Royal College of Music, London
Guwahati, August: “Nobody can choose music as a profession, it chooses you,” this is how child prodigy Gyaan Bhuyan on Tuesday described his journey into the elite Royal College of Music (RCM) in London.
Hailing from a cultural family of Guwahati, the 19-year-old boy is one of the rare students from the Indian music tradition getting a chance to study at the one of the world’s great conservatoires.
Having a gifted baritone voice, this western classical singer is in the second year of the Bachelors of Music and plans to join the Masters programme thereafter.
The country’s largest lender State Bank of India on Tuesday announced to extend an education loan to Bhuyan for his studies at the RCM, opened in 1883 by the then Prince of Wales (later Edward VII).
“RCM is a highly selective institution. It considers itself elite, but not elitist. RCM has a great history and legacy. It’s a pleasure to be a part of this world class institution,” the student said during a felicitation ceremony by the PSU lender here.
Bhuyan joined the RCM after completing his class 12 from a private school in Guwahati. He is one of the rare Indian talents, and first after several years, getting a coveted spot at the prestigious institute.
Talking about his journey in the field of music and eventually into the RCM, Bhuyan quoted Russian-American cellist Gregor Piatigorsky’s words, “Nobody can choose music as a profession, it chooses you.”
He also appreciated the SBI for taking the initiative in supporting his studies at RCM, where only a handful of music talents from around the world get a chance.
“I shall be grateful to the bank forever for making this possible. There are only a few financial institutions, which support studying liberal arts, especially in undergraduate studies. I believe this is a first for the SBI to support an Indian to literally study music abroad. This is something you don’t get to hear quite often,” the music prodigy said.
SBI chief general manager Vincent MD (Guwahati Circle) handed over the loan offer certificate to Bhuyan and his parents during the programme held at SBOA Public School, which is managed by SBI Officers’ Association (NE Circle).
“We are immensely proud of Gyaan Bhuyan’s exceptional achievements and are honoured to felicitate him for securing a place at the prestigious RCM. This recognition reinforces our commitment to nurturing talent and supporting excellence across diverse fields,” he added.
SBOA educational society secretary and correspondent Rupam Roy said as a Pidem Scholar, Bhuyan’s remarkable talent has been rewarded with a scholarship covering over 50 per cent of his tuition fees.
“He has scored first class with a high distinction on his singing assessments during the first year at the RCM. His presence at SBOA School inspired our students to pursue their dream with dedication and sincerity,” he added.
Talking about his son’s musical journey, theatre personality Sattyakee D’Com Bhuyan said Gyaan started singing at the tender age of seven seeing his mother, who is a choir singer.
“His association with the Christ Church Guwahati Choir paved the way for his awe-inspiring ascent. From his initial role as a choir boy soprano to his current prowess as a lyric baritone, Gyaan’s dedication and passion for music have consistently shone through,” he added.
