Pupil earns top musical accolade for his piano playing

HE has been playing piano since the age of three and can already boast of being one of the finest musicians in the city.

Edinburgh schoolboy Ryo Fukaura has just become one of the youngest music students to earn the right to have letters after his name.

But while a successful career as a top classical pianist is surely beckoning, the 17-year-old instead insists it is "just a hobby" as he pursues his dream of becoming a doctor.

The Fettes College pupil has gained the Performance Diploma for his "remarkable" piano playing skills, a musical accolade usually awarded to university postgraduate musicians, not school pupils.

The sixth-year boarder, who is from Japan, cannot believe his talents have earned him the right to add the letters DipABRSM after his name.

Ryo said: "It's a real honour to be able to have this qualification but I was quite surprised to learn that it entitled me to have letters after my name. I probably won't use them, but my friends find it amusing."

Ryo's parents are both musical and he was encouraged to play the piano at an early age by his mother, also a pianist.

Despite his enormous talent and passion for the instrument, Ryo is intending to pursue a career in medicine when he leaves school. He said: "At the moment I think it's a hobby but it's been with me all my life. My parents are really happy that I have managed to achieve this."

To gain the Performance Diploma from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), Ryo had to perform a 35-minute recital, as well as completing coursework and attending an interview at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

A spokesman for ABRSM said the diplomas were designed to "stimulate achievement through acquiring skills, knowledge and understanding" and the pass rate was just 55 per cent.

David Goodenough, head of music at Fettes, said: "The ABRSM Performer's Diploma represents a very serious test for any musician at any stage of their career.

"To be successful with it at the age of just 17 is a considerable achievement by any measure.

"Ryo Fukaura is a truly remarkable young musician with a very bright future and his success is a very welcome reflection of the countless hours he and his teacher have put into the preparation for this.

"They are both to be very highly commended indeed."

Fettes headmaster Michael Spens added: "We are incredibly proud of Ryo's achievements and the hard work and determination he has put in to obtain it.

"It is such a rare achievement in one so young, which makes it all the more special."