Yitkin Seow showed great talent as pianist at a very young age, and became a pupil at the Yehudi Menuhin School at the age of 12. He went on to the Royal College of Music where he won numerous prizes. In 1974 he was the youngest contestant as well as the winner of the BBC Piano Competition. He further won the bronze medal at the Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv in 1977. Winning these two prestigious competitions led to an international career and appearances with orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic, the Philharmonia and the Berlin Radio Symphony. He performed in the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Beethovenfest in Bonn and the Grand Teton Festival as well as concerts at the BBC Proms.