Meet Hillary O’Sullivan: How An Introverted Pianist Fights For A Better World

Award-winning pianist Hillary, 13, goes from being an introvert to a climate change advocate playing and speaking in front of thousands.

By Muhammad Nurhelman Abdul Rahim, Skye Koh Jung Hong, Yumni Koi Zulkiflee

Miss Elaine Lim together with her daughter, Hillary, delighted to be present at the world premiere of 2099 The Power in Us, showcasing The Girl and Her Piano on 7th Nov 2024. (PHOTO: Nurhelman)

Very demure, very mindful, very cutesy.

That would be the most appropriate Gen Z term to describe Hillary, who has fought for a better world through her piano keyboard, using her musical talents in inspiring change to the world, one note at a time.

Miss Elaine, the 49-year-old mother of Hillary describes her as “naturally shy, introverted, and soft-spoken”, yet Hillary high-key champions climate change by using music to spread awareness. Hillary’s story tells a tale of how modern problems require modern solutions -  advocating for climate change can be as unique to each of our own gifts and capabilities. 

“You should use your passions and skills to raise awareness. As long as you start with what you care about, together we can create a more environmentally friendly world,” said Hillary.

Hillary recently aced her performances in 2023, playing her piano among penguins during the Antarctic Climate Expedition in February organised by Ocean Geographic Society. Subsequently, she performed in the highlands of Bhutan before their king, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck during the Royal Bhutan Festival in October. 

She has travelled to the extreme corners of the world, trekked peaks of Mother Earth to play the piano, harmonising tunes with nature.

However, her journey as a young climate advocate presents unique challenges and perspectives. Like any great cause throughout the course of human history, the road Hillary walked on proved to be challenging with brutal experiences right from the get-go. 

UNEARTHING HER PURPOSE: SYMPHONY IN NATURE

Miss Elaine was trained in classical piano from the age of six while Hillary mozart her way since she was three-years-old, processing the new skill taught by her own mother almost seamlessly. 

As the saying goes, like mother, like daughter. 

“Although some news coverage portrayed Hillary as a piano prodigy, really, she isn’t one. She’s a regular kid learning the piano like so many other children, at a regular pace.  Behind every minute of beautiful music any musician plays, are hours of focused concentration, frustrations and hard work.” explained Miss Elaine. 

However, that is not the only thing Hillary role modelled from her mother, as she invested more time in her mother’s life journey, she found herself discovering the harsh truth of the inevitable climate crisis. She tagged along with Miss Elaine towards understanding the dire need for change.

Miss Elaine is an active recreational scuba diver and mountain trekker which redirected herself into developing an emotional attachment in environmental conservation. She was sentimental about the impact of human activity on our planet and it sparked her journey into roping Hillary towards her first steps of activism.

“I was immersed in the natural beauty of our world in the highlands and the oceans. By appreciating the outdoors, it was our first step towards activism,” commented Miss Elaine.

The newfound burning desire sprung a personal photographic project on the island of Bunaken, Indonesia in October 2018. The project entitled “Above The Sands”, paved Hillary’s journey towards a new perspective on the harm we do to our environment.

In this photo documented venture in 2018, Hillary took her baby steps towards activism on the Bunaken Island which faced a lot of pollution from Manado City, affecting the coral reefs and marine life surrounding its area on top of unlawful tourism into the protected marine park. (VIDEO:  Above The Sands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKdiL0fZva4)

"I will do my absolute 100/100 best for the photo project and Bunaken and its people, I will overcome my fears,” seven-year-old Hillary signed off her commitment before the commencement of the project.

This is where it all began, when Hillary embarked on a photographic diary journey, where she first saw the world through a bigger lens. It was her first time handling a DSLR camera, capturing moments that would leave her to ponder, how bad can it be?  

But what awaited Hillary were horrific scenes that reflected the rising global temperatures - the bleaching of its coral reefs leading to destroyed ecosystems.

Miss Elaine recalled the moment she observed Hillary processing what was going on: “When she saw first-hand, the graveyard of dead corals during one of our snorkelling trips, something was growing in her mind then, though she did not communicate much at that time.”

She had even remarked that seeing the decaying Mother Earth must have been traumatising for Hillary, and she would have questioned herself, “Why is this all happening to the world I’m living in. What can I do to save my world, our world, how do I save it and where do I begin?”

This project was more than enough to fuel her commitment towards climate change advocacy, growing from just a shy, introverted, award-winning pianist to something bigger than herself. 

