Adjudicator's Biographies

Li Xin

Li Xin entered the middle school affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music for clarinet learning with Professor Gu Peng and later entered the middle school affiliated to the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, study with Professor Tao Chunxiao. Li Xin has won the prizes at the National Clarinet Competition at the age of 16 in Beijing and the "Shanghai Spring" International Music Festival in 2001.

With a full scholarship awarded by Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at National University of Singapore, Li Xin continued studying with Ma Yue and completed his Bachelor degree of music. In April 2005, Li Xin was among the first group of six Conservatory students selected for Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Fellowship Programme at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, USA, where he received coaching from Peabody faculty, as well as the clarinettist in Philadelphia Orchestra and the professor at Juilliard school.

In the past years, Li Xin performed often with the conservatory orchestra in China and solo performance at Shanghai Concert Hall. In Singapore, he performed with the Conservatory Orchestra often as principle clarinet and as a member of a Conservatory Wind Quintet. He also played in the Peabody Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and as Principal clarinet in Macao Orchestra. He often goes to the international music festival as well, like Asian Youth Orchestra, the Canton International Summer Music Academy, where he performed with some renowned soloists and conductors, such as Martha Argerich and Charles Dutoit.

In 2007, Li Xin continued his studies in Europe, where he received lessons with the clainet professor in Geneva, Zurich and Lyon. He was accepted as freelance musician in the Orchestra of Zurich Opera and the Orchestra Musikkollegium Winterthur in Switzerland.

Kenneth Lun

Kenneth Lun graduated from the prestigious Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore MD, USA with a Bachelor of Music (Major in Trumpet Performance and Minor in Jazz Trumpet).

Since coming back from the USA, Kenneth has had a distinguished career in the music scene. He currently serves as principal trumpet of the Singapore Lyric Opera Orchestra, and also plays lead trumpet with the Summertimes Jazz Band.

Kenneth is also an experienced and one of the most sought after trumpeters in musicals and performs regularly with local as well as touring shows. His list of performances include Cabaret, West Side Story, The King and I, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Beauty World, Into The Woods, The Magic Box, Sing Dollar!, Fiddler on the Victor/Victoria, Fried Rice Paradise, Wicked, A Chorus Line, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Aladdin, Frozen, Chicago and The LKY Musical.
 

Kang Chun Meng

Born in 1996, Kang Chun Meng has been hailed as one of the most exciting brass soloists in Singapore. Currently, he serves as Principal Euphonium with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Central Band and the Lion City Brass Band. He is also the Adjunct Principal Study Lecturer of Euphonium at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).

A graduate of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Chun Meng first began learning the euphonium at the age of nine under the guidance of Singaporean euphonium player, Ng Kok Hin, before moving on to British euphonium soloist Mark Glover from 2013 to 2016. He had also been tutored by renowned soloists such as Shoichiro Hokazono, Adam Frey and Steven Mead.

As a soloist, he has performed both overseas and locally with several ensembles including the Benefiz - Musik und Kultur für andere, Singapore Sounds Orchestra, Singapore Wind Symphony, Philharmonic Winds and Philharmonic
Youth Winds. In 2017, he made his debut with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, with a local premiere of Philip Wilby’s Euphonium Concerto, being the first brass soloist in history to be featured in the Orchestra’s annual
President’s Young Performer Concert. Aside from solo performance, Chun Meng is also one of the founding members of TEH Trio, a first-of-its-kind ensemble that is revolutionising brass playing in Singapore.

With his undying passion for music, Chun Meng strives to push the limits of his instrument and continues to be recognised as a world class virtuoso, concurrently bringing the euphonium into its deserved recognition locally and
abroad.

Chun Meng is currently a Besson artist in Singapore, and performs on a Besson Prestige BE2052 Euphonium.

Richard Ter

Richard Ter is a Singaporean musician known for his extraordinary drumming and percussion skills. He started his musical journey when he joined his secondary school band at the age of 13. After finishing secondary school, he pursued a music education at the prestigious Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in Singapore and was awarded the Georgette Chen Scholarship, which is awarded to outstanding students in the field of arts and culture in Singapore.

Richard's passion for percussion led him to represent Singapore at the ASEAN Youth Orchestra for three consecutive years. During that time, he immersed himself in musical traditions from various cultures, which helped him broaden his musical horizons. After completing his studies at NAFA, Richard served as the Principal Percussionist for the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band from 2014 to 2021. His work at the band earned him a
reputation for his exceptional skill, versatility, and showmanship in creating captivating performances that enthralled audiences at various prestigious events and ceremonies.

Aside from his career as a performer, Richard also finds joy as a music educator. He is the conductor of the Canossian School Percussion Band and serves as a section instructor for several local schools in Singapore. Richard enjoys sharing his knowledge and inspiring the next generation of musicians. Through his commitment to his craft, his versatility as a musician, and his dedication as a music educator, Richard Ter has become an influential figure in the Singaporean music scene. His multifaceted career continues to inspire musicians and aspiring percussionists to pursue their passion and follow in his footsteps.

Brian Lim

Brian Lim is a music educator at Singapore American School where he teaches in the Band programme, as well as the Contemporary Music programme. He specialises in teaching clarinet as well as other woodwind instruments.

Brian also teaches in local Singaporean school bands, such as at Anderson-Serangoon Junior College, CHIJ Toa Payoh Secondary School, and Damai Secondary School.

Brian founded and directs Not A Clarinet Choir, a collective of clarinet players, and also directs the Saints Alumni Band, which comprises alumni musicians from the St Andrew’s Secondary School and Junior College Bands.

