By:  Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chan Cheong Jan
       Department Of Music

SERDANG - 23rd November 2019. A ceremony was held to hand over a Yamaha brand marimba of current worth of MYR30,000.00 by Prof Dr Yoshihito Shirai to the Music Department, Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia. The ceremony, which was held at Music House 4, Faculty of Human Ecology, was witnessed by the Vice Chancellor of Universiti Putra Malaysia Prof Datin Paduka Dato’ Dr Aini Ideris, board member of university Prof Dato’ Dr Mohd Ali Hassan, head of Music Department Assoc Prof Dr Loo Fung Chiat, and lecturers of the Music Department, Faculty of Human Ecology, UPM. In his speech, Prof Dr Yoshihito Shirai mentioned that the gift is presented as a gesture of gratitude towards Universiti Putra Malaysia, for the university’s years of collaboration in nurturing the music performance skills of Sayuri Shirai, who is a person with Down syndrome.

Sayuri Shirai is now a familiar name in Universiti Putra Malaysia as well as in the country of Malaysia. Between 2012 to 2019, close to 20 times of public performance have been made by Sayuri Shirai and Assoc Prof Dr Chan Cheong Jan (FEM, UPM) in places including Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan. The marimba presented will benefit the teaching and learning in Bachelor Music program, while being used as an instrument for community outreach.

Date of Input: 26/11/2019 | Updated: 26/11/2019 | rozlita