SINGAPORE – Home-grown violin prodigy Yongren Yuto Lim, 11, has won a chance to perform with his hero, world-renowned Taiwanese-Australian violinist Ray Chen, at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, on July 25.
Chen and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra launched a competition in November 2022 for violinists at all levels. Competitors had to submit an online audition.
Out of close to 1,000 international auditions, Yuto emerged the youngest and only Singaporean of the three winners. The other two are Australian Anna Sing, 21, and Przemek Prucnal, 21, from Poland.
The results were announced on Wednesday.
Yuto tells The Straits Times: “There is so much to learn from Ray, not only his violin technique, but also what he does to inspire the world. I know Sydney is a special place for him. He had always dreamt of playing at the Sydney Opera House. I can’t believe that I have the opportunity to play there.”
Yuto began violin lessons when he was four and recently received his performance diploma remotely from the United Kingdom’s Trinity College London.
In Singapore, the Primary 6 pupil attends Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) and goes to music school Libitum.
Violin teacher Albert Shagimardanov, 34, has been teaching Yuto since the latter was eight.
Mr Shagimardanov, who is a Singaporean of Russian origin, says Yuto displays unparalleled internal motivation. “I remember even during our first lessons, he was diligently writing my comments in his little notebook, even when I never told him to do so. He’s currently playing some incredible things, pieces for kids way beyond his age group.”
Yuto’s Japanese mother Hiromi Kaneko, a 40-year-old housewife, describes this opportunity as “a Willy Wonka golden ticket”.
She and Yuto’s father, a 44-year-old Singaporean who works in the IT industry, will accompany Yuto to Sydney for the concert. Joining them are Yuto’s siblings, aged eight and four.
Yuto says: “I feel very happy, but a bit scared at the same time because I have never performed in front of such a big audience.”
The boy has won other contests, including the 2022 Laszlo Spezzaferri International Music and Music Singapore competitions.
His goal: “I dream of becoming a world-class violinist like Ray.”
