My twin daughters, Katherine (older, left) and Karen (younger, right), were born in 1997. I began teaching them the harp at the age of four, even before they started kindergarten. We started with simple finger-plucking exercises, and before long, they were performing solo pieces at their kindergarten graduation.

From a young age, they also performed at various small events—including their own birthday parties and a local talent show at our neighborhood shopping center. During their primary school years, we formed a children’s harp group with their cousins and a friend. The ensemble, which they named Harps Unlimited, rehearsed every weekend in my home studio, playing specially arranged pieces adapted for a young harp ensemble. They performed regularly at malls, churches, and were even invited by a Penang producer for a studio recording.

When they entered Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ Secondary School, both Katherine and Karen joined the school’s harp ensemble, where they practiced and performed in competitions, school concerts, and community outreach events.

After graduation, Karen pursued music professionally. She earned a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, followed by a Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music, where she is currently completing her doctoral studies. Today, her schedule includes teaching, rehearsing, and performing in recitals, chamber music groups, and orchestras. She has also performed harp for Afternoon Tea at top Singapore hotels including The Fullerton Hotel, Shangri-La, and Raffles Hotel.

Katherine, while not pursuing formal music studies, shares the same love for performing. She has also played at Afternoon Tea sessions at The Fullerton Hotel, Shangri-La, and Raffles Hotel.