Studies Abroad
In October of 1967, Flavia began studying music seriously for the first time in Paris. She opted for the piano instead of the violin, and took private lessons with Pierre Sancan, a piano professor of repute at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique, and a renowned composer of ‘Prix de Rome’ status. It took two years of hard work and long hours of practicing during which much had to be corrected and at times, even deconstructed from scratch, before Flavia attempted the difficult competitive entrance examinations (or Concours) to the Paris Conservatoire.





In the Fall of 1969, at the age of nineteen, Flavia became the first Malaysian to enter the Paris Conservatoire when she passed the demanding Entrance Concours.

Study at the Paris Conservatoire spanned three years - despite the political upheavals and crisis of the 1969 riots - and with new professors: Madame Jeanne-Marie Darre for the piano; Madame Genevieve Joy, for Dechiffrage, or Sight-Reading, who was the wife of the noted French composer, Henri Dutilleux. Monsieur Nobert Dufourcq for History of Music and various other professors in the different music disciplines demanded of students at the Conservatoire.







In the Fall of 1969, at the age of nineteen, Flavia became the first Malaysian to enter the Paris Conservatoire when she passed the demanding Entrance Concours.

Study at the Paris Conservatoire spanned three years - despite the political upheavals and crisis of the 1969 riots - and with new professors: Madame Jeanne-Marie Darre for the piano; Madame Genevieve Joy, for Dechiffrage, or Sight-Reading, who was the wife of the noted French composer, Henri Dutilleux. Monsieur Nobert Dufourcq for History of Music and various other professors in the different music disciplines demanded of students at the Conservatoire.

Flavia was now awarded her second French Government scholarship for becoming the first Malaysian to study at the prestigious Paris Conservatoire.

Flavia was now awarded her second French Government scholarship for becoming the first Malaysian to study at the prestigious Paris Conservatoire.

                  From left to right, H.E. the French Ambassador, Monsieur B.G. Epinat, and his 
             wife Madame Colette Epinat, meeting with Flavia’s father, Mr. A.F.R. de Souza.
 From left to right, H.E. the French Ambassador, Monsieur B.G. Epinat, and his wife Madame Colette Epinat, meeting with Flavia’s father, Mr. A.F.R. de Souza.
At the time of her studies at the Conservatoire, Monsieur B.G.Epinat was the French Ambassador to Malaysia, and during her summer vacation back home in Kuala Lumpur in 1970, Flavia was invited to play to a select audience at the Ambassador’s residence.


1972: Flavia went to study at a summer piano seminar held at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena in Italy, where international concertist, Maurizio Pollini, was conducting a series of piano masterclasses.

Flavia was accepted in Maurizio Pollini’s piano class together with four other male students after the entrance auditions. The piano seminar spanned two-and-a-half weeks of intense work – masterclasses with Pollini in the morning and lengthy private lessons with him in the afternoons. This opportunity to study with Pollini had enriched Flavia’s life and gave a more meaningful insight into piano study and performance. 
1972: Flavia went to study at a summer piano seminar held at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena in Italy, where international concertist, Maurizio Pollini, was conducting a series of piano masterclasses.

Flavia was accepted in Maurizio Pollini’s piano class together with four other male students after the entrance auditions. The piano seminar spanned two-and-a-half weeks of intense work – masterclasses with Pollini in the morning and lengthy private lessons with him in the afternoons. This opportunity to study with Pollini had enriched Flavia’s life and gave a more meaningful insight into piano study and performance. 
Back in Paris she was introduced to Madame Yvonne Loriod, the wife of noted French composer, Olivier Messiaen, who, in turn, introduced her to Madame Germaine Mounier, a piano professor at the Ecole Normale Superieure de Musique. Flavia started to prepare for the Concours of the ‘Licence d’Enseignement’ (or Teaching Degree) which she obtained in June 1973 with the distinction of being “premiere nommee a l’unanimite avec les felicitations du jury” - unanimously nominated first with the congratulations of the jury.

In the summer of 1973, Flavia returned to Malaysia for six months during which she gave a concert at the Radio and Television House, Angkasapuri in Kuala Lumpur. A new auditorium had just been built and the Ministry of Information and Culture shared the sponsorship of the concert together with the French Embassy and the Alliance Francaise of Kuala Lumpur.


The concert featured a solo recital on the first half of the program. On the second half, Flavia played two pieces accompanied by the orchestra. Only the first movement of Beethoven’s 3rd piano concerto was performed because of the difficulty in procuring the full score for the orchestra, and this was followed by an arrangement of Indonesian and Malay folk tunes, by a local composer, Gus Steyn. This selection of works for a concert program may seem strange to Western audiences but to the Malaysian public who attended the concert, it was the first time they actually heard and witnessed a live performance of a piano concerto (or part of a concerto) and one performed by a local pianist. 

Thus this concert was considered a great success by both sponsors – the Malaysian Minister at that time, Tan Sri Ghazalie Shafie, and the then French Ambassador to Malaysia, Monsieur Francois de Quirielle, and the Director of the Alliance Francaise, Monsieur Henri Vidal. 

