FOR months, a group of young musicians at Sekolah Dato’ Abdul Razak (SDAR) in Seremban, Negri Sembilan, had been building momentum.
The ensemble, comprising Form One to Form Five students, had enjoyed a run of success at several competitions.
Their winning streak continued when they were crowned champion of the Modern Concert Band (Senior Division) at the Asian Music Games (AMG) Kuala Lumpur 2026 recently. It was a title they retained after emerging champion of the AMG 2026 National Qualifier in June.
At the AMG final on Sept 6, the 44-member SDAR Symphonic Band (SSB) took home the Gold Award with a score of 89.775 points, beating SMK Convent Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur, which placed second with 86.675 points, and Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Perak, which came in third with 85.300 points.
SSB coach and SDAR alumnus Adam Asyraf Shazly said the achievement reflected the team’s growth through continuous training, discipline and commitment.
“This victory is not just about becoming champions. What brings us greater pride is seeing the development of the SSB members from a team that simply trained together into a team that truly believes in one another and is capable of carrying Malaysia’s name on the AMG stage,” he said in a press release.
He added that each competition provides different experiences and challenges in developing SDAR’s next generation of young musicians.
“We want them to learn that achievement comes from discipline, hard work and a willingness to keep improving. Becoming AMG champions is an achievement we are very grateful for, but their journey is still a long one,” he said.
SSB’s string of achievements this year also includes a Gold Award at the Festival Kesenian Muzik Malaysia 2026 in June, followed by the Overall Champion title, Gold Award, and Best Ensemble Section and Best Brass Section awards at the 24th National Fully Residential Schools Wind Orchestra Festival 2026 in August.
The band’s latest achievement holds special significance as the young musicians not only competed as a school ensemble but also represented Malaysia on the AMG stage, SSB said in the press release.
Through training, performances and participation in national and international competitions, SSB continues to challenge its members to achieve higher levels of musicianship and performance, it added.
