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Eight-year-old Elisa Ferreira may just be able to reach the pedals on her piano but that hasn’t stopped her from trying to take one step closer to becoming a star performer … officially.
The Year Three pianist at the British School of Bahrain (BSB) recently won the ‘Star of the Future’ award at the first Bahrain Young Performers Festival (BYPF), organised by the BSB Academy of Performing Arts.
The young musician started playing the piano at the age of six and has since written a small book full of her own compositions. She practises six days a week and is described as a ‘perfectionist’ by her mum Kim.
The young prodigy took first place in the level one piano category and came second in the overall competition, but her ‘star of the future’ accolade was what really took her by surprise.
Portuguese-Vietnamese Elisa, from Al Jasra, said: “I want to be a famous musician when I’m older, so I was shocked when I found out I had been chosen as the ‘star of the future’. I practise every day and knew that I could do well. After I finish my piano lessons at the academy, I go home and practise again and again.
“I even picked the piece I played at the festival. I chose it because it was such a bouncy and happy song. Now that I’ve won I can’t wait to take part in the next competition and will try even harder.
“The sound and the feel of the piano is the reason I began practising the instrument. Music is my favourite subject in school and there isn’t just one type of music that I like, I enjoy them all.
“When I feel good and happy I write songs and put them into my book which I started when I was seven … I really want to continue to make even more music now.”
BYPF, a new annual competition open to all student musicians, singers and actors living on the island, offers an opportunity for young performers to gain valuable experience whilst competing for prestigious awards.
Confident Elisa rarely gets nervous before a show because she believes ‘practice makes perfect.’ Her love for music has encouraged her to take part in hip hop and modern dance classes.
“I learn songs really fast on the piano. It takes me about one day to learn a piece,” she said. “I just love music. I love to dance and sing and feel the music. I am also part of the academy’s choir.”
Mum Kim and dad Orlando are proud of their daughter and believe that Elisa’s talent may have been inherited but admitted: “I would say she’s taken it to another level. Her passion for music really shows when she performs. Even her singing ability is great.
“She is an only child but I definitely don’t spoil her. I am the head teacher of the Children House Nursery School so I understand that I have to be tough at times. We gently push her to work towards her dream.”
Director of the Academy of Performing Arts and festival director Lydia Martin believes Elisa has huge potential. She said: “Elisa not only has a great understanding for music but she feels the expression and plays it at a very high standard for her age.
“She is way beyond her years. She doesn’t just play the piano but is also a singer and competed in the vocal ensemble. She is an all-round performer. Her poise and the way she holds herself on stage all contributed to the decision.”
Elisa passed her Grade Two piano exam at the age of seven and hopes to add the violin to her list of accomplishments and compete with it in the next festival.
