S’porean pianist, 45, with shoulder arthritis to fulfil lifelong dream of competing in Japan before major surgery
At 45, Singaporean pianist Debbie Cheng is racing against time to fulfil a lifelong dream: to perform in front of an audience.
On July 24, she will fly alone to Japan to compete in the Piara International Piano Competition in the city of Hamamatsu. Her performance is scheduled for July 31 at 12.15pm local time.
For Cheng, the competition is not a matter of winning or losing — the personal stakes are much higher.
It is likely Cheng’s last performance before she undergoes shoulder replacement surgery.
“I am racing against time to chase this dream before I undergo major shoulder replacement at the young age of 45. It is my last dream before my whole shoulder anatomy changes,” she told Stomp.
A lifelong love of music
Cheng has been dealing with what she calls a “bone on bone” shoulder condition for the past 20 years.
She explained that her shoulder “constantly dislocates”, which has led to the protective cartilage wearing away and the bones in her shoulder grinding together.
On top of that, Cheng has had a heart condition since birth, which requires her to replace her heart valve every 10 years.
Using her hands can be painful — but it has not stopped her from practising every day.
“Despite the serious condition of my shoulder injury and being in pain, I press on to practise and share my music with others around the world,” said Cheng, whose love for the piano began when she was around eight or nine years old.
Today, Cheng teaches music to young children in schools across Singapore. She also occasionally teaches adult beginners at home.
She considers herself a “semi-professional” musician, with hopes of becoming a professional one day.
Cheng’s dream has always been to perform for an international audience.
She learnt about the upcoming competition through an agent from a piano school and decided to go for it.
“I registered for the competition because I want to challenge myself and achieve my once-in-a-lifetime dream of performing in front of people,” she shared.
Practising through the pain
For her performance, Cheng will play The Seasons, Op. 37a, June, Barcarolle by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Cheng knows that surgery will mean months of rehabilitation, but she hopes to eventually continue pursuing music at a renowned music conservatory, such as Raffles Music College.
For now, she is focused on making the most of the time she has before her operation.
Cheng said the pain is worth it when she is able to share her music with others.
“My dream is to share my music with people before my shoulder no longer becomes my own.”
Despite her condition, Cheng believes that music remains possible.
“Nothing is impossible,” she told Stomp. “Despite being crippled with shoulder issues every day, I am able to make beautiful music to share with people around me.”
Her message to the world? Passion can carry us through even the most difficult circumstances.
“It really hurts to use my hands every day,” she said. “But for my passion and for music, being in pain is worth every effort and bit of time.”
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