Abu Dhabi pupil strikes right chord with place at Berklee
An Abu Dhabi teenager is aiming to score global success after winning a place at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Xu Diwen, a Year 13 pupil at Brighton College Abu Dhabi, has his sights set on a career as a film composer after being inspired by a Hollywood hit.
Mr Xu, 18, took up the piano when he was six and has taught himself to play the flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone and guitar. He learnt the violin during the pandemic, before mastering the viola.
His musical journey began when he got his hands on a neglected piano left at his family home by a former occupant.
“I was six years old and was interested in playing the piano that was in my home that no one was really playing,” said Mr Xu, who will begin his studies in the US in September.
“My father agreed that I could get piano lessons and then I decided to dive down deeper into the realm of music.”
Over the past 12 years, the precocious talent has received musical training both at school and outside of lessons.
The Chinese student was a semi-finalist in the Young Musician of the Gulf Competition 2023 and the Abu Dhabi Young Musician of the Year 2023.
Mr Xu, who has lived in the UAE his whole life, hopes to work as a film composer.
“I guess playing the piano started off as a hobby and later on I discovered more about writing music for film,” he said. “I was intrigued by a film called La La Land in which I found the music really moving and enchanting.
“I decided that I wanted to write something similar to that. That was when I decided to pursue a career in music.
“Berklee College of Music was my dream. Getting into Berklee was one of the most exciting things in my life. I want to study film music and to start off my journey to become a successful film composer.”
He said he was excited about being surrounded by a group of like-minded people at the college in the north-eastern US state of Massachusetts.
“I’ll be able to thrive as a musician and just going to study in the US might help me explore more areas of my life that I’ve probably never explored before,” he said.
Mr Xu said wanted to write for a full orchestra. He found a cupboard full of instruments at school and decided to start learning some. “I only understand the basics of the instruments. However, it’s these basics that help me to understand and it’s really helpful when it came to writing my own pieces of music,” he said.
“I’m a classically trained musician. However, the music is very much infused with jazz and pop music … I believe since music is always changing, there always needs to be new ways to explore music in a refreshing way.”
Hannah Kelly, head of senior music at Brighton College Abu Dhabi, said Mr Xu was one of the best young musicians she has worked with.
“Not just in performing but composition and music theory … basically everything that you can think of as a musician. It’s been a pleasure to teach him on that journey,” she said.