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Established in 2007, Ding Yi is Singapore’s most prodigious Chinese chamber ensemble and the pioneer of the two major local Chinese music events, the Ding Yi Chinese Chamber Music Festival and the international composition competition and symposium – Composium. The ensemble is a coterie of accomplished Chinese instrumentalists that trademark Singapore Chinese chamber music in the traditional and contemporary field.

 

The ensemble has captivated audiences with its distinctive approach to music-making and dedication to showcasing a vast repertoire that ranges from traditional Chinese music to contemporary interpretations and cross-genre works, and collaborated with prominent Chinese musicians including Min Huifen, Lu Chunling, Gong Yi and Feng Shaoxian in many concerts, receiving accolades from critics and audiences alike.

 

Ding Yi’s mission is to advocate and promote its unique Singaporean identity and sound by producing iconic programmes locally and overseas, proudly flying our Singapore flag high, leaving footprints in many important international music festivals. Ding Yi is also a proud recipient of the third Chinese Cultural Contribution Award in 2019 and National Arts Council Major Company Scheme since 2016. For more information, please visit www.dingyimusic.com.

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Conductors

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Dr Tay Teow Kiat is Music Director of City Chinese Orchestra, Dunman High School Performing Arts Centre and President of the Singapore Chinese Music Federation. He is also the Music Director of the Reverberance Winds and Percussion Ensemble and Emeritus Music Director of Ding Yi Music Company. Dr Tay is also Trustee of the Academy for International Communication Chinese Culture in Beijing Normal University, as well as a member of the International Advisory Committee of the International Chinese Culture Exchange Federation. He holds a PhD from Beijing Normal University, where he has conducted research on the art and ethos of conducting traditional Chinese music.

 

For his contributions to Chinese music in Singapore, Dr Tay was awarded the National Efficiency Medal in 1989, the Commendation Plaque (by the Ministry of Education’s Co-Curricular Activities Centre) for music and dance activities in 1991. He was also awarded the Long-Term Contribution to Education Award in 1997 by the Ministry of Education. In 2017, Dr Tay  received the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore Limited (COMPASS) Meritorious Award. Dr Tay was the first practitioner of traditional Chinese music to be awarded the country’s highest award in the arts, the Cultural Medallion, in 1993.  In 2022, Dr Tay received the Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Award (Individual Category).  

 

Since 1985, he has accepted numerous invitations to guest conduct professional Chinese orchestras in Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Shandong, Baotou, Nanjing, Singapore, and Malaysia. He is also frequently invited to speak or adjudicate at international Chinese music conferences and competitions.

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Wong De Li, Dedric aspired to be a conductor in his teen years, and his interest was ignited again by the renowned Chinese music educator and Singapore Cultural Medallion recipient Dr Tay Teow Kiat. With his master’s degree in orchestral conducting at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing, under the tutelage of renowned Professor Yang Youqing and guidance from conducting maestro and Music Director of Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) Tsung Yeh, he aims to push Ding Yi up to new heights of artistic excellence and to develop a unique Singaporean musical direction.

In 2013, Wong was selected to participate in the Conducting Masterclass by renowned conducting maestros Prof Zhang Guoyong and Qu Chunquan, organised by the Taipei Chinese Orchestra. While in 2015, he was again selected to attend the Conducting Workshop by Tsung Yeh, organised by SCO.

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As a 2014 National Arts Council (NAC) Arts Scholarship recipient and a two-time recipient of the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Arts and Cultural Bursary in 2004 and 2006, he has performed in many countries such as China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia.

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In 2016, Wong staged his conducting recital with the China Conservatory of Music Middle School Youth Chinese Orchestra with reputable conductor Gu Guanren. In the same year, he assumed the conductor role for the Cultural Symphony Orchestra and was also featured as an outstanding NAC scholar in the 2016 Straits Times Scholars Choice.

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Currently, Wong is the Resident Conductor of Ding Yi Music Company.

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Soloists

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Dr Ling Hock Siang holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD.) degree in art studies. He is a recipient of the 2004 Young Artist Award and Singapore Youth Award (Culture and Arts Team Category, The Huqin Quartet). In 2021, he was awarded the Commendation Award by Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) and also received an award from the China Yangtze River Delta National Orchestra Performance, for his outstanding contributions. He is currently the Erhu Associate Principal of SCO and the Vice Secretary-General of the Singapore Chinese Music Federation. 

 

Dr Ling graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1998. Under the tutelage of Professor Wang Yongde, he was the first Singaporean to achieve a Master’s degree in erhu performance in 2005. In 2012, he entered the Beijing Normal University to study a doctoral degree in arts studies (theory), under Professor Zhang Xiaomei.

