Kam Ning () is a

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

ist and daughter of the violinist-composer Kam Kee Yong (甘琦勇), and grandchild of Kam Beng Soo and Ooi Kooi Aun. Born in Singapore in 1975, she was given

lessons at the age of six by the elder Kam, and had her early education at the

Methodist Girls' School Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

Life

In 1987, she received scholarships from the Lee Foundation and Shaw Foundation to study in the Yehudi Menuhin School, where she attended lessons and masterclasses conducted by Lord Menuhin himself and collaborated with him in chamber and orchestral performances at the age of 11. In her second year at the school, she played at the

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a G ...

with the Wren Orchestra of London, and her debut performance to a packed Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore. In 1993, Kam furthered her music education at the

Curtis Institute of Music The Curtis Institute of Music is a private conservatory in Philadelphia. It offers a performance diploma, a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in opera, and a Professional Studies Certificate in opera. All students attend on a full scholarshi ...

to study with Jaime Laredo and Yumi Scott and received her bachelor's degree there. She graduated from the

Cleveland Institute of Music The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) is a private music conservatory in Cleveland, Ohio. The school was founded in 1920 by a group of supporters led by Martha Bell Sanders and Mary Hutchens Smith, with Ernest Bloch serving as its first dire ...

with a Masters of Music Degree and an Artist Diploma in 2001, under the tutelage of

Donald Weilerstein Donald Weilerstein (born 1940) is an American violinist and pedagogue. Early life and education Weilerstein was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Berkeley, California. He began playing the violin at the age of four and earned a Bachelor ...

. The young Kam appeared in an episode of the popular British television programme ''

Blue Peter ''Blue Peter'' is a British children's television entertainment programme created by John Hunter Blair. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958. It was broadcast primarily from BBC ...

'' when she was twelve, playing Paganini's Caprice No.5 in a segment featuring students from the Yehudi Menuhin School. In 1990, Kam received the ''Outstanding Young Artist of the Competition'' prize in the Royal Over-Seas League Music Competition in Britain and in 1991, she won first prize in the Junior Section of the Folkestone Menuhin International Violin Competition, in Britain. She was awarded the''

Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

'' by the National Arts Council in 2000. In 2001, her performance took the second place ''Prix du Gouvernement Fédérale Belge Eugéne Ysaye'' in the

Queen Elisabeth Music Competition The Queen Elisabeth Competition (, ) is an international competition for career-starting musicians held in City of Brussels, Brussels. The competition is named after Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Belgium, Queen Elisabeth of Belgium (1876–1 ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

in 2001. Kam Ning has since performed with many world-class orchestras like the

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is a music organisation based in Liverpool, England, that manages a professional symphony orchestra, a concert venue, and extensive programmes of learning through music. Its orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmo ...

, the

National Orchestra of Belgium The Belgian National Orchestra (, ) is a Belgian orchestra, based in Brussels. Its principal concert venue is the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts (BOZAR). The orchestra also gives concerts outside Brussels in such cities as Sankt-Vith and Hasselt. ...

, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia and the

Luxembourg Philharmonic Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembourg ...

, Malaysian Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, and Toronto Symphony, just to name a few. In her performance with the

Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana The Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana (OSI; literal translation, Orchestra of Italian Switzerland) is a Swiss orchestra based in Lugano. The orchestra's primary concert venue is the ''Auditorio RSI''. The OSI also gives a concert series at the Sa ...

under Menuhin in Switzerland in 1991, she was praised by critics as a "brilliant young violinist from Singapore" for her outstanding performance of Mendelssohn's E-minor Violin Concerto. As an artist who is keen on venturing off the beaten path, she has collaborated with her brother, percussionist Francis Kam, on concert tours in Taiwan, featuring contemporary music including works by their father, Kam Kee Yong. Kam Ning counts her father Kam Kee Yong, and mentor Yehudi Menuhin as her most important sources of influence. To her, Menuhin remains "the most imaginative man she has ever met" for his repertoire in violin-playing. Her father's strict teaching instilled a sense of discipline in her, as he set high expectations from her.

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kam, Ning 1975 births Singaporean people of Hokkien descent Singaporean people of Chinese descent Singaporean classical violinists Living people Cleveland Institute of Music alumni Prize-winners of the Queen Elisabeth Competition 21st-century classical violinists Women classical violinists