Star key and success

15-year-old Arsha Kaviani was recently crowned the 2006 winner in the Young Musician of the Gulf contest in Bahrain. The Dubai student talks to Maria Kallukaren about listening to his mother playing Mozart and Beethoven at bedtime!

Arsha Kaviani, grade 11 student of the Emirates International School, Dubai, plays the piano. Recently he beat 79 competitors from Bahrain, Cairo, Dubai and Kuwait for the Young Musician of the Gulf title. He was presented with a gold medal and Lifetime trophy donated by the Bahrain International Airport and the Stella Taylor Shield donated by Captain Rod Taylor.

Last year, the Iranian in his first appearance in the contest won the Best Piano Award and the Most Promising Under-15.

Arsha began playing the piano as a six-year-old.

Among his other achievements are playing in the Dubai Chamber Orchestra and playing at the International Festival for Pianists held annually in Manchester, UK.

In his words...

I wouldn't put my confidence level as low... but competition was really tough. There were 59 soloists out of 80 competitors.

There were 18 pianists and three rounds to get through before the final. The winner was chosen out of six instrumental sections of which two were pianists, including me. Basically everyone who reached the final was a winner.

The experience was quite fun besides being nerve-wracking and stressful.

I met musicians from other schools. There were informal concerts, where we could go and play whatever we liked.

As preparation, I increased my practice hours - three to four hours.

When I was small, my mother used to play Mozart and Beethoven at bedtime. My love for music started then.

Then I began listening to more difficult compositions. A lot of stuff I discovered for myself. I would sit down and play whatever piece I felt like. And I discovered my abilities.

OTHER WINNERS...

Twenty-five students from Dubai College also attended the Young Musician of the Gulf competition. Notes spoke to three winners and the college's I Bought Me a Cat ensemble, the runner-up in the Freestyle Ensemble category.

Woodwind Prize winner
Laura Macpherson, an A-level student, plays the flute.

What helped you win this time?
I've been close before. I was more confident and not as nervous.

Brass Prize winner
Ben Butler, an AS level student, plays the trumpet.

What helped you win?
Practise .

String Prize winner
Nastasha Pagarani, GCSE year 11 student, played the violin.

What helped you win?
It was my third time. I just got better.

I Bought Me a Cat ensemble
Josephine Kierna, Victoria Metaxas and Lauren Saddler were part of a seven-member group that performed Aaron Copeland's I Bought Me a Cat piece.

How was the whole experience?
Josephine: I enjoyed it. Performing as part of an ensemble is more relaxed than the solo category.
Victoria: It was a good experience. I took part in the piano category too.
Lauren: There was a huge improvisation workshop that was really interesting.

WE ASK: Is classical music cool?

"Yes. In fact I like listening to it and I took private lessons to play it for three years."
- Preeti Kumar, business, London School of Economics (LSE), Dubai

"Not really, but I still pay my respect to classical music because it is the origin of music today."
- Urvashi Areen, business, LSE Dubai

"Yes. I think it is soothing. It helps me relax."
- Caroll Mendonca, accounting and finance, LSE Dubai