 

Dr Ling joined the SCO since 1997 and performed in various Europe and Asian countries. In July 1999, SCO organized a concert entitled “Melodies with a Difference” – Recital by Ling Hock Siang and Quek Ling Kiong. In November 2005, staged a solo recital entitled “Hock Siang & Friends”.  In November 2007, he held an erhu and guan recital by Ling Hock Siang and Han Lei entitled “Oriental Folk Music”. In April 2017, he staged a Chinese Chamber Music concert at the Esplanade Recital Studio as part of the SCO Silk String Quintet “5trings”.

 

Since 2006, Dr Ling has been invited to be an Advisory Committee member, Adjudicator for the National Arts Council’s biennial National Music Competition. In addition, he has also frequently represented Singapore at international conferences and seminars on the erhu, as well as workshops and arts meets in Asia.

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QingLun Tan is a NAC scholarship recipient, award-winning Traditional Flute artist, Producer and Educator. Being the first Singaporean to graduate with a Ph.D. in Dizi Performance from China Conservatory of Music, his dissertation “The Integrated Development of the Chinese Bamboo Flute against the Multicultural Landscape of Singapore" reflects his passion of incorporating the rich culture of Singapore.

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QingLun set foot on his musical journey pondering about his own identity as a Singaporean Dizi musician. He listened to his inner voice and begun his voyage to seek out for a unique Singapore music style.

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A champion of local music, QingLun has commissioned more than 20 original works that are composed locally. His commissioned repertoires such as “Our Dreams They Never Meet” and “Winds of Affinity” were well-received internationally. QingLun has also been invited to perform and tour more than 30 times with his award winning Indian classical piece “Bho Shambo” in festivals, conservatories, concerts, and masterclasses globally.

Because of his affinity with Dizi, he realises that every culture has its own flute; this led him to explore the different ethnicities around the world. To celebrate these traditions, he gathered the world’s most renowned flute musicians, industry affiliates, and local artists – and inaugurated Traditional Flute Festival in 2018, ASEAN-Korea Flute Festival in 2017 and Singapore Dizi Festival in 2015.

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QingLun’s passion in cross-cultural music also inspired him to start up yIN Harmony, a multi-cultural fusion band, with his guru, Dr Ghanavenothan Retnam with the common goal of honoring local music and culture. The band has gained many officials attention and was invited to represent Singapore to perform globally. Fueled by his dedication to advancing multiculturalism, he founded the Impressions of Nanyang Arts Association alongside influential leaders from various ethnic communities. Their aim is to promote Nanyang music in Singapore while upholding the principles of diversity and inclusion. He envisions a future where the younger generation appreciates and safeguards the rich musical heritage of Singapore through the promotion of Nanyang music.

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Currently serving as the Artistic Director of Reverberance Ltd., he has led the team to Championship in 2018 and 2020 National. An avid teacher, he is teaching at School of The Arts (Singapore) and Singapore Raffles Music College. One of his promising students, Neo Rui Zhi is SOTA first dizi graduate and the 1st prize winner of the Dizi Youth Category in 2020.

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QingLun is grateful for the support and guidance of several great mentors. They include Dr. Tay Teow Kiat, Prof. Zhan Yong Ming, Dr. Ghanavenothan and many others who have made an impact in his life. They have provided him with platforms to discover and learn, giving him the opportunity to serve as the Council Member of Singapore Chinese Music Federation and Secretary of Singapore Dizi Society.

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QingLun’s aspiration is to pursue his dream to influence bonds through music, and to share with the world his “Singlish” Dizi music. It is a constant work-in-progress, and he looks forward to continuously strengthening his study and hopes to inspire the next generation with his discoveries.

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Yin Qun graduated from Xi'an Conservatory of Music in 1987 and stayed on as a faculty lecturer. During her time at the conservatory, Yin Qun studied under the guidance of Qin style master, Professor Zhou Yanjia and Qilu style master, Professor Gao Zicheng. Later, Yin Qun also benefited from the teaching by renowned professors such as Guo Ying, He Baoquan, Sun Wenyan, Chen Anhua, Su Qiaozheng, and Qu Yun, integrating the strengths of each style of Guzheng.

 

In 1986, Yin Qun won first place in the "First Shaanxi Qinzheng Competition." In 1987, she received the second prize in the "Guangdong Music Competition," and in 1989, she won first prize in the Chinese "Shancheng Cup" Ethnic Instrumental Music Competition. In 1998, Yin Qun successfully held a solo concert in Singapore, premiering works such as "Tide", "Rural Melody", "Children of the Mountains", "Reflections of Huangling", and "Shuo Feng Sha". She has also released multiple guzheng CDs and published the "Youth Guzheng Tutorial" and other works. During her time in Singapore, Yin Qun was invited to participate in events such as the Taipei Arts Festival, Singapore Chinese Orchestra's "Zheng Ming" concert, Ding Yi Music Company’s Wang Jianmin's works concert, Shaanxi Cultural Week's Xi'an Ancient Music Concert, Shaanxi Qinzheng Society's Centennial Memorial Concert for Mr. Gao Zicheng's Birth, as well as the China Conservatory of Music's International Youth Chamber Orchestra's dedicated concert.

