Audrey Sung may only be 12, but you’d never guess that from her piano playing. She can easily interpret a complicated melody on the piano, a gift she seeks to share with other children.
Born in Vancouver, Sung has been making music since the age of six. Now, when she sits down at a piano bench, her fingers move feverishly over the keys.
“The piano is a major aspect of my life and it lets out all the feelings,” Sung told CTV National News. “I love practicing in general because I still love music.”
The piano has long been a place where she feels completely at home.
“It really expresses my emotion at times,” she said. “And the piano has always helped me with my stress.”
Her talent for the piano has taken her around the world, performing in international competitions and festivals.
A performance brought her to the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York.
“I was really nervous,” she said. “But I was really grateful to have had the chance to play there.”
With all of her performances, she has raised thousands of dollars in prizes this year – funds that she has decided to donate to other children.
“I don’t want to spend it on myself, and I really want to help others instead,” she said.
She is donating $30,000 to be split among three Canadian charities. I’m HIppy helps children living with hip disorders. The other two, the Pacific Rim International Music & Education Society and the Royal Conservatory, help children gain better access to music education.
“I hope the fund will help children learn more about music and give them more opportunities,” Sung said.
Take the gift of music – and pay it forward.
With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Angela Jung