Nicole Lau

My name is Nicole Lau. I am 13 years old, and I have been a harpist for almost 5 years. I decided to join this competition because I wanted to open my eyes to the wider world and see how my skills are like compared to other musicians from different countries. I really enjoy playing harp and have aimed to join as many well recognised competitions as I can. Until now, I have joined 6 competitions including this one and I won first place twice. The competitions I have joined are:

• The Hong Kong Joint School Music Association 2023 – Gold award • E-contest Music Competition 2023 – Gold award • The 3rd Hong Kong Asian Youth Harp Competition – 3rd place • The 2022 Fringe Inter-school Music Competition – 2nd Honour • The 2023 Asia’s Elite Culture and Arts Exchange Association Music Competition – 2nd place

I hope to improve further in playing the harp so that one day I may join a professional orchestra that tours the world and plays at concerts or shows, and be a professional harpist. I personally believe that a harp represents healing and peace, and to me the harp is not only an instrument but a way to project one’s thoughts or feelings. When I was feeling sad or lonely, I play harp and feel much better afterwards. It acted like one true friend that I could pour my emotions into whenever I wanted. I hope that one day I can share my thoughts with the world.