An Interview with Pei Ann

“I’m from a culture where you grow up, work, earn money and that’s it”

Today I met the Malaysian jazz violinist Pei Ann who is currently studying for a Graduate Diploma at Birmingham Conservatoire. For the benefit of those unfamiliar with Pei Ann and her music, the first word that comes to mind when listening to her is fusion; she successfully assimilates her diverse influences ranging from Chick Corea to Jewish Klezmer to Latin American music. It is not the tone, or the technique used in these influences that Pei Ann takes away, it is instead the flow of the musical lines and the general delivery; it is not the detail that is important, but what the music is trying to convey which is important.

“I’m still learning, so I’m not ready to spread my gospel of music yet”

Pei Ann found formal education important in her development as a musician; she began her musical training in Malaysia as a classical violinist, and progressed through the grades in the conventional way. Already an increasingly versatile performer Pei Ann moved on to study Jazz Violin in Australia and is continuing her Jazz studies here in Birmingham.

What does the future hold for the violinist? While Pei Ann says she would one day like to go Back Packing, for the moment she is “very focused on (her) music, and that is my priority”.