Konan Tanaka, Class of 2010
Current Profession: Classical Musician
University Attended: Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (UK), Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music (Hungary)
& Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (UK)
Japanese pianist and Garden International School Alumna Konan Tanaka began her musical journey in Malaysia. She was the first student of GIS to take A-Level Music in the school. Graduating from GIS in 2010, Konan pursued Music at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (UK) for her Bachelor of Music (Honours) in Performance.
Having been awarded the Weingarten Scholarship in 2015, Konan spent a year at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Hungary. In December 2017, Konan completed her Advanced Postgraduate Diploma (Professional Performance) at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (UK), and has continued her performing career back home in Malaysia, as well as given recitals throughout the UK and internationally.
Konan has always been very passionate about French music for its exceptional use of harmony, delicate use of light and shade and depiction of images. This has led her to explore composers and compositions that are much neglected, such as Chabrier Dix Pièces Pittoresques and Fauré Valse-Caprices.
Over the past year, Konan has formed a musical partnership with soprano Katie Gilbert. The pair have been specialising in French and English repertoire, both songs and operatic arias. As a duo, they have worked on recording projects and participated in UK’s Oxford Church ‘Music for Monday Online’ series on YouTube, during the lockdown. The duo have continued to make content on YouTube ever since.
Konan, please tell us more about why you decided to pursue a degree in Classical Music?
I was always into Art and Music since I can remember. I once thought about doing Art at university, but the amount of time and dedication it takes to create one painting, and keep on creating new ones – one after the another, I just couldn’t imagine myself doing that in the long run.
On the other hand, it was not a problem for me to stay up late till midnight to write an essay about a piece, or wake up very early (at 3am or 4am) to practise the piano. So, I guess that was it. I get lost in the moment when it comes to music.
What was your overall GIS experience like?
I had a great time, especially during A Levels when I was doing what I truly love – Music and Art (as only 2 A-Level subjects were required to apply to Conservatoires). I was never an academic person, so when the moment came to pick these subjects, I was so thrilled to say the least.
Studying Music and Art are very different from studying Academic subjects such as Maths, Science, Languages, etc. I spent most of my ‘free time’ locked up in a practice room playing the piano and not able to socialise as much as I would like with others, but my friends and teachers (including Non-Music teachers) gave me lots of moral support and so I felt blessed.
Do you have any general fond GIS memories you’d like to share?
Having one-to-one Music classes (A-Level) was the best. I had the teacher all to myself, and we were constantly discussing the pieces and its history. I had a blast!
Also the Musicals! I played the flute in the band, and I had a really good time during the whole preparation and the actual shows. Rehearsals with the Drama team were fun, too.
What person, course, or experience most influenced you while at GIS?
There was a music teacher called Ms Krenca. She was the most dedicated, sincere and devoted music teacher I’ve ever known. I had the pleasure of knowing her and having her as my music teacher at Year 5. She was so encouraging and gave me lots of performing opportunities at GIS.
I was 14 when I learnt that she was leaving, and I played a piece by Debussy at her last concert at GIS. She was deeply moved and was so proud of me, and that’s when I realised I wanted to become a performer and touch someone’s heart with my music.
The other people who influenced me were Mr and Mrs Long. Mrs Long was my music teacher during A-Levels, and Mr Long broadened my horizons by teaching me jazz. They both gave me advice and prepared me for life at the Conservatoire and beyond, and they both helped shape me into the person I am today.
What is the most important thing you learned while you were at GIS?
Listen to your heart and follow your passion. It’s okay to be different, because that’s what makes you YOU.
Describe GIS in three words
Diligent, Friendly, Encouraging.
How did your education at GIS prepare you for what you are doing today?
Taking part in every music concert and being given a chance to play solo pieces on each occasion.
On top of that, being part of the school orchestra and playing flute was a great experience, too.
Lastly, learning to play Gamelan (traditional Indonesian instruments) at IGCSE! That was also a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
What advice would you give current students or recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?
It is essential that you explore and play as many pieces as possible by all the major composers – such as Bach, Schubert, Brahms, Liszt, Ravel, etc. This will prepare you for the exams and classes at the Conservatoire, and for competitions in the future.
But at the same time, find what makes you different from other musicians. Is it a specific genre of music you like to play? Or a particular composer that you connect with, understand and play better than anyone else?
You will eventually meet hundreds and thousands of people who have the same passion and dream as you do. Start finding what you want people to remember you for, and make it your asset.
Thank you, Konan, for taking the time and sharing your experiences with us.
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