The Juilliard School Scholar Oliver Mar

Year 6 Oliver Mar has been accepted to the world-famous performing arts conservatory in New York, The Juilliard School, and is one of the youngest students in the Cello department this intake.

A well-rounded student with ICAS Gold medals for outstanding performance across various subjects from 2018 to 2021 and a finalist in the speech finals held just a couple of weeks ago, Oliver began his musical journey on the piano and he only began playing the cello at the age of 7, but absolutely loves the deep ringing tone of the cello.

In addition to music, Oliver loves coding, IT and aerospace. “I might want to be an astronaut or a programmer when I grow up, and since I love music, I might also want be a professional soloist,” he said.

Oliver’s first encounter with Juilliard was on his first visit to New York for a competition. He had the opportunity to tour Juilliard and knew immediately that there is where his dreams lie. He auditioned for a placement earlier this year and has received a scholarship to start his musical journey there.

Oliver speaks fondly of the years he had spent at Saint Kentigern Boys’ School. He said, “I’m grateful for the support I’ve received from the teachers and Principal Mr Cassie. The teachers here have been very encouraging. I am also appreciative of the opportunities I’ve gained from performing at assemblies in front of my peers, as it helps me build my confidence as a performer.”

Oliver added, “The school’s motto, Fides Servanda Est, has helped kept me going when I was preparing for my audition. I only had a limited amount of time to practice every day, and it was really hard to keep going but the motto motivated me to persevere. I probably would have stopped if I didn’t keep the faith.”

Principal Mr Peter Cassie said Oliver is a boy of exceptional talent. “Over the course of the years he has been with us, it has been absolutely fantastic to see him grow his talent and expertise. He is into everything and is musically and academically very strong. We are delighted that he has been accepted into the Julliard Precollege programme for music and has won a scholarship there. We wish Oliver every success knowing full well we will hear more about him in the future,” added Mr Cassie.

Oliver had a wonderful start at The Juilliard School in New York this week. Congratulations and all the very best, Oliver!