Young KDVP musical prodigy scores big

ARRAN VALKIN

PHOTOGRAPH BY ARRAN VALKIN

The NEA competition, held over 2013 – 2014, attracts thousands of entries. More than 1 300 entrants remained after the qualifying rounds to compete in the elimination rounds. 

Benjamin beat all the other competitors in all instruments in the Classic music section, to win the Classical Music Junior award (grade 4 – 7).

Benjamin has won several awards recently, including three trophies at the Johannesburg Festival of Music Competition, Trophy for Most Promising Pianist under 14, the Gertrude Plaut Trophy for the best overall Junior, and the Peggy Haddon Trophy for the most  memorable performance of a classical work for piano.

He also won the Trinity College of Music medal for the highest exam mark in the Gauteng region, scoring 97 per cent for his grade five exam in November 2013.

Benjamin, a pupil of Lorna Heher, started playing the piano at age four and has been playing classical music ever since. However, he is also very active in the King David High School rock band, as well as the marimba band and is taking music as a school subject. 

The music school at KDVP is thriving with many groups, choir, and solo performances taking place, and Benjamin is busy at school in the afternoons jamming and rehearsing.