We are pleased to announce that Luong Khanh Nhi and Mervyn Lee (both BMus Year 4, Piano) have been awarded the 2018/19 Steven Baxter Memorial Scholarship, and Ding Jian Han (BMus Year 4, Composition) has been awarded the 2018/19 S R Nathan Music Scholarship.
The Steven Baxter Memorial Scholarship, in honour of the YST Conservatory’s Founding Director, the late Dr Steven Baxter, is awarded based on merit to BMus Year 3 and/or Year 4 students. Dr Baxter was known for his spirit of giving towards students as well as for his thoughtfulness, quiet humour, strong sense of collegiality and deep commitment. The Scholarship harmonises with his ambitions for YST students to achieve international excellence.
The S R Nathan Music Scholarship, made possible through a gift from the S R Nathan Education Upliftment Fund, is awarded based on merit to Singaporean YST students from the wind, brass, percussion, composition or audio arts areas. The S R Nathan Education Upliftment Fund was established by Mr S R Nathan, former President of Singapore.
Meet this year’s recipients below.
LUONG KHANH NHI
BMUS YEAR 4, PIANO
2018/19 STEVEN BAXTER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Vietnamese pianist Luong Khanh Nhi has enjoyed an international career spanning over three continents. Born and raised in a musical family, Nhi started playing piano at the age of four.
In 2017, she won 1st prize in the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Concerto Competition (Piano Category), and Best Saint-Saëns Performance in the Great Composers Competition. She has also had the opportunity to work with such distinguished artists as András Schiff, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Stephen Hough, Shlomo Mintz, Nelson Goerner and David Fray.
Currently based in Singapore, Nhi is pursuing her Bachelor of Music Degree at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music under Prof Thomas Hecht. As well as being a soloist, Nhi is an active chamber musician, with her most recognised collaboration being with Muse Ye as a duo piano team.
MERVYN LEE
BMUS YEAR 4, PIANO
2018/19 STEVEN BAXTER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Singaporean pianist and Young Steinway Artist Mervyn Lee gave his first public performance at the age of ten during the “#1 Steinway” Roadshow held at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, making his concerto debut a year later with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra as soloist for the President’s Young Performers Concert.
His achievements include being a Grand Finalist for the 2015 Conservatory Concerto Competition, as well as achieving First Prize in the Piano Senior Category of that year’s National Piano and Violin Competition.
Mervyn also studies composition with Dr John Sharpley. His most recent work for solo piano, In Flux was premiered at the 7th SMTA Performer’s Festival last year.
As a harpsichordist, he has performed in numerous small-scale early music productions. He is a member of Red Dot Baroque, a newly-formed Singaporean early music ensemble.
Since the age of eight, he has been a protégé of Professor Thomas Hecht, and pursues harpsichord studies under Douglas Amrine.
DING JIAN HAN
BMUS YEAR 4, PIANO
2018/19 S R NATHAN MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP
Click to learn more about the Steven Baxter Memorial Scholarship and S R Nathan Music Scholarship.
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