![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F06%2FAndrea-Sim.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
“It’s an honour but it’s also intimidating. But I’m excited to take on the challenge,” she said.
Sim is right to feel the weight on her shoulders. Not only is she one of a handful of female conductors globally in this historically male-dominated profession, she is also one of the few people to achieve this level so young.
This just makes Sim feel more driven. She has big plans for her beloved orchestra. “I want to give back,” Sim explained as she described how special it is to now be conducting the same orchestra that she has played with on and off for over 12 years.
Slender and soft spoken, Sim seems like an ordinary young girl till she starts talking about music. Suddenly, she transforms into a vibrant woman who describes music so beautifully you can almost hear the sounds of the notes.
![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F06%2FVivaldi.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
Sim is an accomplished violinist who has performed as part of the ensemble and as a soloist with many local orchestras. Sim first asked to play the violin at age two.
“But there were no violins small enough,” she recalled. Unable to find a violin of any size in her hometown of Ipoh back then, it would have made sense for such a little child to forget an impulsive desire towards an instrument. But Sim never forgot.
Finally, at age 11, her parents enrolled her in piano and violin classes. But even then, she knew the piano was just a piano to her. So, when asked to choose one class, the answer was clear. “I chose the violin because it felt like an extension of me.”
![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F06%2FExtension.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
Since then, she has had to overcome many obstacles. “Nobody goes into music to earn a lot of money,” Sim laughed. Yet, no matter how close she came to letting the despair take her away from the music, she could not quite manage to break free.
“It’s hard to keep going sometimes. But I can’t even imagine myself doing anything else.”
Sim realised that she is happiest when she feels challenged. “I’m the kind of person who gets bored doing one thing.” So, she began exploring skills outside of the violin and eventually found a love for conducting.
“Playing the violin with the orchestra helped because now I know what the musicians need from the conductor,” she explained. Plus, learning to conduct has helped her become a better orchestra musician as she can understand how to respond to the conductor better.
“I’ve learned a lot from being on both sides of the baton,” Sim laughed.
Sim hopes to use her time as conductor with the klpac String Orchestra to create space for more local voices. She knows that orchestral music is not part of local culture, and that this makes it less accessible for a wide range of people.
Thus, she hopes to work with Asian composers and create music that celebrates local voices, instruments and arrangements. “I think this part of the world (Asia) has a lot to say.”
![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F06%2FConducting.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
The orchestra has a concert coming up in November where they will play music from the Studio Ghibli films. “I’m excited to see that music in their voice,” she said, adding that all the music will be arranged by local composers.
Though her experience has mainly been in playing classical music, she is looking forward to working with contemporary composers.
“It’ll be different and really great because the composer is still alive. It’s very special that I can ask them what they actually wanted to say here, how they want the music in this spot?”
Listening to her describe her hopes for the future, you can tell that this is someone who has found exactly what she is meant to do with her life.
Even in countries with a long history of symphonic music, the audience is shrinking. Young musicians like Sim are necessary to revive and sustain this art form for future generations.
Sim is especially grateful to her mentor, Lee Kok Leong, who guided her into the world of conducting music. “Conducting turned out to be a combination of all my favourite things,” she said happily.
“It’s a dream come true that I never knew I had.”
Watch Andrea Sim live her dream live at ‘Reminiscing with the klpac String Orchestra’ from July 1-3. Tickets can be purchased at cloudtix.co.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram