Davina Shum, 2013

“The NZUK Link scholarship gave me the opportunity to discover what it was that I wanted from my life”.

Inspired by attending classical music concerts at an early age, Davina started playing the cello when she was seven years old. She studied cello performance at the University of Auckland and worked with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. She later completed a master’s degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and then applied for the NZUK Link Scholarship to join the Southbank Sinfonia (SbS) in London in 2013.

During her time with SbS, Davina played with the SbS orchestra, undertook professional development sessions, and completed workshops on movement, public speaking, and communications, while also participating in education projects in local schools. With SbS, through playing diverse repertoire and meeting different people, Davina had a taste of what it was like to work in a fast-paced professional environment. Her time with SbS also gave her an understanding of the multifaceted career options available to classical musicians and planted the seed for her interest in media and communications.

Davina now works as a musician and journalist. She is the online editor for ‘The Strad’, a magazine specialising in stringed instruments, and she plays in a West End Show. Training as a classical musician allowed Davina to hone her skills, including diligence, discipline, and attention to detail, which she has been able to transfer to her journalism work.