“Play like a Latino!”
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Making Waves
The Aisha Syed Castro Interview
with Keelan Carew
- 40.5 min
Inclusion Industry Motivation
Dominican violinist Aisha Syed Castro discusses her life, inspirations, lessons learned and the barriers that must be overcome to achieve success as one of the few Caribbean classical musicians of her generation.
Aisha Syed is a violinist and Honorary Cultural Goodwill Ambassador for the Dominican Republic. Recognised on BBC Radio 3’s ‘Performing Miracles’ list, she made history as the first Latin American student at the Yehudi Menuhin School before graduating from the Royal College of Music. Her global solo career spans iconic stages including Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Concertgebouw. Celebrated by Forbes and Vogue, Aisha is also a dedicated educator and chair of the ‘Music for Life’ foundation. She performs on an Antonio Stradivarius violin, graciously provided by Florian Leonhard, and dedicates her artistry to her Christian faith.
Keelan Carew
Keelan Carew is an acclaimed pianist and broadcaster dedicated to classical music education. Raised in Medway and trained at the Royal Northern College of Music, his career highlights include a Royal Festival Hall appearance with Lang Lang and a concerto debut performing Rachmaninoff’s Paganini Rhapsody.
A prominent voice on BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4, Keelan has hosted series such as Piano Odyssey and Sounds Connected, alongside frequent appearances on In Tune. As Founding Artistic Director of the Rainham Piano Festival and former outreach lead at the Yehudi Menuhin School, he expertly balances performance with producing accessible concerts for the next generation.
