Tay Teow Kiat
Encyclopedia
Tay Teow Kiat(born 1947) 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), Music Director of Dingyi Chamber Ensemble and Resident Conductor of Dunman High School
Chinese Orchestra (DHSCO).
under 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, as well as the conductor Professor Cao Peng.
, Tianjin
, Shanxi
and Shandong
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 and Shanghai.
Under Tay's leadership, the NAFA City Chinese Orchestra (NAFA CCO) and Dunman High School Chinese Orchestra (DHSCO) has 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, Tay has conducted the DHSCO on performance tours in Thailand
, Hong Kong
, Taiwan
, Malaysia, Brunei
, Beijing
, Shanghai
, Guangzhou
, Zhanjiang
, Tianjin
, Guilin
, Shenzhen
, Nanjing
, Suzhou
and Jiangyin
. He has also conducted the NAFA CCO in concerts in Beijing and Tianjin in 1996.
In 1992, the Chinese music magazine People’s Music in an article on Tay, 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, 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 him and many of his students have won numerous gold medals like “Best Performance Awards”, “Best Orchestra Awards”, as well as the top three prizes in various National Music Competitions and the Singapore 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, 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 was also the recipient of the National Arts Council
Cultural Medallion
in 1993 and the National Day Award-Long Service Medal (Education Service) in 1997.
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 of Shanxi Arts Academy and Shanxi Training College of Arts.
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts is one of the oldest and most established tertiary arts institution in Singapore....
(NAFA) City Chinese Orchestra (CCO), Music Director of Dingyi Chamber Ensemble and Resident Conductor of Dunman High School
Dunman High School
On 2 January 2009 the school opened to a new year with an opening ceremony named "Homecoming" （回家） to welcome students and staff to the upgraded campus.-Principals:Since its establishment in 1956, Dunman High School has had eight principals:-School song:...
Chinese Orchestra (DHSCO).
Education
Tay studied the sanxianSanxian
The sanxian is a Chinese lute — a three-stringed fretless plucked musical instrument. It has a long fingerboard, and the body is traditionally made from snakeskin stretched over a rounded rectangular resonator. It is made in several sizes for different purposes and in the late 20th century a...
under 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, as well as the conductor Professor Cao Peng.
Career
Since 1985, Tay was invited to conduct numerous professional Chinese orchestras in places such as ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
and Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
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 and Shanghai.
Under Tay's leadership, the NAFA City Chinese Orchestra (NAFA CCO) and Dunman High School Chinese Orchestra (DHSCO) has 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
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Since 1982, Tay has conducted the DHSCO on performance tours in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Malaysia, Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, Zhanjiang
Zhanjiang
Zhanjiang , formerly known as Tsamkong, Tsankiang, Fort-Bayard, and Kwang-Chou-Wan, is a prefecture-level city at the southwestern end of Guangdong province of Southern China, facing the island of Hainan to the south....
, Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
, Guilin
Guilin
Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of far southern China, sitting on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city...
, Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
, Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
and Jiangyin
Jiangyin
Jiangyin is a city in China's Jiangsu province on the Yangtze River. It has population of 1.2 million . The total GDP reached RMB 171.3 billion yuan in 2009, an increase of 11.6% from 2008. The GDP per capita reached RMB 142,572 yuan...
. He has also conducted the NAFA CCO in concerts in Beijing and Tianjin in 1996.
In 1992, the Chinese music magazine People’s Music in an article on Tay, 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, 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 him and many of his students have won numerous gold medals like “Best Performance Awards”, “Best Orchestra Awards”, as well as the top three prizes in various National Music Competitions and the Singapore 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, 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 was also the recipient of the National Arts Council
National Arts Council Singapore
The National Arts Council of Singapore was established in September 1991 "to nurture the arts and make it an integral part of life in Singapore.-History :...
Cultural Medallion
Cultural Medallion
The Cultural Medallion is a Singapore cultural award conferred to those who have achieved artistic excellence in dance, theatre, literature, music, photography, art and film....
in 1993 and the National Day Award-Long Service Medal (Education Service) in 1997.
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 of Shanxi Arts Academy and Shanxi Training College of Arts.