Talented sisters balance music, studies

TWO talented sisters each won a trophy at the national junior championships of the 2024 TT Music Festival at Queen's Hall, St Ann's.

Newsday learnt Tasmin-Jade King and Zahra-Lys King have been able to successfully juggle their musical passion and their school studies.

Sixth-former Tasmin-Jade, a violinist, told Newsday, "I just really enjoyed performing, so I was glad to be able to come back out to the championships to perform.

"I was a bit nervous so I was kind of shaky. But I am glad it went well." She played Capriccio Op 18 by Cecile Chaminade on March 15.

Newsday asked about adjudicator Dr Robert Tang Yuk's remarks that it was challenging to play a violin, because the right/bow-hand also had to play actively, in league with the left/string hand. Tasmin-Jade replied, "It is quite difficult, especially with the bow technique, to do multiple notes in one bow and separate them. Yes, it is a lot of practise going in."

She won the under-19 TTMA String Solo Trophy, edging Krystianna Scotland who played The Swan By Camille Saint-Saens. Tasmin-Jade was also awarded the Esbert Aguilera Trophy for the most promising junior string soloist.

She was also runner-up in the recital class in the open (adult) championships for her piano performance of works by Chopin, Beethoven and Chen Pexium.

Fifth former Zahra-Lys King won the Anastacia Radford Trophy for best under-15 string solo, as sole person qualifying to that class, on the violin.

She told Newsday, "Today I did violin and piano. And on Monday (March 11) I did voice, so that was good.

"For piano, I really liked that piece (Fountain In The Rain by William Gillock)."

This under-15 piano solo class was won by Tobago's Aaron Wheeler taking the Dr Charles Brunner Trophy, with Zahra-Lys as the runner-up.

"I think it is very dynamic and I think it has a lot of elements to it and this makes it a really beautiful piece.

"I did not win that trophy but I really liked hearing the expressions of other players, how different people interpreted the piece.

"For the violin, the piece is quite challenging. It has a lot of fast passages, especially when your fingers are cold, it could be a bit difficult.

"The piece I played for the violin was the first movement of Spring from The Four Seasons by Vivaldi. I got that trophy, so I am very happy about that. I am really glad I had this experience at Music Festival." Zahra-Lys won the James B Sinanan Trophy for the under-15 musical theatre vocal solo singing, On my Own from Les Miserables by Claude Michel-Schonberg and Alain Boublil.

She has learnt violin with Simon Browne and piano with Eunmi Choi. She is a form five pupil at Northgate College.

Newsday asked if she had mock exams for the May/June CSEC exams.

"Yes, I do. I had to reschedule. It was very tricky to manage."

The girls' mother, Joanna Woodroffe-King said, "I am very proud of the girls. We come from a musical family. So music is very important to us. But I think they have really made the family very proud."

Woodroffe-King said, "I think it is important that you allow your children to be well-rounded. We don't just focus on the academics.

"They are involved in music. Zahr-Lys is very involved in track. Tasmin-Jade has also been involved in sports.

"So I think it is important to keep that well-rounded... It creates a more stable child, a happier child, a lot more-diverse person. So it is not just all about academics for us, although they do excel academically. Although they have mock exams, we still said, 'you all come and do Music Festival because music is also important.'"

While related to Woodroffes who play other instruments including woodwind, she said, "We generally play piano and violin. I myself play piano."

Woodroffe-King said the girls' grandmother had been a well-known pianist at the musical festival of 1960s. The grandmother is June Woodroffe, nee June Mc Neil, and played duets with the late Ann Osbourne who became a professional musician and legend, and after whom a Music Festival trophy was named.

"Their grandmother is quite an accomplished pianist, so she will be very happy to hear of their accomplishments," Woodroffe-King said.