Eight-year-old Tatachilla Lutheran College student, Mocha Fenton, has always been a trailblazer. He learned how to ride a bike before he learned how to walk. 

Now Mocha is about to hit the international stage in a big way, having been invited to give his first ever piano concert at Royal Albert Hall in June and then compete as a junior cyclist in the UCI BMX World Championships in August.

His mother, Helen, is as excited as she is amazed by her multi-gifted son, whose musical ability is matched only by his prowess on the BMX track. 
“Mocha has always been an adventurous and passionate boy who invests his whole heart into everything he tries,” says Helen.

“We’re a bit in awe of his energy and talent for both music as well as sport… but then Mocha is a beautiful blend of two amazing worlds, just as his name suggests.”

The Fenton family will fly into London next month so that Mocha can perform his piano solo –‘Undercover Blues’ by English composer Victoria Proudler – on the grand piano at Royal Albert Hall on 19 June. 

Mocha has only been learning to play the piano for one year.

The performance will be part of an international piano competition designed to celebrate living composers. It will feature the talents of more than 40 young pianists aged between 5-17 who have been hand-picked to perform from all over the world, including the United State, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Ukraine, Italy, Poland, China and Australia.

Mocha will not be alone at Royal Albert Hall: he will be joined by fellow Tatachilla Lutheran College student, 15-year-old Henry Pritchard, who has also been invited to perform on the hallowed concert stage for the first time. Henry will be playing ‘Blue Lagoon’ by composer Nikki Iles.

Following the Royal Albert Hall performance, the Fentons will then find themselves on the way to Glasgow, where Mocha will compete in two international BMX racing events – the boys’ cruiser event and the 20-inch challenge event – as part of the 2023 World BMX Championships on 3-13 August.

The dizzying pace of life for Mocha and his family began last year, when Mocha placed fifth in Australia for his age group in the BMX trials leading up to the world championships. 

The Fenton’s high-velocity lifestyle shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, with Mocha expressing a desire to compete in BMX racing at the Brisbane 2032 Summer Olympics.

“We’re just going with the flow and enjoying the ride,” says mum Helen with a smile.

“The next few months will be packed full of airport visits, rehearsals, training and sightseeing – it’s going to be a bit frenetic but we plan to embrace the whole experience.”

Helen believes that Mocha’s piano teacher at Tatachilla Lutheran College – the award-winning soloist, examiner and concert director Urszula Gruszewski – as well as his expert BMX coaches and sponsors have been instrumental not only in Mocha’s success but also his enduring love of both music and sport.

Mocha has a very strong affinity for Mrs Gruszewski, whom he describes as both kind and very talented. She offers him much encouragement and motivation.

“Mrs Gruszewski is very caring and always helps me… I like the pieces she chooses for me and one day I want to play as well as she does… she is amazing and one of my favourite teachers at school.”

The respect is clearly mutual.

Mrs Gruszewski says: “Mocha excels in musicality and imagination… he has a deep love for the piano and his musicianship skills are at a high level for his tender age.

“It does not necessarily surprise me that Mocha is gifted at both piano and cycling, as both disciplines require stamina, coordination, rhythm and deep commitment.

“I am really looking forward to seeing both Mocha and Henry play at Royal Albert Hall and will be brimming with pride in the audience.”

While not new to overseas travel – Mocha already has an enviable passport brimming with trips to Hong Kong, Japan, Fiji, Malaysia and Singapore – Mocha is very excited to visit Disneyland Paris and celebrate his ninth birthday in Glasgow on 15 August.

And what of returning home to normal life?

Mocha says he is keen to get back to school – a place he loves – and be with his friends again, kicking the soccer ball around, jumping in the pool, spending time at the local BMX circuit and learning new music.

“Tatachilla Lutheran College has given Mocha access to world-class musical teaching that has cultivated his curiosity, enabled him to express himself creatively, tapped into the particular way that he learns and instilled in him a lifelong love of music,” mum Helen says.

“Mocha is surrounded by strong and supportive Tatachilla community that encourages connection, friendship and giving back.

“We are excited to see him pursue his musical education at the college and possibly explore an elite sports pathway through Tatachilla’s Advanced Athlete Academy when he reaches middle school.

“As they say in the music world, life is accelerando at the moment, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Read more about music tuition at Tatachilla and the college's Advanced Athlete Academy.