Prodigious violinist is now Dr Jessica Yap

Many persons may not have heard much from Jessica Yap in a while. That’s because the 25-year-old has been busy doing other things – like studying to become a medical doctor and is now in private practice. For years, Yap has been lauded on the local scene as one of the island’s top violinists. Often referred to as a musical prodigy, it seemed a no-brainer that she would have continued on a strictly musical path – perhaps as part of an international orchestra frequenting venues such as the famed Carnegie Hall. However, it turns out that Yap followed a more scholarly path.

The popular violinist graduated medical school in 2016, after which she entered the government’s mandatory internship programme. Since completing the programme, the young doctor has been working privately while furthering her studies in medicine. Because of school, she hasn’t been playing the violin as much as before, but by all accounts, she’s still got it.

“I still play. I do one or two events, depending on how it would tie into my schedule,” she toldThe Sunday Gleaner.

Last weekend, Yap took centre stage at Couples Tower Isle’s 41st anniversary celebration. There, she thrilled the audience with a wide-ranging set list. “I played for about an hour,” she said. Her selections included Estate, written by Bruno Martino, Oblivion (Astor Piazzolla), as well as People Make The World Go Round by The Stylistics.

“I also did some medleys – oldies, ska and Motown,” she recalled. In keeping with the event’s Chinese theme, Yap also played The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto.

But the set list hardly matters. Despite infrequent bookings and being bogged down by her studies, Yap continues to perform with seeming effortlessness and incontestable expertise. One patron reported that when Yap was called back to the stage for an encore, she performed with her eyes closed, lost in the violin’s wail, playing like she was the only one in the room.

Even though she has been busy developing her medical career, it is obvious that her love for the instrument has not waned. She still finds time to practise as well as trying to engage with the wider music community. She is a regular at orchestral practice sessions every Wednesday at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. She describes it as a welcoming, open space and believes that it is a space that could use some more instruments.

“I’m inviting anyone with an instrument to come join us on any Wednesday,” she said.

Pass It On Scholarship

Before Yap settled into the harrows of medical school, she began work on the Jessica Yap Pass It On Scholarship Foundation. The foundation’s actions have been significantly reduced because of a few years’ dormancy, but the work will continue. A beneficiary of the University of the West Indies Open Scholarship herself, the original intent was to pay it forward by raising funds through hosting concerts for the benefit of students in need. Now that the bulk of her studies are over, the prodigious violinist is in the process of reviving the foundation.

Considering her medical aptitude and sustained interest in furthering her education, it is no surprise that Yap excelled as both a practical and theoretical musician. At the age of 7, Jessica became the youngest person in the Caribbean to earn a distinction in the Grade 5 Theory Examinations offered by the Associated Board of The Royal Schools of Music in London, England. At the same age, she had the opportunity to perform a solo with the New England Chamber Orchestra. At age 13, Yap earned the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) diploma, and at 16, she achieved the Licentiate of The Royal Schools of Music (LSRM). All these achievements she does not take lightly, and she hopes her foundation will really help to pass it on.