Spotlight
Larger than Life
Rachel Cheung Wai-ching
01 September 2017
A conversation with Rachel Cheung Wai-ching, an Academy alumna for whom music is life.
This past June, Rachel Cheung Wai-ching was a finalist at the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and also proudly took home the audience prize. A few days before she performed in the final, the 25-year-old pianist had been invited to perform and take part in a sharing session in a local school whose students mostly have an underprivileged ethnic minority background and had never previously attended a classical music performance. Yet they all were very attentive when Cheung played and eager to ask her questions afterwards. This is what matters. Be it part of an international competition that live streams worldwide or at a humble music hall in a local school, Cheung treats all performances with equal seriousness and sincerity. The reason is simple: music means so very much to her.
There’s no doubt in Cheung’s mind that music needs to be taken seriously. “Music is bigger than us. Every time I read a score sheet, I feel the importance of the music and that I have to treat it with utmost respect. Every composition has its meaning, and a musician’s job is to communicate the message that the composer tries to convey,” she explains. “As [Chinese pianist] Fou Ts'ong said, do not put yourself above music. We are here to serve the music.” Competitions and performances can bring stress, but Cheung is happy once her hands touch piano keys. She also enjoys reading biographies of composers and musicians that help her gain valuable insights into their work and feelings about their collective vocation. “Chilean pianist Claudio Arrau said we should never play to impress others. Do not let pride get in your way and always stay humble. His saying really gets into me.”
Some people may be surprised to discover that when Cheung is not next to a piano, you will frequently find her at the gym. But there’s a musical reason for her regularly working out. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, op. 58, which Cheung performed in the final round of the Van Cliburn competition, is approximately 30 minutes long. It requires strength and stamina. That is why the gentle-looking pianist has been going to the gym every day since last year. “Being physically stronger benefits my playing, so that my performance is not affected at the latter stage of a long piece, or my body does not crumble afterwards,” she smilingly notes.
Hailed early on as a music prodigy, Cheung entered the Academy’s Junior Music Programme at the age of ten, studying under Professor Eleanor Wong Yee-lun, and obtained a Master’s degree at Yale University’s School of Music when she was just 21. The Academy is her second home where she still often teaches and practices. “When I studied at the Academy, I was the youngest among my peers. They all treated me like their little sister and it all was very memorable. The Academy has given a lot
of opportunities to the students, like performances and master classes. These are all very precious chances. I hope every student will cherish their time here.”
Cheung is currently preparing for an upcoming performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall in addition to her usual routine. She confesses that the road thus far has been rocky for her at times and has also fared less well than hoped in competitions before. But she encourages others pursuing musical paths not to give up easily. “I would only allow myself to be upset for a day or two, and then I will pick myself up again. There is always reward with hard work. But reward is not necessarily something external. What more important is to transcend your own artistic level.”
01 September 2017
A conversation with Rachel Cheung Wai-ching, an Academy alumna for whom music is life.
This past June, Rachel Cheung Wai-ching was a finalist at the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and also proudly took home the audience prize. A few days before she performed in the final, the 25-year-old pianist had been invited to perform and take part in a sharing session in a local school whose students mostly have an underprivileged ethnic minority background and had never previously attended a classical music performance. Yet they all were very attentive when Cheung played and eager to ask her questions afterwards. This is what matters. Be it part of an international competition that live streams worldwide or at a humble music hall in a local school, Cheung treats all performances with equal seriousness and sincerity. The reason is simple: music means so very much to her.
There’s no doubt in Cheung’s mind that music needs to be taken seriously. “Music is bigger than us. Every time I read a score sheet, I feel the importance of the music and that I have to treat it with utmost respect. Every composition has its meaning, and a musician’s job is to communicate the message that the composer tries to convey,” she explains. “As [Chinese pianist] Fou Ts'ong said, do not put yourself above music. We are here to serve the music.” Competitions and performances can bring stress, but Cheung is happy once her hands touch piano keys. She also enjoys reading biographies of composers and musicians that help her gain valuable insights into their work and feelings about their collective vocation. “Chilean pianist Claudio Arrau said we should never play to impress others. Do not let pride get in your way and always stay humble. His saying really gets into me.”
Some people may be surprised to discover that when Cheung is not next to a piano, you will frequently find her at the gym. But there’s a musical reason for her regularly working out. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, op. 58, which Cheung performed in the final round of the Van Cliburn competition, is approximately 30 minutes long. It requires strength and stamina. That is why the gentle-looking pianist has been going to the gym every day since last year. “Being physically stronger benefits my playing, so that my performance is not affected at the latter stage of a long piece, or my body does not crumble afterwards,” she smilingly notes.
Hailed early on as a music prodigy, Cheung entered the Academy’s Junior Music Programme at the age of ten, studying under Professor Eleanor Wong Yee-lun, and obtained a Master’s degree at Yale University’s School of Music when she was just 21. The Academy is her second home where she still often teaches and practices. “When I studied at the Academy, I was the youngest among my peers. They all treated me like their little sister and it all was very memorable. The Academy has given a lot
of opportunities to the students, like performances and master classes. These are all very precious chances. I hope every student will cherish their time here.”
Cheung is currently preparing for an upcoming performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall in addition to her usual routine. She confesses that the road thus far has been rocky for her at times and has also fared less well than hoped in competitions before. But she encourages others pursuing musical paths not to give up easily. “I would only allow myself to be upset for a day or two, and then I will pick myself up again. There is always reward with hard work. But reward is not necessarily something external. What more important is to transcend your own artistic level.”
