Suzuki Music Academy of Hong Kong

"Music Exists for the purpose of growing an admirable heart" ~Shinichi Suzuki

Reflections from the Performers: Hanson & Andrew Book 3 Violin Recital

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Andrew and Hanson were the last of three Book Recitals on our first day of Spring Term Book Recitals. Here are their reflections on the experience:

~from Hanson

When I discovered I had an upcoming recital, I was overjoyed to be able to perform the pieces I had spent so much time practicing, as well as the learning opportunities provided by the numerous joint lessons and rehearsals on teamwork and technique. 

Before the recital, I meticulously practiced all of my solo and collaborative pieces to avoid becoming a burden to my partner. I was also looking forward to playing with my partner, Andrew, because it would allow us to get to know each other better and learn how to work with people other than our close friends and family. 

During the recital, I remembered all of the different queues, ritards, and techniques I was supposed to use, and they all worked really well with Andrew. The audience was occasionally distracting, but I gave the recital my undivided attention, and the many hours of preparation paid off.

Although I made a mistake and forgot an entire section, Ms. Sonomi and Andrew were able to follow along, demonstrating that we made an excellent team and were able to collaborate effectively. 

I felt like this was one of the best recitals I would ever give, thanks in large part to the amount of practice I put in with my mother. It was truly heartwarming at the end of the recital when the audience cheered and congratulated us, particularly those from my family.

~from Andrew

This year, I had my book 3 recital. It was quite similar to the previous two, but instead of playing lots of solos, this recital was mainly focused around duo pieces and making music with your partner. I like this way of recitals a lot because it really shows that working together can create a better tone than playing alone. 

The recital wasn’t always smooth sailing. I had lots of trouble keeping up with Hanson during Bach Bourree. I think this is because I didn’t practice much, or maybe because it was the newest piece of music I had just learned. But on the other hand, I think I did quite well during Martini Gavotte. I think this is because my part had to start 2 beats after the main melody, which caused some confusion at first.

Overall, I think this recital was a fun experience, and I wish to have more duo pieces and solo pieces in the next recital.

Reflections from the Performers: Ava & Lucia Book 1 Recital

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Ava and Lucia recently presented their Book 1 recital! Here are their reflections on their experience

~from Ava

What I really liked about the performance is that in the joint classes is that I got to make friends with Lucia and I was prepared for the recital and it was half good…BUT STILL really good. I made a few mistakes BUT I kept playing and I did it! So I was really happy about the recital. PS Food was AMAZING especially the cheetos

~from Lucia

Hi, I’m Lucia. I came to a Suzuki music school in Hong Kong last year. On April 20 I played in a special music show for finishing school. I practiced a lot to get ready. My friend Ava and I played music together. I played a big violin called a cello, and Ava played the piano. We did a great job and people clapped and cheered for us. We were so happy! I want to say thank you to my teachers, Ms Danil, Ms Silvia, Ms Sonomi and Ms Marie Ann. And thank you to Ava and my mom and dad. I will keep trying my best!

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Reflection from the Performer: Cecilia’s Book 7 Recital

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~by Cecilia Hao

Since I was performing on my own for the first time, my violin recital for book 7 was considerably different from my recital for book 6 in the past. I had to independently schedule rehearsal times with Ms. Sonomi and during the rehearsals, we had to communicate clearly so that the violin and piano parts would fit well together. I was able to improve my communication abilities and gain more confidence as a result of multiple practice sessions I had with Ms Sonomi. In addition, compared to the many rehearsals I’ve had, I felt more comfortable voicing my ideas this time. Because the success of this recital depended on how much I had prepared and how secure I was in myself, it encouraged me to be much more responsible. Despite some bumps in the road during the performance, I have to admit that I am very pleased with myself for such an outstanding achievement. Being able to balance the violin on top of school work more successfully than normal also made me feel more mature. There is still room for improvement in terms of interacting with the piano and having more strong opinions. I am beyond grateful for all the support I received from my parents, teachers and friends, and I eagerly anticipate my next recital.

Reflections from the Performers: Alice and Ayden

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Our last Book Recital of 2020-2021 was a Book 3 violin recital performed by Ayden and Alice. Please enjoy their reflections on the experience.

from Ayden

It was a very fun and exciting experience being able to perform in front of friends and family. I felt proud that I was able to do duets with people. Most pieces that I played were very exciting and I couldn’t wait to play them all. Even though I played a few wrong notes, I shrugged it off and continued to perform with confident. This was the best recital I have ever done!


from Alice

  • Ayden and family
  • Alice and parents
  • The performers with Ms Sonomi and Ms Diane
  • Alice and Ayden with Ms Diane
  • Ayden and Alice
  • greeting their zoom audience
  • performing one of the duets
  • waiting for the recital to begin

Reflections from the Performers: SANDER & STEPHEN

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Sander and Stephen gave their Book 3 recital on Saturday, 6 March, 2021. They each had one parent and their private teacher as part of the live audience, as well as family and friends joining on Zoom. Here are their thoughts about the experience:

from Sander

Recently I shared a book recital with Stephen. It was a fun and enjoyable experience playing at the recital and practicing/preparing for it. I learned one important piece of information about practicing for a performance in the process, and that is the importance of perfecting the beginning as everything stems off of it, so if you have a solid and confident beginning the piece will sound great.

from Stephen

Before the recital started I felt really nervous but when it started I felt more anxious. On the first song martini govatte I felt ok because I had been practicing it. After that I felt ok with the over songs until  Bach Bouree before I even played that song my hands started to sweat because when  I practiced Bach bouree it was the hardest song to practice. After Bach Bouree I felt ok again and after the recital finished I felt Happy. I loved playing the pieces that either Sanders would play the harmony and I play the melody or Sander would play the melody and I play the harmony, because I don’t feel so nervous playing with Sander even if I feel a bit nervous when I play the hard parts in Bach minuet or Govatte in G minor. When it  was picture time I made silly faces because I love doing that when it comes to picture time.

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