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Malaysia Ruan Ensemble

Profile

The Malaysian Ruan Ensemble was founded in 2021 by Ms. Ong May Yi, a Malaysian Ruan musician who is the current Artistic Director of the ensemble. Ong is active in the education and promotion of Ruan throughout Malaysia.

The ensemble is made up of a group of talented young professionals and students from different fields. They have gathered together to exchange ideas, to improve their skills, and to deepen and enrich their knowledge of the instrument. The ensemble also actively participates in various performances to promote and publicise the Ruan’s charm to everyone.

In January 2022, the ensemble successfully held its inaugural concert "Dialogue With Ruan - The Beginning". Subsequently in May 2022, the ensemble assisted its member, Chong Sheng Kai, in organising his solo recital called "The Journey".

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Artistic Director

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Ong May Yi is Malaysian Ruan musician, graduated from the China Conservatory of Music, Beijing, where Ong majored in Ruan Performance, under the tutelage of Professor Wei Wei. Whilst a student, Ong participated in a joint concert with the Taiwanese Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Chanting Group, and her mentor’s Teacher-Student recital concert, and also participated in CCTV’s live recordings.

After graduation, Ong participated as a Zhongruan soloist in Macao. And since then, Ong has returned to her roots in Malaysia and is actively involved in Ruan education and awareness throughout the country. As an effort to develop and promote Ruan music, Ong has joined forces with fellow Ruan musicians across Malaysia and has organised the 'Four Dialogues With The Ruan' concert series and also the recently formed 'Malaysia Homy Ruan Ensemble'.

In 2009, Ong began venturing into contemporary music, and was a guest performer for the inaugural Kuala Lumpur Contemporary Music Festival with the German chamber group Ensemble Mosaik, debuting the world premier of Ruan and Strings quintet piece 'Cursive'. Since then, Ong has been collaborating with different Eastern and Western music and cultures and often participates in live stage performances. Ong has also collaborated with local renowned dancer Mr. Lee RuiQiang and composer Yii Kah Hoe in a ballet "Green Snake & the Monk", and also a joint multimedia, calligraphy, art, dance, movie, and music production of "Rhapsody of Along the River During Qingming Festival" among others.

Currently, Ong is a Ruan instructor to numerous schools and also promoting Ruan to the international and local audience. Ong has nurtured many Ruan enthusiasts, and even groomed a few students to continue their professional Ruan careers by studying at her alma mater, the Chinese Conservatory of Music.

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Soloist

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Lam Zi Peng studied piano and guzheng at an early age, and in 1999 he learned Ruan with the Ruan Principal of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Zhang Ronghui. In 2002, he was admitted to the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where he studied Ruan with Professor Wei Wei and Zhang Xinhua, as well as guzheng with Yang Xi. In 2004, he successfully held his solo recital at Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and obtained his Bachelor’s degree in 2006. In 2011, he formed ‘The Ruan Ensemble’. Since 2012, he studied composition with Law Wai Lun until now. His major works include the Guzheng ensemble ‘Chibi Nostalgia’, ‘Flying Song’, ‘Anita Mui Suite’, and ‘Faye Wong Suite’. Currently, he is a music instructor for several primary and secondary schools in Johor, Malaysia and Singapore.

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Louise is a current PhD candidate at UPSI, and a current Adjunct Professor at the Northeast Petroleum University teaching Ruan, Liuqin and Yueqin. Louise received tutelage from Professor Wu Qiang, and is the first ever candidate to receive a Masters in Zhongruan Music Pedagogy from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Louise has also learnt Zhongruan from Maestro Mr Feng Mantian and Maestro Feng Shaoxian.

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Louise has visited and performed in Hong Kong, USA, Russia, South Korea and many more countries, while also doing cultural exchanges. Louise has also been a judge in numerous music competitions, and has mentored many students who won many awards across categories. Louise has also received the Best Mentor award numerous times.

Louise has held many solo concerts and recitals with her students, and also mentored her students’ solo recital concerts. Louise founded Heilongjiang Province’s only primary school amateur Ruan Ensemble, and has led them in winning awards at numerous music competitions.