Born to parents who are not trained musically, Mikkel was six years old when his father brought a second-hand piano back to their flat. Mikkel shocked his parents when he started playing piano pieces he heard over the internet – after all, he merely received a few months of basic keyboard music appreciation group class for toddlers back when he was four years old! Endowed with this rare gift for music, the perfect-pitch boy began his musical journey by playing by ear and improvising on the piano.

Months after, Mikkel brought home Golds in two competitions: The Grand Virtuoso International Piano Competition in Salzburg and Amsterdam. He went on to win top prizes in the Golden Classical Award Competition USA and the American Protégé Fall Music Competition. He has since represented Singapore and performed in Mozarteum in Salzburg (Austria) and Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam (Netherlands). He was also invited to perform in the Carnegie Hall in New York City (USA) but the trip was cancelled due to Covid-19.

During the Covid-19 years, Mikkel volunteered with the St Luke's Hospital, HCA Hospice and Thye Hwa Kwan Moral Society where he used his music to bless the lives of those living and working in these homes. In 2021, he started receiving formal music education from renowned Belgian-American pianist Tedd Joselson.

In February 2022, at the tender age of nine, Mikkel made history in Singapore by performing the complete cycle of Chopin's 24 Preludes Op.28 in a sold-out piano recital at Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Singapore. At the same concert, he also performed the Beethoven Piano Sonata No.6 in F Major, Op.10 No.2.

In July 2022, Mikkel headlined his biggest show to date at Victoria Concert Hall, accompanied by a 41-member orchestra from Musicians' Initiative. Highlights of the concert included Mikkel’s interpretation of Beethoven Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 and Chopin Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21.

AWARDS & APPEARANCES

2019

July 2019

First Prize Winner, Grand Virtuoso International Piano Competition (Mozarteum, Salzburg, Austria)

July 2019 First Prize Winner, Grand Virtuoso International Piano Competition. (Het Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands)

October 2019 Gold and First Prize Winner, Golden Classical Award Competition (USA)

November 2019 Second Prize Winner, American protégé International Fall Music Competition (USA)

2022

February 2022 Solo Recital, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay (Singapore)

Chopin 24 Preludes Op.28

Beethoven Piano Sonata No.6 in F major, Op.10, No.2