The concert itself was nationwide telecast and broadcast live, and was repeated twice during the following year. The outcome of the Angkasapuri concert were interviews for Flavia on Radio and TV Malaysia together with more recorded engagements during the remainder of her six-month stay at home. 

The concert also led to sponsorship by Radio TV Malaysia to the International Festival of Young Artists at Bratislava in Czechoslovakia.

The concert featured a solo recital on the first half of the program. On the second half, Flavia played two pieces accompanied by the orchestra. Only the first movement of Beethoven’s 3rd piano concerto was performed because of the difficulty in procuring the full score for the orchestra, and this was followed by an arrangement of Indonesian and Malay folk tunes, by a local composer, Gus Steyn. This selection of works for a concert program may seem strange to Western audiences but to the Malaysian public who attended the concert, it was the first time they actually heard and witnessed a live performance of a piano concerto (or part of a concerto) and one performed by a local pianist. 

Thus this concert was considered a great success by both sponsors – the Malaysian Minister at that time, Tan Sri Ghazalie Shafie, and the then French Ambassador to Malaysia, Monsieur Francois de Quirielle, and the Director of the Alliance Francaise, Monsieur Henri Vidal. 

The concert itself was nationwide telecast and broadcast live, and was repeated twice during the following year. The outcome of the Angkasapuri concert were interviews for Flavia on Radio and TV Malaysia together with more recorded engagements during the remainder of her six-month stay at home. 

The concert also led to sponsorship by Radio TV Malaysia to the International Festival of Young Artists at Bratislava in Czechoslovakia.
Back in Paris in February 1974, Flavia began intensive training for her final examinations, or Concours, for the prestigious ‘Licence de Concert ’ (Performing Degree) under the tutelage of Madame Germaine Mounier. In June of the same year she was awarded her third, and last, French Government scholarship because of her excellent results in obtaining the ‘Licence d’Enseignement’ (Teaching Degree) as well as the success of the Angkasapuri concert.
In the summer of 1975, Flavia was accepted to study with international pianist, Stephen Bishop-Kovacevic, at his masterclasses which were held in Dartington in England. During these masterclasses, international concertiste, Martha Argerich, who was there together with Stephen Bishop-Kovacevic, gave Flavia her opinion and valuable reviews as an artist whenever Flavia played in the piano masterclasses.
On the left, Stephen Bishop together with Flavia and students: Enjoying the English sunshine during a break in classes
In 1975, a concert was organised by CROUS, the Welcoming Service for French Scholarship Students in Paris, at the Grand Amphitheatre of the ‘Faculte de Droit ‘ (Law Faculty) in Paris. Flavia was one of the six pianists chosen to participate at this concert for which she performed the Beethoven Sonata op.101.

In June 1976, Flavia was one of the eight successful candidates to obtain the prestigious ‘Licence de Concert’ (Performing Degree) from the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris. Back home again in the summer of 1976, she gave a recital at the new hall of the Alliance Francaise in Kuala Lumpur under the sponsorship of the then Alliance Francaise Director, Monsieur Stephan Charras.


In the Fall of 1976, Flavia returned to Paris where she joined the ‘Cycle de Perfectionnement ’, a specialised training for international piano competitions at Geneva in Switzerland and the ‘Robert Cassadesus’ in the U.S.A - under the tutelage and guidance of her previous professors, Madame Germaine Mounier and Professor Pierre Sancan. She also continued with her studies in Chamber Music, Harmony and Counterpoint and obtained these diplomas in 1977. Invited to perform at two International Summer Festivals and nominated as professor of piano at two suburban conservatoires in Paris, she had to cut short her plans and return home to Malaysia on account of her father’s ill-health.
In 1975, a concert was organised by CROUS, the Welcoming Service for French Scholarship Students in Paris, at the Grand Amphitheatre of the ‘Faculte de Droit ‘ (Law Faculty) in Paris. Flavia was one of the six pianists chosen to participate at this concert for which she performed the Beethoven Sonata op.101.

In June 1976, Flavia was one of the eight successful candidates to obtain the prestigious ‘Licence de Concert’ (Performing Degree) from the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris. Back home again in the summer of 1976, she gave a recital at the new hall of the Alliance Francaise in Kuala Lumpur under the sponsorship of the then Alliance Francaise Director, Monsieur Stephan Charras.


In the Fall of 1976, Flavia returned to Paris where she joined the ‘Cycle de Perfectionnement ’, a specialised training for international piano competitions at Geneva in Switzerland and the ‘Robert Cassadesus’ in the U.S.A - under the tutelage and guidance of her previous professors, Madame Germaine Mounier and Professor Pierre Sancan. She also continued with her studies in Chamber Music, Harmony and Counterpoint and obtained these diplomas in 1977. Invited to perform at two International Summer Festivals and nominated as professor of piano at two suburban conservatoires in Paris, she had to cut short her plans and return home to Malaysia on account of her father’s ill-health.
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