Six-year-old piano prodigy strikes gold again

SEPANG: Having shone at the Royal Albert Hall in London last month, six-year-old piano prodigy Yaashinii Kalai Vasudavan has hit yet another high note – she is going to perform at the Carnegie Hall in New York.

The Malaysian pianist made her debut at London’s Royal Albert Hall and received her Grand Prize Virtuoso gold award on March 28.

“I was very excited and so happy to perform at Albert Hall during the awards ceremony and to receive my gold medal,” said Yaashinii.

She can now put another presti­gious venue to her resume, having been invited to perform in Carnegie Hall and receive her Golden Key Festival USA gold medal.

She said she was “very happy” about her second win.

Asked if she gets nervous when performing in front of a large au­­dience, the Year One student confidently said: “No, I’m never nervous. I like playing the piano because it’s fun. When I get to learn a new piece I find it very fun and exciting.”

Yaashinii, who resides in Perth, Australia, with her Malaysian pa­rents, has been playing the piano for more than three years.

At piano grade seven, she said she would continue playing with hopes of becoming a concert pianist when she is older.

“My favourite composers are Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Sebastian Bach,” she said.

Yaashinii said she would make sure that she practised the piano everyday.

“I practise for one hour if it’s a school day and two hours if it’s a weekend,” she said. “I enjoy practi­sing, it is not a chore.”

Asked whether she would learn another instrument, she said she wanted to learn how to play the cello.

“We are so grateful to her piano teacher Mr Yoon Sen Lee. He made piano interesting for her and he is her main source of inspiration,” said Yaashinii’s mother Sandy Khor.

“Yaashinii is really talented. She has excellent hearing and sings well. She also tends to learn quite quickly,” she said.

Khor said Yaashinii also learnt how to improvise and had even composed short pieces.

Yaashinii’s father T. Vasudavan said the Grand Prize Virtuoso was the first international competition his daughter applied for.

“Her piano teacher indicated that she will do well in competitions. We are very proud that she has won these two competitions,” he said.