The evidence of Steven Sui’s ’21 hard work can be seen across all of Kent School’s vocal and instrumental ensembles—he is the pianist of the Orchestra and Jazz Band, the bass section leader of the Concert Choir, and an active participant in the Chamber Choir and Kentones.

Known for his dedication to music in all its forms, Sui has been playing the piano since he was barely four years old. Originally from Shenzhen, China, he won first place in a provincial piano competition in Guangdong, China, and qualified for the Diploma of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (DipABRSM). Before coming to Kent, Sui studied in public school in China, where he “didn’t have as much time to practice as much as [he] wanted.”

Here at Kent, Sui practices with Ms. Nuller, one of Kent’s piano instructors, and regularly in music rooms by himself. It was during his sophomore year, out of curiosity and with the encouragement of his friends, that he “took a shot” and auditioned for the choirs. In his early years, Sui had always put his focus strictly on instrumental, instead of vocal, musical expression, but he remembers the moment when he found out that he had been accepted into all three choirs as one of his best “musical” memories. Realizing that music is all interconnected, he was beyond excited when he discovered another form of expression for his passion, and since then he has been pursuing both forms of music in and out of school.

Sui says that maintaining balanced time management between music and schoolwork is key to staying at the top of his game. He admits that it was “a long process of adjustment,” but he says that it’s important to maintain the quality of your music even if you have to cut down on your practice time to get your homework done.

In fact, for Sui, the two act somewhat symbiotically. Practice time is a great way for Sui to relieve stress, helping him get his schoolwork done. He finds it very helpful to go to music rooms and play the piano to his heart’s content when he feels very anxious about Kent’s often hectic school life.

Sui has recently auditioned and qualified for the All-State Music Festivals per Mrs. Kovacs’ invitation. He expresses his hopes of studying music as a minor in college to further hone his techniques in both piano and singing, and delve deeper into his never-ceasing passion for music.