KUCHING: Sarawakian singer Aleysha Shareef Van Der Horst has released her second international single, ‘Wings’, following the release of her debut single ‘Shine Like Us’ in February.
The new song, composed and produced by the United States-based songwriter Manny Mijares, is available on major digital music platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music.
To mark the release, Aleysha and her family visited an orphanage centre in the city yesterday, where they donated gifts and essential food items to more than 50 children.
Aleysha also performed ‘Wings’ and several other songs for the children and shared her experiences as a young singer.
Her mother, Shirley Hasmani Eddie, said Aleysha hoped her journey in music would encourage other young people to pursue their interests and dreams.
The 13-year-old has represented Malaysia at several international singing competitions, including the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Los Angeles in 2024.
She won two gold medals, a bronze medal with her twin brother and a Division Champion plaque in the vocal category, besides becoming the first Malaysian in WCOPA history to receive a scholarship to the New York Film Academy.
In April, Aleysha also represented Malaysia at the SanRemo Junior World Finals in Italy, where she finished among the top five and received a Special Mention Award.
She has also competed in international online competitions organised by the International Youth Music Competition (IYMC) in the US and was named its Absolute Winner for 2025.
Her achievements led to invitations to perform at live award presentations at the DiMenna Centre for Classical Music in New York City and the David Josefowitz Hall at the Royal Academy of Music in London, the United Kingdom.
However, Shirley said the family decided not to pursue the overseas performance opportunities because of the high costs involved.
“We appreciated the invitations and opportunities extended to Aleysha, but since these are recitals, my husband and I felt we need to put our priorities right,” she said.
