Kathryn Lim

2025 EISTEDDFOD WRAP UP

This year has been a special one with our students competing at the Sydney, Hawkesbury and Ryde Eisteddfods. For many, it was their very first time on stage — and I couldn’t be prouder! You all stepped out of your comfort zones, performed like champs, and came away with fantastic results. I’m absolutely over the moon that everyone not only did so well but also came home with something to celebrate. Huge congratulations to you all 🎉👏

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🎶 Hawkesbury Eisteddfod

*Frederick C – 4th place@(6u solo)
*Keita L – 🥇 1st place (Preliminary), 🥉 3rd place (7u Solo)
*Rosie K – 🥉 3rd place (Preliminary), 4th place (7u Solo)
*Averyn Y – 🥈 2nd place (Grade 1)
*Ryan T – Highly Commended (Grade 1)
*Claire G– 4th place (9u Solo), 5th place (Grade 2)
*Hannah C– 🥇 1st place (Grade 5), 🥇 1st place (Jazz & Pop)
*Elyse H – 🥉 3rd place (Grade 3)
*Brendon W – 4th place (Grade 3)
*Amjay L – 🥇 1st place (13u Classical), 🥉 3rd place (13u Solo)
*Mischa L – 🥇 1st place (10u Vocal & Piano), 🥈 2nd place (10u Classical), 🥉 3rd place (10u Solo), 🥉 3rd place (10u Australian), 4th place (10u Romantic)

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🎶 Ryde Eisteddfod

*Hannah C – Highly Commended (9–12yrs Special Restricted)
*Mischa L – Highly Commended (10u Brillante), 🥉 3rd place (9–12yrs Australian Solo)
*Amjay L – 🥉 3rd place (12u Subjunior Championship)

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🎶 Sydney Eisteddfod

*Mischa L – Highly Commended (10yrs Recital Award), Highly Commended (10u 20th Century Solo)
*Amjay L – Highly Commended (12yrs Recital Award), Highly Commended (12u 20th Century Solo)

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🙏 Special thanks to Mr. Dharma for taking Amjay and Mischa into his studio — I only need to oversee their practice now ☺️

I am thrilled to receive these results for my students this year! So proud of them for working so hard and they deserved every bit of it! Well done and congratulations to all of you for getting High Distinction for your AMEB exam!

Mamshi, Hannah, Mischa, Amjay, Elyse, Brendon and Gracia (ABRSM Gd5)

Meanwhile waiting for two more video exams to come back

I asked my student to write a summary about JS Bach… 😆

It was a fulfilling last weekend at the Hawkesbury Eisteddfod! Well done to all the students who participated at the Eisteddfod this year. You should be very proud of yourself as much as I’m proud of you, with all the practise, preparation, walking up the stage bravely and performing at your best! They were all very competitive sessions! No matter the outcome, every stage experience is invaluable. There were joy, tears and sweats but it’s through all these that we learn, and it is through learning we grow, becoming more than we were before, not only in music but as a person.
Congratulations to the following students who did exceptionally well! 🌟

🏅 Elyse - Grade 1 section - 2nd place
🏅 Mila - Grade 1 section - Highly Commended
🏅 Brendon - Grade 2 section - 3rd place
🏅 Hannah - Grade 4 section - 2nd place
🏅 Wesley - Grade 5 section - 4th place
🏅 Wesley - 11Y&U Restricted - Highly Commended
🏅 Amjay - Grade 6 section - Highly Commended
🏅 Amjay - 11Y&U Restricted - 2nd place
🏅 Amjay - 11Y&U Romantic - Highly Commended
🏅 Amjay - 11Y&U Australian Composer - 3rd place
🏅 Mischa - Grade 5 section - 2nd place
🏅 Mischa - 9Y&U Restricted - 2nd place
🏅 Mischa - 9Y&U Australian Composer - 3rd place
🏅 Mischa - 9Y&U Self accompanied vocal - 1st place (Big thanks to for sponsoring the prize money)

Special thanks to all the kind & friendly staff and a superb adjudication by Peter Walsh at the Hawkesbury Eisteddfod

Happy Term 2! Over the break there are some great news. Congratulations to Mila for winning 2nd place in the Piano solo section for Sydney Catholic Schools Eisteddfod! This little girl has come a long way from trembling to be on stage to now learning to enjoy performing on stage. Makes me so proud to see changes like this in my students. Well done Mila and keep up the good work!

Also congratulations to Amjay for getting a High Distinction in 2nd Grade Theory Exam with the score of 99%! Well done little champ! It has been quite a journey since we collaborated theory lessons online with Mr Wayne W Chang, thank you!

Had a lovely time meeting fellow colleagues, sharing and chatting about teaching experiences, gaining wisdoms from the music educator legends - Samantha Coates & Elissa Milne. Thanks to the amazing .coates.blitzbooks for organising the session 🩷

It’s a wrap for the 2023 Piano Eisteddfod season. I am immensely proud of all the students who participated and showcased their talents on the Eisteddfod stage. Your performances were not only a testament to your musical prowess but also a testament to your unwavering commitment to your music. Congratulations on your well-deserved achievements!

St George Eisteddfod:
Amjay Lai 10yr old SR section - 4th place
Mischa Lai 8yr old SR section - 3rd place

Hawkesbury Eisteddfod:
Wesley Ho 4th Grade section - 3rd place
Hannah Chan 7yr & under SR section - 3rd place
Hannah Chan 2nd Grade section - Highly Commended
Amjay Lai 5th Grade section - 1st place Amjay Lai 10yr & under SR section - Highly Commended
Mischa Lai 3rd Grade section - 1st place
Mischa Lai 9yrs & under R section - 2nd place
Mischa Lai Australian Composition 9yrs & under - 3rd place

Ryde Eisteddfod:
Mischa Lai 8yr old open section - Highly commended
Amjay Lai 10yr old R section - 1st place
Amjay Lai 10yr old open section - 1st place

These successes are not just acknowledgments of your current achievements but also reflections of the improvements and growth you've experienced along this musical journey. As we move forward into a new term, preparing for exams and more future performances, remember to continue nurturing your talents and pushing your boundaries. Your musical journey is a continuous path of discovery and development, and we believe in your potential to achieve even greater heights.

Congratulations to Mila who received a Highly Commended at a Piano Eisteddfod last weekend! I’m incredibly proud for her to have walked up the stage and performed infront of so many strangers. She has made such significant improvement with stage performance that even the adjudicator acknowledged it with the comment “played confidently”! Remember that success is not always measured by winning the top prize but by the growth and improvement we experience along the way.

Mila, congratulations again on your achievement at the Eisteddfod! Embrace this moment, celebrate your progress, and let it fuel your determination to reach even greater heights. I am confident that your future holds many more successes, and I can't wait to see where your journey takes you.

Believe in yourself, work hard, and never stop reaching for the stars!

Congratulations to David for getting 💯 in his recent Musicianship exam. Well done!