Neecia Majolly is an Indian concert pianist, conductor, singer, teacher and composer, who has emerged as one of the most dynamic musical forces in India.

Biography

Neecia Majolly’s development as a musician includes piano studies with her parents in Brunei Darussalam (where she was born and brought up), and with Vivien Ngo (Singapore) and Dr. John Roberts (Perth, Australia), and vocal studies with Shelagh Molyneax (Singapore). In 1992, Neecia was awarded the Stephanie Coleman Prize for Best Graduating Pianist from the Western Australian Conservatorium of Music, Perth, the Rex Hobcroft Award in 1991 for Best Pianist at the Inaugural Chamber Music Competition (Western Australian Conservatorium of Music, Perth), and in 2001, the Edgar Fewkes Memorial Award for outstanding musician (voice) in the southern Indian region.

Giving her first public performance at the age of 6, and having been involved in various radio and television programmes in Brunei Darussalam, Neecia has several successful solo performances to her credit in Malaysia, Singapore

Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

, Western Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, Brunei

Brunei

Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...

 and India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, and is also accompanist to Russian-American violinist Galina Heifetz in India.

Neecia is also in demand as a music educator having taught at the Delhi School of Music, the Bangalore School of Music (as well as being Head of the Assessment Panel there), Technics Music School (Sabah, Malaysia), and is presently teaching piano and vocal studies privately in Bangalore (including vocal training and interpretative workshops), where she has been living for the past 12 ½ years.

Under her baton, two choirs, Madrigals, Etc. (specializing in music from the Renaissance period) and the Camerata, have earned a firm reputation in India for being unique in their choice of repertoire and quality of presentation. The year 2001 saw the historic performance of Handel’s “Messiah” for choir, soloists and full – fledged orchestra, the likes of which had never been experienced in India before. The former choir has now the distinction of being the first to launch, in October 2009, the first ever Western Classical Music Album in India, 'the renaissance begins', which has received excellent appreciation.

As co-founder and ex-president of the Bangalore Society for Performing Arts, a non – profit organisation set up in 2000 for the promotion of music, theatre and dance in Indiahttp://www.bspa.741.com, Neecia has been vigorous in encouraging young artistes in their pursuit of the performing arts. The organization unfortunately has had to close down due to pressing circumstances.

At present, Neecia is the Founder-Trustee of the Majolly Music Trust, that aims to raise the standard of Western Classical Music in India through the highest standards of music teaching and performance. The Trust is proud to have begun a pension fund for aged and infirm musicians, and is the first organisation in the country to do so, due to absence of any framework of social security in India.

Neecia is presently the all-Karnataka representative of the LCME (London College of Music Examinations

London College of Music Examinations

London College of Music Examinations is an examinations board offering graded and diploma qualifications in music, and in drama & communication...

) that offer a range of subjects like classical music performance and theory, pop music

Pop music

Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

 performance and theory, electronic keyboard

Electronic keyboard

An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...

, jazz performance, teaching, composition

Musical composition

Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...

, thesis

Thesis

A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...

, conducting

Conducting

Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...

, church music

Church music

Church music may be defined as music written for performance in church, or any musical setting of ecclestiacal liturgy, or music set to words expressing propositions of a sacred nature, such as a hymn. This article covers music in the Judaeo-Christian tradition. For sacred music outside this...

, drama

Drama

Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...

, music theatre, chamber

Chamber music

Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...

 ensemble

Musical ensemble

A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...

 and early learning to name a few. Examinations in electric and bass guitars are offered in partnership with the Registry of Guitar Tutors (RGT) whose board of patrons include the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Hank Marvin

Hank Marvin

Hank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...

, David Gilmour

David Gilmour

David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...

 and Ronnie Wood among others.

Neecia is also Artistic Advisor to the National Philharmonic of India (based in Japan), and has also worked as radio presenter of Western Classical Music in New Delhi, India, as well as critiquing for two major newspapers in India.

In addition, she holds an ALS (Associate of La Salle - SIA College of the Arts, Singapore) in both performance and principles of teaching, ALCM (Associate of the London College of Music) in music theatre, LTCL (Licentiate of the Trinity College, London) in piano, voice and principles of teaching, LRSM (Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music, London) in piano, and the prestigious FTCL (Fellowship of the Trinity College, London) in piano.

She now has a piano album released on i-tunes, 'Gold Spa'by Universal Audio, USA, which is believed to be the first western classical album released by an Indian pianist.

Trivia

• First public performance at age 6, followed by numerous radio and television appearances on Brunei radio and television
• Holder of prestigious diplomas such as the LRSM and FTCL, as well as B.Mus from the Western Australian Conservatorium, Perth (Australia) and awarded the Stephanie Coleman Prize for Best Graduating Pianist.
• Australian premieres of new works
• International debut as concert pianist in 1996, going on to other successful solo performances
• Accompanist to Russian – American violinist, Galina Heifetz in India
• Co-founder and ex- director of the Bangalore Society for Performing Arts
• Conductor and director of two acclaimed choirs, Madrigals, Etc. and the Camerata including ground – breaking performances in India.
• Artistic advisor to the National Philharmonic of India (Japan)
• London College of Music Examinations (LCME) representative for Karnataka, India.

Quotes

• “A brilliant virtuoso, her choice of the Waldstein Sonata in C Op.53 of Beethoven showed the clarity and command she has over the keyboard”. – The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 18 September 1998
• “Neecia Majolly’s recital reached a high level. If expressed briefly, it was the performer’s natural flair for the instrument and also her utter clarity of conception and expression that was her most impressive quality”. – The Hindu, Chennai, 2 October 1998
• “’Madrigals, Etc.’ …..is one of the best vocal combos….” – Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 6 September 1999
• “….the vocal and chamber ensemble, Madrigals, Etc., once again claimed kudos as one of the city’s most polished performing groups of Western art music….Majolly held her audience throughout the two-hour recital by carefully varying the moods, textures, and tempo of successive selection of the 15 – item programme…..Her playing emphasized dynamics, technical virtuosity, sheer speed and stamina, impressive as it was, this type of brio only exhibits a small part of the expressive range she showed as a singer and accompanist”. – Deccan Herald, Bamgalore, 3 July 2000
• “Neecia Majolly, known for her virtuosity at the piano and as the conductor of the Madrigals Choir, must be congratulated for her effort in bringing forth this production (‘Messiah’)

The choir was truly magnificent” – The Sunday Times of India, Bangalore, 5 August 2001

• “Musical history was made in Bangalore recently. One of the masterpieces in western classical music – Handel’s Messiah – was performed in full by a 45 strong group here.”

- The Economic Times, Bangalore, 12 August 2001

• “Opening the evening with a very positive performance of the Shostakovich Prelude and Fugue in e minor, she established herself effortlessly in perfect control…with the two Brahms Rhapsodies…., the performer was in her element….the performance was a treat for the listener.” – The Hindu, Chennai, 15 November 2002
• “Most people are unaware of Renaissance music, but now, thanks to the work done by Neecia and Madrigals, Etc., people are learning to appreciate and understand it.” – The Times of India, Bangalore, 28 June 2003