Wong Yih-Chyn, violin - My life in AYO (Part II - The Audition)

On the day of the audition, in Feb 1992, I nervously went up the stage of the Victoria Concert Hall. After playing Mendelssohn, then Prauludium and Allegro, it was the sight-reading session. On stage came Mr Pontzious. He put the score of the first violin part of Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony "Pathetique" first movement, the lyrical famous main melody, and signalled me to play. After playing it, Mr Pontzious turned to me and asked, "Do you know what is the name of this piece?" I replied, "Sorry Sir, I don't know.." "How can you not know! This is such a famous piece!" I was so embarrassed, thinking that I didn't make it through the audition. However, when I got home, I was told by my parents that they received a call to ask them to go down to meet Mr Pontzious the next day. Recently, during our Chinese new year dinner, I asked my father whether he remembered where he and my mum went that day? He can't remember now... Anyway, the purpose of the meeting between my parents and Mr Pontzious, was to make sure that I was 17 years old. On 1st April 1992, it was confirmed that I got into AYO. How excited I was! Subsequently, I had to apply for leave from school for 6 weeks, to attend the rehearsal camp and performance tour from mid-July to end-August 1992. I am very grateful to my civics tutor then, Mr Chua Kah Sheng, for allowing me to go.