SINGAPOREAN SOLDIER WINS ASIA-PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL CHOPIN PIANO COMPETITION IN
DAEGU, SOUTH KOREA
It is well known that many young
Singaporean men find it an obstacle to pursue a professional musical career
because their musical studies are inevitably disrupted by compulsory military national
service which takes up two years of their formative lives. That is not to
mention life as an NSman (or reservist) for 13 years post-National Service, if
they happen to be medics, signallers or holding vocations unrelated to the Music
and Drama Company.
Because of this, some Singaporean
musicians, notably pianist Melvyn Tan, had defaulted on National Service in
order to pursue an uninterrupted musical careers overseas. (He was later arrested
when he returned to Singapore
in 2005 to visit his ageing parents, and had to pay a fine in addition.)
However in October this year,
Shaun Choo, a 21-year-old Singaporean soldier serving his national service as
an Administrative Support Assistant (Rank of Corporal) in the Signals Headquarters
of the Singapore Armed Forces, won 1st prize at the 2nd Asia-Pacific International Chopin Piano Competition in Daegu , South
Korea
Shaun Choo disrupted his studies
at the Salzburg Mozarteum (where he studied with the late eminent pedagogue
Karl-Heinz Kämmerling) to perform national service in 2011. After completing
Basic Military Training, he found time to practise the piano and accumulated
sufficient leave in order to participate in Chopin Competition in Korea .
He even had enough leave to complete a concert tour in Poland
after his win. Choo is grateful to his army unit and its officers for
supporting his dream to perform the piano. He is a good example of how true artistry
is compatible with military duties, and what one can achieve when you put your
mind to it despite the seemingly overwhelming odds.
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