 

In 2021, during the pandemic, Yin Qun recorded fourteen guzheng pieces of Chinese and foreign works with the sponsor of the National Arts Council of Singapore and released them for the first time on YouTube.

 

In the field of guzheng teaching, Yin Qun have achieved significant results, and many of her students have won numerous awards in local and international Chinese music competitions, making significant contributions to the development of Chinese guzheng art overseas.

 

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Yvonne Tay, a recipient of the prestigious National Arts Council (NAC) Arts Scholarship (Undergraduate) 2015, Yvonne Tay is currently the full-time guzheng musician of Ding Yi Music Company and co-founder of Z3nith Ensemble, a trio comprising of guzheng graduates from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). Under the tutelage of Mdm Yin Qun, Yvonne was awarded the Best graduate and graduated with Bachelors of Music (First Class Honours) conferred by the Royal College of Music (RCM) in 2017. She is currently the Secretary-General of Singapore Qinzheng Association  and member of Singapore Chinese Music Federation  Youth Chapter.

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An award-winning guzheng musician, Yvonne has performed extensively overseas. Locally, she has performed as a featured soloist on live international television for the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games 2010. In March 2022, Yvonne challenged herself as an Artistic Director and successfully produced and staged a multisensory concert of music and gastronomy, titled “Music Kneads”. In the same year, she local premiered the symphony orchestra version of Ru Shi, with Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra. In 2017, Yvonne was invited to London, to stage a solo recital by the Royal College of Music. In June 2013 and April 2018, she staged sold-out joint soloist recitals, Proteges of Brilliance, and Onwards, which were very well-received by the audience.

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Yvonne was also invited to record for the premiere of Southeast Asia’s largest light and water show, Marina Bay Sands Light and Water Spectacular – “Wonder Full”, composed by late Cultural Medallion winner Iskandar Mirza Ismail, in 2011. She was once again invited as a soloist to record for the premiere of Marina Bay Countdown 2011 – “Fireworks”, which was showcased again for Marina Bay Countdown 2014, and Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2021: Light Projection Show – Share the Moment.

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Yvonne was invited to record the playing techniques of Guzheng for Orchestra Tools’ Phoenix Library in 2018, and was also invited to record the original soundtrack of Disney’s movie “Mulan” in January 2019. Yvonne was twice invited as a concerto soloist to perform with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, and received rave reviews. She has also been invited numerous times as a guest musician with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. Yvonne was previously a member in Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra.

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As an educator, Yvonne is frequently invited as a guest lecturer, speaker and an adjudicator. Yvonne is currently the adjunctlecturer of Singapore Raffles Music College and Guzheng instructor of several Guzheng ensembles in Singapore.

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Cheng Ho Kwan Kevin, currently sheng musician of Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Cheng graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) with First Class Honours. Principal sheng teachers include Cheng Tak-wai, Loo Sze-wang, Weng Zhenfa and Hu Tianquan.

 

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Cheng won numerous awards and scholarships over the years and his recent solo appearances include: Ng Cheuk-yin’s the Seventh Month with Singapore Chinese Orchestra (2016) and with HKAPA Chinese Orchestra (2018); Ng Cheuk-yin’s Old Drama with Singapore Chinese Orchestra (2022); Tang Lok-yin’s Volcanicity with Singapore Chinese Orchestra (2023); solo recitals at

Hong Kong City Hall (2015), Esplanade, Singapore (2015), Yale-NUS College, Singapore (2017) and SCO Concert Hall, Singapore (2022); and guest appearances at Setouchi International Arts Festival, Japan (2010), Singapore International Festival of Arts (2016) and Hong Kong Arts Festival (2023). Over the years, Cheng has premiered several sheng compositions, including Sonic Bedazzlement by Chan Hing-yan, Finger Dance and 5D! by Phang Kokjun, A Martial Dance by Pong Law, Moon Reflections by Chow Junyi, etc.

 

Cheng is also dedicated in music education, currently serves as conductor and sectional instructor in several primary and secondary schools in Singapore. Cheng has also given many concerts, lectures and workshops in schools and universities including the Yale-NUS College in Singapore, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in Hong Kong, etc.

