Our Alumni
Memorial University
Coco Leung
Fry Family Foundation Junior Leadership Award, 2004
Fry Family Foundation Junior Leadership Award, 2004
Photo of Coco Leung by Ken Yanagisawa
I would like to offer my sincerest thanks to the Fry Family Foundation for providing support and encouragement through the Foundation’s Junior Leadership Award, which in large part gave me the confidence and courage to pursue my career in classical music. I was the recipient of the 2004-2005 Horizons Scholarship, awarded to a graduating student from a junior high school (MacDonald Drive Junior High). Later in 2008, I started my freshman year at Memorial’s School of Music as a double performance major in both piano and violin. Little did I know back then that I would eventually become a professional pianist and pursue a doctoral degree in New York City with the intention of pursuing a career in teaching and performing.
Since moving to New York, I have been fortunate to appear in concert performances in a variety of settings. To date, some highlights include my Carnegie Hall debut in Weill Recital Hall with a solo piano recital, and performing as a soloist with the Amadeo Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Young Artist Concerto Series.
I am currently working on finishing my Doctor of Musical Arts degree (DMA) in piano performance at the Manhattan School of Music (MSM), where I hold the position of Department Coordinator and Assistant to the Head of the Keyboard Skills Department. As the Department Coordinator, I work to facilitate various departmental needs directly with school administration. Together with the Head of the Department, I mentor the incoming piano doctoral students, and advise them on various aspects of teaching, including interpersonal interactions with students. I am also employed at MSM as a Teaching Fellow in Keyboard Techniques for graduate degree piano majors, and required piano and elective piano classes for non-piano majors. In addition to my employment and leadership opportunities at MSM, I work with many young children in the city as well as in church (St. Charles Borromeo and St. Andrew the Apostle Roman Catholic churches in Brooklyn, NY).
The generous contribution of the Fry Family Foundation has allowed me to explore many facets of the classical music world from a relatively young age and helped me determine at a very early stage my chosen career and passion. Even in high school, when I was organizing performances at seniors homes around St. John’s, I knew that I wanted to be actively involved in the arts within my community, wherever that community may be. As with any life or career choice, I believe that it is necessary to feel supported and encouraged as much as possible. The Fry Family Foundation scholarships have not only helped me in those ways, but they have also instilled in me the drive and motivation to grow as a leader in music and in music education. Thank you for being a part of my journey towards becoming a professional pianist, and for allowing me to continue doing the things that I love.
Coco
Since moving to New York, I have been fortunate to appear in concert performances in a variety of settings. To date, some highlights include my Carnegie Hall debut in Weill Recital Hall with a solo piano recital, and performing as a soloist with the Amadeo Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Young Artist Concerto Series.
I am currently working on finishing my Doctor of Musical Arts degree (DMA) in piano performance at the Manhattan School of Music (MSM), where I hold the position of Department Coordinator and Assistant to the Head of the Keyboard Skills Department. As the Department Coordinator, I work to facilitate various departmental needs directly with school administration. Together with the Head of the Department, I mentor the incoming piano doctoral students, and advise them on various aspects of teaching, including interpersonal interactions with students. I am also employed at MSM as a Teaching Fellow in Keyboard Techniques for graduate degree piano majors, and required piano and elective piano classes for non-piano majors. In addition to my employment and leadership opportunities at MSM, I work with many young children in the city as well as in church (St. Charles Borromeo and St. Andrew the Apostle Roman Catholic churches in Brooklyn, NY).
The generous contribution of the Fry Family Foundation has allowed me to explore many facets of the classical music world from a relatively young age and helped me determine at a very early stage my chosen career and passion. Even in high school, when I was organizing performances at seniors homes around St. John’s, I knew that I wanted to be actively involved in the arts within my community, wherever that community may be. As with any life or career choice, I believe that it is necessary to feel supported and encouraged as much as possible. The Fry Family Foundation scholarships have not only helped me in those ways, but they have also instilled in me the drive and motivation to grow as a leader in music and in music education. Thank you for being a part of my journey towards becoming a professional pianist, and for allowing me to continue doing the things that I love.
Coco