most music teachers would have heard of the existence of an ABRSM scholarship but to be directly offered and nominated as a candidate is extremely rare and hardly happens in Malaysia.

      To be nominated, a candidate has to emerge as the most qualified in the whole ABRSM South East Asian regional examinations and must be recommended by a prominent ABRSM examiner.

      Yiaw, who is studying in Siwen Piano Studio in Miri, scored both distinctions in her ABRSM Grade 8 piano and music theory examinations in 2006, said the officer-in-charge of the studio, Siwen Wong.       

      Wong herself scored seven Grade 8 distinctions in the 2000 examinations and she is the only Malaysian who has ever studied in the world famous Warsaw Academic of Music in Poland.

      “Yiaw has achieved a balanced top score. If an examination candidate gets full marks in all tests but fails in an aural test, he or she might be rejected for the scholarship consideration. Since the minimum age criteria to enter the Royal Music School in London is 17 years old, it means Yiaw can still apply to study there when she reaches the age if 17 as there is no expiry date on the scholarship offered to her.” Wong added.

      When first contacted, Wong could not believe that one of her stude3nts had been nominated for the ABRSM International Scholarship.

      ABRSM examiners are from London, England and they have no idea how old the examination candidates are.

      The name of the nominated candidate is sent to the Educational Department in Kuala Lumpur and the Department will then trace down the student (in this case Yiaw, through the Siwen Piano Studio in Miri).

      It is extremely hard just to get admitted to study in any one of the Royal Music Schools in England and while there are Sarawakian ABRSM graduates, most of them are admitted through self-applications with distinctions in their Grade 8 results.

      Thus, for Yiaw to get recommendation and nominated for the ABRSM International Scholarship to study in the Royal Music School of London is indeed a rare feat.

(Note: Specially used for publishing in this blog, thus this article has been retyped from the old newspaper Sunday Eastern Times. Dated February 11, 2007)