CLIMATE AVENGERS: ASSEMBLE

Taking the first step is the most important one; the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Hillary stepped out of her comfort zone to face reality for the first time. 

Hillary was among the 12 Singaporeans selected on the Antarctic Climate Expedition in 2023. She performed a solo rendition of “Rhapsody of A Changing Antarctic” by Mr Eric Bettens on the Antarctic ice for her contribution towards the climate expedition.

“In fact, everyone was doing their own special thing for the climate earnestly during that trip, through science, arts, motivation, and a far vision for a better tomorrow collectively,” said Miss Elaine.

Hillary felt both the cold and excitement of the Antarctic, geared up from head-to-toe. This expedition further convinced her to act as a climate avenger for the sake of a better Climate Avenger. (PHOTO: Miss Elaine)

When asked about Hillary’s overall experience for the Antarctic trip, her mother remarked: “She saw dead penguin chicks probably due to freezing from the unusually wet snow and rain when we were there.”

Her experience should have disheartened Hillary, however, Miss Elaine believed that was when her determination to use her skills in music to advocate for climate deepened.

Based on statistics from NASA's satellites, sea levels were in fact rising since 1990 at an average of 3.4 mm a year. The sea level has risen by a whopping two metres. That is crazy. (SOURCE: NASA)

“Sea ice is like an inverted coral reef,” narrated Dr Sylvia Earle.

During the world premiere of “2099: The Power in Us”, Dr Sylvia Earle, founder of Blue Mission, narrates the point in the documentary that these are the three vital earth signs reflecting a declining Mother Earth’s health: coral reefs, the Arctic, and Antarctica. The rising sea level would mean a potential underwater Singapore in the future. 

From the Antarctic expedition, Hillary witnessed the desperation of animals and the ice melting away. In the highlands of Bhutan, Mother Earth was experiencing the similar dire effect of ice sheets and glaciers disappearing. 

Miss Elaine cemented: “It became clearer for Hillary how her purpose in using music for advocacy is valid and concrete. The output from ‘The Girl and Her Piano’ made her understand and want to do more advocacy.”

Hillary has experienced a crazy turn of events over the last year. She would have learnt a lot from all these expeditions, and it begs the question: how has she grown as a person from all her climate expeditions?

THE GIRL AND HER PIANO: KEY NOTES FOR GROWTH

“Music is about people’s emotions, and has a way of expressing things in a more personal and emotional way, which helps people feel more connected to issues like climate change in a way that words can’t.” expressed Hillary. 

Balancing schoolwork with her passion for environmental activism used to stretch Hillary, but over time she learnt how to prioritise and manage her time properly.

“School is really important to me, so I make sure to stay on task and be organised with my homework and projects. Practising piano and activism is kind of together, some days I will practise my piano after school,” said Hillary.

Hillary gave a presentation to her peers in St. Joseph Institution on what she discovered and learnt during her time in Antarctica. (PHOTO: Miss Elaine.)

The shy girl is no more, Hillary has shown on multiple occasions, her introversion is never a barrier to what she aims to achieve as a climate change advocate. She has done well so far and we believe that she will raise more awareness.

You go girl!

We observed how one courageous Singaporean girl perseveres through music in the hope of inspiring other young people to join the fight for a sustainable future. 

Through Hillary’s story, we highlight the importance and the hurdles of youth involvement in Singapore's climate movement. So, what more can we expect of Hillary?

DEAR 2099: A FUTURE OF HOPE

Hillary has more to offer in the near future with plans underway for the endangered species of Orangutans. We miss you Ah Meng.

From the South Pole to the North Pole, Hillary and Miss Elaine will join Mr Michael Aw again on a polar opposite trip to the Arctic this time in July 2025.

"After that, I think we will have a discussion to see what we can do for issues closer to home in Singapore,” said Miss Elaine. 

From a loving mother that just wants the best for her daughter’s world, Miss Elaine leaves us with a heartfelt letter meant for Hillary in the year 2099.

2099,

76 years from when I write this letter, Hillary, I’ll be long gone, and you’ll be 88 years old. How will the world that you live in be then? I wonder what would be the state of the world left for you, and your children.

I’d love coral reefs to be thriving, our oceans and forests to be bursting with life. I’d love for humanity, the most powerful, most resourceful, imaginative and emotional animals on earth, to have learned how to live in harmony with our one and only planet.

May Earth retain its beauty for you, Hillary.

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