Biography

Alyssa Kok graduated at 18 with her Bachelor of Arts degree in piano performance with full distinctions artistically and academically from the Mozarteum University of Salzburg, Austria, becoming one of its youngest graduates.  At 20, she received her Master of Arts degree in piano performance with distinction at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland. Alyssa Kok’s formal musical education began at 12 when she was selected from Singapore to study at the Leopold Mozart Institute for Highly Talented Students. At 14, she was admitted to Mozarteum’s Bachelor programme. In the same year, she was also selected to study at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music’s Młoda Muzyczna Akademia, a young talent programme for Polish students.  Her teachers included Wojciech Świtała, Gereon Kleiner, and Benjamin Loh.

Alyssa Kok has won over 30 top prizes in international piano competitions; most recently, she was the three-time recipient of the Winner Diploma at the Soloist and Concerto Competition, 9th edition Talent Music Summer Courses 2024, Italy, playing Fryderyk Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, Camille Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58; she also won 1st prize performing Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58 at the Altalena Concerto Competition, Hungary, in 2023; Special Prize for her free programme performance at the Tournament of Foreign Pianists for the Prince Antoni Radziwiłł Prize, Poland 2023, the Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Prize at the Mauro Paolo International Piano Competition, Italy 2022, as well as 2nd prize at the VI International Chopin Piano Competition 2022 in Turzno, Poland, among others.

Alyssa Kok has performed in concert in Europe, North America, Israel, Asia and New Zealand. Most recently, she performed a sold-out all-Chopin solo recital at the Esplanade Singapore for the Embassy of Poland in Singapore and the Polish Association in Singapore, titled Alyssa Kok Plays Chopin. She also gave all-Chopin recitals in Italy and New Zealand. She performed eight concerts on tour in Canada in 2022 at venues including the Polaris Theatre in Calgary, and in the Mozart Tour in China in 2014 and 2016 at venues including the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall and Nanshan Cultural Centre. At 11, she was the youngest scholarship recipient of the Singapore International Foundation as cultural ambassador for Singapore for her debut solo recital, made at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall in New York City. She has collaborated with orchestras such as the Toruń Symphony Orchestra, Salzburg Chamber Soloists, Sándor Végh Institute Chamber Orchestra, Shenzhen Symphony Festival Orchestra, Altalena Chamber Festival Orchestra and the Master Orchestra in Italy. She has worked multiple times with conductors including Sergio Baietta, Przemysław Fiugajski, Lavard Skou Larsen, Wolfgang Redik, Jakub Chrenowicz, Noah Max and Kang Yongze.

Alyssa Kok has been featured on the Salzburg ORF radio, Austria, the Alberta radio, Canada, La Tribuna newspaper, Treviso, Italy, BarlettaNews24, La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno and PugliaLive newspapers, Barletta, Italy, GioiaNet newspaper, Bari, Italy, Rhema Media, New Zealand, Polish television COMTV.pl, the Republic of Poland’s website, Lianhe Zaobao newspaper, Singapore, CNA938 radio station, Singapore and The Straits Times newspaper, Singapore.

Alyssa Kok is a versatile musician who engages in diverse artistic activities. She is a keen player of historical keyboard instruments, having studied harpsichord, clavichord and fortepiano performance with Florian Birsak at the Mozarteum University Salzburg from 2017. She premiered her 15-minute long debut composition for the piano, Singapore Fantasy (2023), in recitals in Poland, Singapore and Italy. She has performed and initiated several sold-out charity recitals in several continents, with tickets sold for up to $180 each. All proceeds went directly to the children and recipients of the charities. Alyssa is fluent in English, German, Mandarin and Polish and speaks some Italian.