|
|
 |
|
|
Mr Tay Teow Kiat was born in 1947. He is currently the Music Director of East Zone Schools Chinese Orchestra Development Centre, President of Singapore Chinese Instrumental Music Association, Music Director of Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) City Chinese Orchestra (CCO), Resident Conductor of Dunman High School Chinese Orchestra (DHSCO) and Music Director of Arts Sphere. He also holds a Masters degree from Beijing Normal University.
Mr Tay has been conducting and actively contributing to the growth and development of Chinese Orchestras for over forty years. He studied the sanxian under Mr Yang Hao Ran, an accomplished musician of traditional Southern Chinese music, in the 1960s. In 1980, he studied conducting and music theory under the esteemed musician and educator Professor Li Yi of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In 1999, he studied conducting under the tutelage of Professor Cao Peng.
|
Musical Director
Tay Teow Kiat Music Director / Conductor
|
|
Since 1985, Mr Tay has accepted numerous invitations to conduct professional Chinese Orchestras from places such as Shanghai, Tianjin, Shanxi, Shandong and Baotou as a guest conductor. He has also been invited as a guest or judge in international Chinese music conferences and competitions held in Chicago, Beijing, Shanghai, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.
Under Mr Tay’s leadership, the NAFA City Chinese Orchestra (NAFA CCO) and Dunman High School Chinese Orchestra (DHSCO) have received a high degree of recognition and acclaim from both local and foreign critics. His creatively programmatic concerts have delighted local audiences, and enhanced the interaction between the music communities in Singapore and China.
Since 1982, Mr Tay has conducted the DHSCO and NAFA CCO on performance tours in Thailand, Hong Kong, Taipei, Kaohsiung, East and West Malaysia, Brunei, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, Tianjin, Guilin, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Suzhou, Jiangyin, Xi’an, Zhengzhou, Shenyang and Changchun.
In 1992, an article on Mr Tay in Chinese music magazine People’s Music described his conducting as “ … meticulous, precise and sensitive…yet graceful and refined. His insightful understanding and grasp of traditional music culture enables him to render different music styles accurately, bringing out the essence of each piece of music through the orchestra… one cannot help but be impressed by the calibre of his conducting, and his ability to train an orchestra”.
In addition to developing the two orchestras under his baton, Mr Tay has also contributed immensely in training many young musical talents in Singapore. Some of them have gone on to become professional musicians and young conductors in their own rights. The two orchestras under his baton and many of his students have won numerous gold medals, “Best Performance Awards”, “Best Orchestra Awards”, as well as the top three prizes in various National Music Competitions and Youth Festival Chinese Music Competitions. Their participation and achievements have helped raise the standard of Chinese music in Singapore and established a firm foundation for further excellence.
For his contributions, Mr Tay was awarded the National Day Efficiency Medal in 1989 and the Commendation Plaque (by the Extra Curricular Activities Centre, ECAC) for music and dance activities in 1991. He also received the National Arts Council Cultural Medallion in 1993 and the National Day Award — Long Service Medal (Education Service) in 1997.
In Singapore, Mr Tay has been appointed music advisor for various musical groups, including Raffles Girls’ School (Secondary) Chinese Orchestra, Victoria Junior College Chinese Orchestra, Manjusri Secondary School Chinese Orchestra, Singapore Dizi Association, Ding Xiaoyan Ruan Ensemble, NUS High School Chinese Orchestra and Hong Wen School Chinese Orchestra.
Mr Tay is an honorary committee member of the China Chinese Music Society, honorary advisor of the Tianjin Musicians’ Association, Honorary Conductor of the Beijing Cui Wei Primary School Traditional Music Orchestra, honorary leader and guest conductor of the Shanxi Drama School Chinese Orchestra, guest conductor of the Tianjin Conservatory of Music Chinese Orchestra, guest conductor of the Shandong Jinan Qianwei Chinese Orchestra, Artistic Advisor of Shandong Heze Chinese Orchestra Middle School and guest professor and guest conductor of Shanxi Arts Academy and Shanxi Training College of Arts, Artistic Advisor of China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra, honorary committee member of Shaanxi Chinese Music Society, Artistic Advisor of Xi’an Youth Chinese Orchestra, guest conductor of Tianjin Performing Arts and research scholar of Beijing Normal University Arts and Media Academy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
