11-year-old organist to perform at St Peter’s Church Padungan opening
by Desiree David · Borneo Post OnlineKUCHING (June 27): At just 11 years old, Sarawakian-Australian Kai Laird is one of the rare few in his age group to master the pipe organ, an instrument typically associated with seasoned musicians.
The young organist is set to perform during the opening ceremony of the newly completed St Peter’s Church in Padungan, which will be consecrated in a week-long celebration starting today until July 5.
The church, poised to become one of Kuching’s latest architectural and spiritual landmarks, features a custom-built Allen digital organ imported from the United States.
It is on this instrument that Kai will perform several specially selected pieces over two days.
He will be playing ‘You Raise Me Up’ by Josh Groban and ‘Prière de Notre Dame’ by Léon Boëllmann, today.
On Tuesday, his set will include J.S. Bach’s ‘Toccata and Fugue’ in D minor (BWV 565), ‘Be Thou My Vision’, and a duet performance of the ‘Skye Boat Song’ with his younger brother Kenzie Laird, 7, on violin.
Kai began his musical journey with piano lessons at the age of three, taught by his mother. Today, he plays four instruments: the pipe organ, piano, cello, and drums.
His parents — Robert Wallace Laird from Australia and Beverly Chan from Kuching, Sarawak — are both professional pianists and run a music studio in Australia where they also teach.
“My parents asked me if I wanted to try the pipe organ, and I said ‘Okay’. When I played it at St Mary’s Cathedral (Perth), I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so crazy’,” Kai said when met by The Borneo Post.
He now practises the organ twice a day for about 40 minutes, and the piano for 20 minutes. Both he and Kenzie are home-schooled, giving them the flexibility to focus on music full-time.
Kai enjoys the pipe organ for its sound, versatility, and complexity.
“You can mix all the sounds, adjust them, and even play with your feet. Sometimes I get confused with the pedals or the sounds, but I can fix it afterwards. It’s fun!” he said enthusiastically.
He owns a digital organ built in 1982, which allows him to practise from home. He looks forward to navigating the significantly larger organ at St Peter’s, made by the same company, on performance day.
“There is a lot to get used to with each organ. Some pedal boards are curved, some are flat. The number of keyboards also changes. St Peter’s has four manuals, which is really cool,” he said.
Kai has already performed in Malaysia, Australia, Scotland, and England, and is currently the youngest organ scholar at St Mary’s Cathedral in Perth.
Following his performance at St Peter’s, the family will travel to the United Kingdom next week for another recital. In October, he is set to compete in his first organ competition in Sydney.
In a field where young players are rare, Kai continues to build a name for himself with discipline, focus, and genuine love for the music, and may well inspire more children to explore the organ too.
Related report: Week-long celebration to mark consecration of new St Peter’s Church in Padungan