 

Cheng currently holds position as Honorary Council Member of Singapore Sheng Association, Instructor of Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra and Resonance – Sheng Ensemble. Apart from his performance endeavours, Cheng is an avid arranger and his works have been extensively performed in the Chinese orchestra scene. Cheng is currently studying composition under the tutelage of Law Wai-lun.

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Meng Jie, born in Tangshan, Hebei, is currently an honorary member of the China Nationalities Orchestra Society Suona Committee, committee member of the Suona and Guan Society (Singapore)  and suona instructor and conductor to many schools in Singapore. His biography is included in The Best of Traditional Chinese Music, Instruments and Musicians (Suona Chapter).

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Meng Jie started learning suona at the age of 14 under the tutelage of Yuan Zhenping. First in the entry exam in 1997, Meng Jie received his musical training in Hebei Province Arts School and was under the tutelage of Wang Hongfei. He enrolled into the China Conservatory of Music later on and was awarded the honorary title Excellent Graduate in 2006 where he was under the tutelage of Zuo Jicheng. He has also received tutelage from Chen Jiaqi, Liu Bingchen and Hao Yuqi.

 

Meng Jie joined the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) in 2006 and has performed with the SCO in numerous countries in Asia and Europe. He has also since staged 2 solo recitals at the Esplanade – Theatres by the Bay. He was invited to speak for online talks, in the capacity of an honorary member of the China Nationalities Orchestra Society Suona Committee and perform in online concerts.

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Zhang Shuo joined the Singapore Chinese Orchestra in 2019. He graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music, where he specialized in the guan and studied under Professor Hu Zhihou, a renowned guan instructor and musician. As a student, Zhang Shuo did well in school and performed in multiple major concerts, often in the capacity of a soloist. In 2014, he was the soloist for the Guan Concerto in the Wang Shi Chinese Orchestral Works Concert; in the same year, he also performed solo in the Liu Wenjin Guan Music Works Concert, which was part of the 4th Guan Chinese Music Week event. In addition, Zhang was also the lead guan player in the 2015 special performance put up by the Jinqing Wind and Percussion Ensemble at the Beijing Concert Hall. In 2013, Zhang Shuo received the Outstanding Performance Award in the Professional Category in the Chinese Instrumental Music Folk Music Central Judging together with the other members of the Jinqing Wind and Percussion Ensemble. This is the highest award given out by China's Ministry of Culture. In 2012, the group was awarded the Outstanding Award in the 2012 CCTV Chinese Instrumental Music TV Competition.

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Wei Yanming studied under li zekun, zheng baoheng and liu guangsi. He was an associate professor of tianjin music college and is now a visiting professor of tianjin music college and a visiting professor of normal university. Raffles music college professor, orchestra conductor, President of dulcimer society of Singapore, editor-in-chief of dulcimer exam.

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Paper the development of piano teaching AIDS .freehand drill field excellent teaching achievement prizes at the prize of the national academy of music, invented the development of several new technique was the first Chinese dulcimer yangqin seminar honorary certificate, two bachelor's graduates are successful hosting of the 80 s the dulcimer with percussion solo concert music ，for lu xun's literary award, the central station of national excellent folk music works show performance included in China expert celebrity dictionary.

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Lalit Kumar’s love affair with the Tabla began at the age of 10, learning the intricacies of the instrument at Temple of Fine Arts under the tutelage of Shri Nawaz Mirajkar. He received additional training in the technical and artistic performance of Tabla playing in Pune (India), under the mentorship of Ustad Mohammad Hanifkhan Mirajkar (Tabla) and Ustad Usman Khan (Music).

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During his time at the prestigious Berklee College of Music (Master’s in Contemporary Performance & Music Production), Lalit developed his repertoire in Composition, Latin percussion and Flamenco with leading exponents such as Victor Mendoza, Yoel Paez & Sergio Martinez. Lalit Kumar is best known for a progressive world music style, bringing together the sounds & concepts of traditional Tabla with world rhythms to create a performance style that is uniquely his own. He has performed and toured with leading musicians and dancers from different genres of music, in leading venues & festivals all over the world.

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Lalit’s performances and music works have earned him awards and accolades, most notably the National Arts Council Postgraduate Scholarship (2019) and Berklee Scholarship (2019).

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Additional to being a performer, Lalit is a sought after music producer. His musical works are underpinned by an innovative and avant-garde aspect, thanks to the subtle mixture of captivating electro-ethnic rhythms, tribal sounds & Indian-inspired melodic structures.

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As an educator, Lalit is constantly inspired to bring traditional performing arts to younger and newer audiences. He currently teaches Tabla at Temple of Fine Arts (Singapore) and Flamenco cajon at Flamenco Sin Fronteras.

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