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Sonny Chua
Sonny Chua, Australian pianist and composer
Born2 November 1967
Penang, Malaysia
Died9 September 2020 (aged 52)
Melbourne, Australia
Occupation(s)Pianist, composer, music educator
Websitewww.sonnychua.com

Sonny Chua (2 November 1967 – 9 September 2020) was an Australian composer, pianist, and music educator. He taught at Melbourne High School and was Director of Music at the Mac.Robertson Girls' High School.

Early life and education

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Chua was born on 2 November 1967 in Penang, Malaysia.[1] to Richard and Jenny Chua. The eldest of four children, he also lived in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Malacca, before the family immigrated to Melbourne, Australia.[2]

Chua started piano lessons in Malacca at age eight, and continued his piano studies in Melbourne with Julie Zelman, who encouraged him to explore a range of modern music styles. It was at this point, that his creative journey began. He attended the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS), studying piano under Stephen McIntyre. He completed a Bachelor of Music degree at the Conservatorium of Music of the University of Melbourne, specialising in piano performance, with Ronald Farren-Price AO, Alexander Semetsky and Max Cooke; and also studied composition with Peter Tahourdin, Barry Cunningham and Brenton Broadstock.[3]

Career

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From 2002 to 2007 Chua taught at Melbourne High School.[4] Chua's contributions at Melbourne High School are of broader notability in light of his development of the Massed Singing culture and his direction of the Chorale,[4] which serves as a model for use of singing as a developmental and educational tool.

He left Melbourne High School to become the Director of Music at the Mac.Robertson Girls' High School, a sister school whose musical activities were closely coordinated with Melbourne High School, including the annual winter concert.[5] He was later the Coordinator of Keyboard Studies at Carey Baptist Grammar School, in Melbourne.

Works

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Sonny Chua composed a myriad of piano compositions.[6] His music is listed in all Australian examination syllabuses[7][8][9] and in competitions around the world.[10] As an educationalist, Chua was regularly invited to present masterclasses and talks on piano technique and musicianship and he has spoken in music conferences including the International Society of Music Education world conferences in Malaysia and Brazil,[11] and at the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conferences on piano teaching and composition.[12]

Chua's music is characterised by its "playfulness with styles and musical techniques".[13] His piece "Theme and 12 Deviations" exemplifies this playfulness, using the motif from Chopsticks (music) to highlight musical features of major eras of music.

Alongside his contributions to classical piano, Chua composed works at a variety of difficulty levels for use in the Australian Music Examinations Board examinations system. His music has proved popular among the variety of qualifying pieces, and was featured in the winning performance for the 2016 Foster's Music Award - awarded to the top music examinee in North-West Tasmania.[14]

Death

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Chua died on 9 September 2020 following a stroke.[15]

References

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  1. ^ Chua, Sonny. "Sonny Chua : Represented Artist". Australian Music Centre. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  2. ^ Topham, Tim (7 September 2011). "More Cool Music For the Boys - Sonny Chua". timtopham.com. Top Music Education PTY LTD. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  3. ^ Chua, Sonny. "Sonny Chua". Move. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  4. ^ a b Harrison, Scott David (2009). Male Voices: Stories of Boys Learning Through Making Music. Australian Council for Ed Research. p. 150. ISBN 9780864319524.
  5. ^ "2019 Winter Concert". www.melbournerecital.com.au. Archived from the original on 30 March 2020.
  6. ^ "Sonny Chua - Theme & Variations". Discogs. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  7. ^ "Home". ameb.edu.au.
  8. ^ "Home". anzca.com.au.
  9. ^ "Syllabuses | St. Cecilia School of Music".
  10. ^ "Composers".
  11. ^ "Home". isme.org.
  12. ^ "Home". appca.com.au.
  13. ^ "Sonny Chua : Represented Artist Profile : Australian Music Centre".
  14. ^ "Music award to Ivory". 13 December 2016.
  15. ^ "Sonny Chua (1967-2020)". Australian Music Centre. 14 September 2020. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020.
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