Young Emirati to take a bow

When most 11-year-olds are busy working on their maths skills, Ajman's Khawla Al Rayhi is mastering the intricacies of Mozart and Vivaldi. The Emirati wunderkind has been dazzling fans for nearly five years with her violin skills, with starring ¬performances as part of the Emirati Youth Symphony Orchestra. She will be the star once again on Monday at Emirates Palace when she plays in front of a sold-out crowd, ¬before Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra take the stage. Al Rayhi says she has no fear of big audiences and enjoys the pomp and atmosphere associated with such events. "It is a lot of fun,” she says. "I like playing in these big hotels and meeting people. The energy there is great.” Her journey to such esteemed venues ¬began at the age of 7, when she first encountered the violin. "Khawla has always loved music and listening to it,” recalls her mother, Kristina Al Rayhi. "She went with her father to a classical musical concert by the Emirates Youth Orchestra and then she heard the violin and she liked it a lot. We then took her to a class and it all started from there.” As well as practising at least an hour every day, Khawla makes the two-hour journey from Ajman to Dubai nearly every weekend to play the violin alongside the orchestra. "It is very early in the morning but you get used to it,” Khawla says. "But I am happiest when performing with a big group because it sounds beautiful together with all those instruments.” Kristina says it has been a joy to witness her daughter's rapid improvement. "At the beginning it sounded ¬annoying as she was still learning,” she says with a laugh. "But now she has grown and it all sounds quite wonderful.” After the Emirates Palace performance, Khawla will be seen at Global Fusions 2014, a private music gala event to be held in Dubai on February 1. It is all part of her quest to become a fully-fledged adult musician. "I want to continue playing and be a professional,” she says. "The goal is to play the violin as part of a big orchestra so I will keep working hard.” The extra skills her daughter has picked up during the quest have also been heartening, says Kristina. "I definitely recommend that parents encourage their children to take up music,” she says. "First of all, I find that it improved Khawla's studies because learning music gave her extra discipline and they have music ¬exams every term. Also, with so much music practice, they don't have time for things like television.” Source: The National