Violinist Weien Amy Luo is the sole representative from KwaZulu-Natal at the 2025 National Youth Music Competition (NYMC).

Hailing from Umhlanga, north of Durban, she is a matriculant at the Crawford International College La Lucia. This year, only two violinists are contesting the NYMC. The other candidate is Emma Henshall from Cape Town.

The 17-year-old rising star says music is her passion. She always wanted to challenge herself to perform her best. "The NYMC offers me a chance to improve my skills, push my abilities, gain performance experience, and grow as a musician. Music tells stories that words cannot. I hope my story is heard," she says with determination.

The talented violinist's musical journey started when she was four and a half years old in Grade 00. Although it is her mother who inspired her to play the piano, it was her first teacher, Philippa Greenwood, who brought her into the music world.

"She has always had a strong belief in me and got me to perform a piano concerto with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra six months after I took my first lesson with her." Currently, she is tutored by Ekaterina Sinelnikova, who plays second violin with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra,

Weien Amy started playing the piano four years before she started playing the violin. The violin is today her favourite musical instrument. Over the past four years, she has been the concertmaster of the KZN Youth Orchestra, of which she has been a member for six years.

Her role models are her parents. "Without their love and sacrifices, I would not be who I am today. I always admire their resilience, wisdom and dedication," she smiles.

German composer Johann Sebastian Bach is her favourite composer. She says Bach's music resonates through time. She always feels an emotional connection to his pieces.

Family-wise, her little brother, Aiden, was crowned as the overall winner of the 2023 Hubert van der Spuy Music Competition. He plays the piano and the violin. She says her grandfather loved to sing, although she never got to meet him in person.

Weien Amy practices on average two hours per day. In her free time, she likes to swim, read, travel and spend time with her family.

If she could be an animal, she would have loved to be an owl. "It is wise, calm, observant, and a bit mysterious."

She describes herself as appreciative. "I am always grateful for people in my life, people who love me, help me and inspire me. The young violinist lives by the motto. "Anything is possible.