Pass It On foundation helps needy students

Curtis Campbell, Gleaner Writer

Violinist extraordinaire Jessica Yap will be hosting her first fund-raising concert for The Jessica Yap Pass It On Scholarship Foundation.

The event will be hosted at the University of the West Indies Chapel in Mona on Sunday at 5 p.m., and the contribution is $2,000.

The event will feature internationally recognised artistes such as David Cole, Carol Cole and Jon Robertson performing on cello, violin and piano respectively.

The Cole/Robertson Trio has collaborated with other distinguished artistes, such as Rudolf Serkin, Martha Agerich, Leon Fleisher, Joshua Bell, Luciano Pavarotti and played under celebrated conductors, including Leonard Bernstein, Eugene Ormandy, Claudio Abbado, among others.

Carol Cole, the violinist in the trio, is also one of Jessica's Yap's violin teachers, and the audience will get a first-hand understanding of the calibre of training that Jessica has had.

They are also expected to woo the patrons by performing works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Joaquìn Turina and Felix Mendelssohn.

Jessica, a first-year medical student, was the recipient of the University of the West Indies' (UWI) Open Scholarship, and it was agreed that in receiving this award, a scholarship would in turn be awarded to a student of her choice.

The selected recipient of this year's award is Rouaj Shirley, also a first-year medical student at the UWI.

Jessica Yap is also on the executive committee of Angels of Love, a charitable organisation that reaches out to Jamaican children with critical health conditions or who are terminally ill.

According to Jessica, getting more assistance for persons in need is one way in which she can express her gratitude for all the support and encouragement her country has given her throughout her many years of performing.

Jessica, who has high expectations for the event, said the goal is to provide assistance for medical students and that the event will present some of the world's finest talents.

"People should support this event as it is for a very good cause, giving some of Jamaica's most talented the opportunity to continue their education and possibly become some of our finest doctors. It is also a rare opportunity for lovers of classical music to witness the performance of three of the United States' most respected musicians," she said.

Sponsors who collaborated with Jessica to host the event include The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites, Caribbean Airlines, Optical Outlet, UWI, Juici Patties, Lillan Limited, Eyeland Eyewear, Apex Medical Centre and The Gleaner Company Ltd.

To become a beneficiary of The Jessica Yap Pass It On Scholarship Foundation, one must be of exemplary standards in academics. Beneficiaries must also display high standards in areas outside of the classroom, display high levels of moral awareness and self-discipline, and must be in need of financial aid.