For Bornean pianist Mei Lin Hii, classical music is an age-old art form that should be experienced in its entirety, and not just listened to
No matter the genre, we listen to music according to how we feel or how we want to feel—whether it’s the thrumming of heavy bass, a rhythmic tempo, the rise and fall of a melody or even the narrative resonance of lyrics, listening to music can be a singular experience unique to every individual. For classical pianist Hii Mei Lin, the word ‘experience’ is one she heavily emphasises, especially when it comes to elevating the accessibility of classical music.
Since it isn’t as ingrained into our culture as it is in western societies, Hii observes that the lack of public interest is due to its inaccessibility, which limits one’s curiosity towards classical music and their active discovery towards it. While the genre came with prestige, that very prestige, alongside its historical and cultural significance, carried a weighty expectation, wherein it was only for the elite, or, in the context of Malaysia’s classical music ecosystem, a niche.
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However, those preconceptions, according to Hii, were old news that didn’t need revisiting. Instead, she says, why not offer the public new experiences that would get them invested? “You can’t change the way people think [just by telling them]—forget it!” she exclaims. “But what you can do is put on an unforgettable show.” Over the years, Hii had gone from a young, wide-eyed girl from Borneo to an accomplished classical pianist with many prestigious awards under her belt, including the Rubinstein award in 1996 in New York, which subsequently earned her the title ‘Outstanding Woman Pianist’. She candidly states that for classical musicians to continue to perform, one has to be willing to reinvent themselves.
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“Every musician has to face their own reality to keep going,” she says. “It’s not just spending hours upon hours of practising, but you spend a lifetime to try to perfect a complicated art form that demands so much of you. You can’t just play well, because ultimately, what leaves an impression is your overall performance and how you conveyed the art form.”
It’s been 26 years since the Rubinstein award, and Hii has been on a creative roll. After coming back to Malaysia in 2009, the pianist not only has a few protégés under her wing but has actively sought out different ways to explore the art form.
In addition to performing at No Black Tie, a premier jazz club that was founded by her sister, Evelyn Hii, she also created a personal series of experimental, multisensory performances called the ‘Ivory Series’, where she would collaborate with artists of other mediums.
