Meet the UAE's violin virtuoso in waiting

Apparently, confidence is a given where child prodigies are concerned. Khawla Al Rayhy is just eight and has no problems facing up to an audience, or the press. She sweeps into the room for her interview with Friday, disarms everybody with a sweet smile, and has no time to waste. "What do you want to know?" she asks.

Khawla remembers very clearly how she became interested in learning the violin. "Two years ago, I went to a concert with my parents, and heard many kids playing the piano," she says. "And then I heard somebody play the violin…" That did it. What was it about the violin that captivated her? "I loved the sound," she says matter-of-factly. She was six and made up her mind to learn the violin.

The eldest of two children for Saeed and Cristina Al Rayhy, Khawla's word was law in the household. But it was easier said than done. She couldn't have lessons right away because of lack of music schools.

"This was around 2009, and there weren't, and still aren't, many music schools she could go to," says Saeed. "We were very happy that she was taken with the violin, and desperately wanted to help her learn to play it. But we stay in the neighbouring emirate of Ajman, where there are no schools she could go to, and even Dubai didn't have what we were looking for."

Luckily for Khawla they came across Riad Kudsi, who'd established the Emirates Youth Symphony Orchestra in 1993. A very popular conductor and violin virtuoso himself, Riad was impressed by Khawla's determination to master the instrument.

"We'd been looking for Emirati children who could be a part of the orchestra," says Riad. "But it's difficult finding Emirati children who are proficient or interested in music. The reason why we're so insistent is that since we established our orchestra, more than 500 children have learnt music from us and migrated. At least Emirati children will stay here!" Riad was not only happy to take Khawla on after hearing her play, he even gave her a scholarship. "She's very keen, talented and more importantly a very hard worker," he says. "If you can't practise diligently, then you don't stay with me. Khawla, however, has the application." 

All Khawla wanted to do was play music

Just two months into starting her violin lessons, Khawla got her first chance to perform on stage with the orchestra. There was no question of nerves or self-doubt. Her parents may have had misgivings, but where Khawla was concerned it was just another practice session. "I was very happy to play," the child says blithely. As an afterthought she adds, "I was a little scared and nervous, but I just wanted to play." It didn't surprise Riad that she did well. "I expected her to perform well, and she did," he says.

Khawla has mastered the art of playing to an audience already. "If I look at the audience I will feel too scared and nervous to perform," she says. So, how does she overcome that? "I look at a certain point above their heads, concentrate on that spot, and just play my bit."

Though she's too young to know the real import of their music, Khawla enjoys playing the compositions of famed composers Mozart and Oskar Rieding, though Rieding is preferred. "It is very difficult to play, but I still enjoy playing them," she says seriously.

Running her fingers on the strings for hours together every day can be painful, she says, but still there's nothing she likes to do more. "It's difficult," Khawla admits. "But I enjoy making music so much that I forget the pain. I enjoy it too much to give up."

With school, and exams around the corner, the budding violinist can only practise for an hour these days. Saeed smiles at her indulgently as he says, "We don't have to push her at all, in fact the only reason we're going to such lengths for her lessons is because she enjoys it so much."

It takes quite some determination on the part of Saeed and Cristina to see that Khawla doesn't miss her twice-a-week lessons, given that they live in Ajman and the classes are held at Dubai Media City, about 48km away. "I don't mind driving all the way in this kind of traffic not only because she loves it so, but it will also give her the proper grounding she requires to learn further at some music school abroad," he says. 

Music is her future

There's no doubt that music is in Khawla's future. In January, she was part of the distinguished all-women line-up of international artistes at the eighth Global Fusion concert hosted by Bank Sarasin-Alpen and Alpen Capital Dubai in Dubai. She was one of only two Emirati artistes featured. She has also been recommended for summer violin camp in the Premier Music College of Prague.

Khawla smiles when asked what she'd like to be when she grows up, a dreamy smile that's devoid of the steely determination that's usually there in her eyes when talking of music. "I'd like to be a teacher," she murmurs uncharacteristically. Then she looks directly into my eyes and says firmly, "I want to teach music to kids, and want to build a big music school for them, like the one I saw in Prague when we went there!"

Her eyes grow large as her mind flies back in time. "It was a huge school, it had a lot of students and lots of place to play," she says in a rush. "I want something like that!"

Apart from the violin, she also likes the flute and the piano. "I have a piano at home and like to play," she says.

The supreme confidence with which Khawla approaches her music is what makes Riad feel that her future is all music. "She's destined for bigger things," he says.

Talking about a concert she will play at, Khawla is matter of fact about the two pieces she will play - Mozart. Any sign of nervousness? "No," she says breezily. "I know them by heart."

"What made me take her seriously was that though she started learning so late, she's picked up very fast," says Saeed. "Usually children start music lessons by the age of three or four. Khawla started almost three years too late."

If there's one complaint Khawla has about playing violin it's that some of her classmates don't believe that she can play. Does that put her off? "I just ignore them," she says simply. This attitude is what will see Khawla to the top.