We chatted to Singapore’s very own child piano prodigy, Mikkel Myer Lee, and his mum, Felina Seah, to get the lowdown on what it's really like
Mastering the black and whites of a piano is no walk in the park and requires years of practice. We’re talking the basic skills of sight-reading and keeping in tune. But have you ever heard of a 10-year-old who can channel Chopin’s Concertos like child’s play? This child piano prodigy’s uber talent knows no bounds and enables him to embody the spirit of the historical genius himself. He even has perfect pitch akin to Charlie Puth, which in short, is a superpower in today’s music industry. We are talking about Singapore’s very own child piano prodigy, Mikkel Myer Lee.
And then the next question: what’s it like being the parent of a child prodigy? We recently caught up with Mikkel and his mum, Felina Seah, to take a deep dive into his world and unravel what it takes to be (and to parent) a child prodigy in Singapore…
World First Special Event: Mikkel Myer Lee to attempt Beethoven The Complete 32 Piano Sonatas Part One live in Singapore on 3 December 2024
Our very own piano prodigy, Mikkel Myer Lee, is poised to make musical history with his upcoming concert, Beethoven The Complete 32 Piano Sonatas Part One by Mikkel Myer Lee. Mikkel will perform the first instalment of an ambitious eight-part series of Beethoven’s Complete 32 Piano Sonatas. Turning 12 years old this year, Mikkel is set to be the youngest musician ever globally to undertake this monumental endeavour of performing all 32 sonatas publicly over the next three years.
When: 3 December 2024
Where: Beethoven The Complete 32 Piano Sonatas Part One by Mikkel Myer Lee, School of the Arts Singapore (SOTA). Tickets start from $18.
Parenting a child prodigy: A mum’s perspective
When did you discover that Mikkel had an interest in playing the piano?
“Mikkel was 6.5 years old when there was an HFMD outbreak in his kindergarten. To keep him safe, we kept him at home. During that time, my husband chanced upon a $400 upright second-hand piano and bought it to entertain Mikkel. We did not deliberately ask him to play the piano, but we left the piano in the living room and kept the piano lid open 24/7.
One day, my husband decided to play a guessing game with Mikkel when he came home from work. We asked Mikkel to turn his back to the piano and guess the notes we were pressing. He could get it right no matter which note or how many we pressed on with both our hands. So I went to Google to check if this was normal, and that’s how we discovered this is called perfect pitch.”
How did you support Mikkel and his passion?
“We have always believed in allowing Mikkel to follow his interests. We do our best to support whatever he shows interest in. When he was about 4 years old, we noticed he had an interest in painting. We then bought canvases, paintbrushes and paints to allow him the freedom to paint whenever he felt like it. When we realised he loved music and piano, we bought different music CDs and played them at home, bringing him to various music concerts since he was little and searching for suitable music teachers that could nurture his interest further.”
Playing to the standard Mikkel plays must take serious dedication – how do you help Mikkel to balance this alongside studies, as well as having the opportunity to just be a kid?
“Mikkel has always been very different from other kids since a young age. His kindergarten teacher used to call me to ask me to ‘persuade’ Mikkel to play at the playground during break time. However, Mikkel will tell me he does not like it and that his teacher needs to ‘force’ him to play at the playground every day. As a young kid, he has always enjoyed deep conversations with adults instead. So, what others think a kid will enjoy is very different from what Mikkel will enjoy.
Mikkel is also a very disciplined child. He sets his own goals and breaks them into small daily objectives, and follows them strictly. He ensures that he completes his academic-related learning in the stipulated time and then dedicates himself to practising piano. Sometimes he refuses to sleep until he achieves the goal that he set for himself or until he is satisfied with how his progress. We give him the space and room to do his own thing.
Fortunately, Mikkel is homeschooled, allowing us to tailor his academic learning and balance his musical learning needs.”
How does it feel to be parents of a child prodigy, and how has this impacted your lives?
“We feel blessed to have Mikkel because he is a very kind, sweet and mature boy. Exhibiting this passion and talent only makes us feel more determined and responsible to support Mikkel and help him become what he hopes to be.”
What plans are there for the future for Mikkel? Can we see more of his performances?
“Mikkel recently finished his Mikkel Stars Chopin concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall. He will be performing in another concert on 24 June 2023 at the Esplanade Concert Hall, presented by the Foundation for the Arts and Social Enterprise. After which, we will travel to Switzerland for him to participate in the Verbier Festival.
He will continue to build his repertoire, which includes performance on the 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas, and there are also plans to play in Europe over the next three to four years. There are some invitations to perform next year, we are still working out details as we are trying to be careful not to overexpose him so he has time to build up his repertoire too.”
What advice would you give to other parents who have children keen to learn a musical instrument?
“Follow your child’s interest, and do not let exams or grading extinguish his or her love for music!”
Mikkel Myer Lee: A chat with the child piano prodigy
We also got the chance to chat with Mikkel himself and get the lowdown on his life as a child piano prodigy.
Hi Mikkel! Can you tell us when you first started playing the piano and how you got started?
“I started playing the piano at about 6.5 years old. I loved the beautiful music created and started exploring random tunes and melodies by myself.”
How does it feel to be named the youngest Singapore-born piano prodigy to have ever performed Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 and Chopin Piano Concerto No.2 on a public stage?
“It is a great honour to be able to represent Singapore, and I am proud to have achieved this, but I could not do this alone. It was with the support of my parents, teachers, sponsors, supporters and many fellow Singaporeans who encouraged and helped me in the journey.”
Can you describe your experience of being in the spotlight?
“It has been a thrilling journey since I started performing. So far, every show has been filled with excitement and exhilaration for me and at the same time, I am humbled to be able to share beautiful music with the audience.”
We can imagine a lot of work goes into your performances. What does your piano practice routine look like?
“I practice daily for about eight hours. I keep a disciplined routine while working on repertoire refinement. I also work on learning new pieces.”
Tell us about your hobbies outside of the piano. How do you like to relax?
“I like to relax through creative expression. For instance, I enjoy painting. I like using colours to express my emotions, similar to how I use music to create a mood. Listening to music and painting at the same time is something I enjoy very much. This year, I also started doing more photography and videography – I do it daily and really enjoy it. I like how I can tell a story through the camera lens, framing a shot and then waiting for the right moment to capture it. I like to express my style and ideas and share how I see the world.”
What advice would you give to other kids looking to learn a musical instrument?
“I think that passion and dedication are the most important. I love music and hope people who listen to me play can also appreciate the beautiful music. Practice regularly, too, and seek guidance from the right people. Most importantly, like what my parents always say to me: enjoy the journey!”
Thank you for talking to us, Mikkel and Felina. Want to find out more? Follow Mikkel on his journey by subscribing to his youtube channel.
This article was originally written by Rohini Gomez in 2023 and updated in 2024.