Beyond wind bands, Brian also has experience in choral singing (since 2014), and traditional Indonesian Gamelan music (since 2014). In his free time, Brian enjoys playing mahjong and collecting radioactive uranium glas
 

Shirley Tong

Shirley Tong graduated with a Master of Arts in Music Performance from the prestigious Royal Academy of Music (RAM) on an entrance scholarship in London in 2015, where she came under the mentorship of famous flute professors such as Samuel Coles (Principal Flute of Philharmonia Orchestra), Kate Hill and Patricia Morris (Piccolo). In addition, Shirley also holds a Bachelor of Music (Hons, First Class) from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD) and won the Kenneth Smith Prize Flute Competition that was  held in the United Kingdom in 2010.

During her studies in the UK, Shirley was selected to perform for the Asian Youth Orchestra tour in 2016, William Bennett International Flute summer school in 2013 and Oxford flute summer school in 2011.

Passionate about fostering a sense of community through music, Shirley is a committee member of the newly established King's Flute Choir. She is also actively involved in various arts groups in Singapore, including Re:Sound Chamber Orchestra, The Philharmonic Orchestra, New Opera Singapore, Base Entertainment Asia, and Metropolitan Festival Orchestra.

Shirley Tong's dedication to her craft, coupled with her commitment to music education, has made her a respected figure in the Singaporean music scene. Her journey continues to inspire aspiring musicians, and her contributions to both education and performance reflect a deep-seated love for the art of music.

Lu-Min Chew

Lu-min is a String and Piano teacher and has been teaching for over 33 years. She received her training in the Suzuki Method whilst studying in Sydney and continues to be a member of STEA in Singapore. Since moving to Singapore in 2002 from Australia, Lu-min has contributed richly to the local arts scene. She regularly freelances with several groups including TPO, Re:mix, Musicians’ Initiative, BHSO, MFO, Base Symphony Orchestra and has supported acts such as Sarah Brightman, Katherine Jenkins, William So, Eason Chan and together with larger stage symphonic productions including George Michael Faith and Freedom Tour and John Williams 90 Gala Concert.
As an orchestral pit musician she performed for two seasons of Sound of Music at MBS during the 2014 and 2017 touring West End seasons as well as many Operas and Ballets with the Singapore Lyric Opera company. She also writes Programmes notes, hosts concerts, arranges music and is a Piano accompanist. Lu-min is currently the Head of Strings at the Australian International School where she has been based for over 22 years. She also runs the AIS Choral Program and is the Director of Lumin’s Music Studio. Lu-min currently also directs the Elementary String Ensemble at the Singapore
American School and conducts collaborations with other String Directors from both local and International Schools. Lu-min enjoys working with very young children and children with learning difficulties. Her postgraduate research interest in the area of Inclusive Education continues to foster a love of volunteering in programs for troubled teens, disadvantaged youths and children with special needs and underlines the benefits of learning a musical instrument, and the
importance of making music education as fun and as accessible as possible.

Dr. Tang Tee Tong

Dr. Tang Tee Tong, Artistic Director of The Music Circle, is a devoted violin pedagogue with over fifteen years of teaching experience. Tee graduated with a Doctoral of Music Arts degree in Violin Performance and was named the Outstanding Graduate of Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts at Arizona State University.

Tee co-founded The Music Circle (TMC) in 2015 while completing her Doctorate. She envisions a music school unlike any other in Singapore, focusing on holistic musical learning and building a community of music lovers where fellow educators, students and their families work and grow together.  TMC also advocates for Singaporean artists, frequently collaborating with them in concerts, masterclasses and workshops. She also co-founded String Teacher’s Collective to foster a culture of mutual learning, discussions and sharing among string teachers and provide a support system for these educators.

Tee’s violin pedagogy and teaching philosophy has been influenced by her esteemed teachers and mentors, Dr. Jonathan Swartz, Prof Andres Cardenes, Dr. Margaret Schmidt, Dr. Lina Bahn, Foo Say Ming, Leslie Tan and Lim Soon Lee. She has also learnt from music educators such as Mimi Zweig, Brenda Brenner, Sherry Sinift and Rebecca Henry from the Violin Teacher’s Retreat at Indiana University and Paul Rolland String Pedagogy Conference. Tee has also received Suzuki teacher training with Mr William Starr, former President of Suzuki Association of Americas.

Tee’s teaching approach has been shaped by her experiences and in-depth exploration of other pedagogy and music education methods. Recognising that every student blossoms in a unique way and possesses distinct learning styles, interests and strengths, Tee organised her pedagogy in a doctoral research paper “Violin Curriculum Incorporating Visual, Aural and Kinesthetic Perceptual Learning Modalities” which she has adapted for her teaching. She also believes in learning music through movement and singing and the importance of healthy playing habits, incorporating teachings from Kodaly, Dalcroze, Edwin Gordon and Alexander Technique in her pedagogy.

Tee was heavily involved in chamber ensembles and orchestras in her youth and was concertmaster of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) and Hwa Chong String Ensemble. Since returning from USA, Tee has been a tutor at  SNYO as well as school string ensembles. While not teaching and managing TMC, Tee has also been actively pursuing her passion in chamber music and performing with chamber orchestra Re:Sound Collective, Metropolitan Festival Orchestra and The Philharmonic Orchestra.

Mervyn Goh

Mervyn Goh is a prominent Orchestra Conductor and violin/viola pedagogue.  He earned his BM from the Eastman School of Music, Masters Degree from  Youngstown State University and a Post-graduate Artist Diploma from Duquesne University.  In addition, Mervyn studied advanced orchestral techniques with Charles Treger, Sidney Harth (former concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony & the New York Philharmonic), Bruce Plumb (Principal Viola of the Vancouver Symphony), Melissa Micciche (Associate Principal Viola of the Rochester) & Paul Silver (member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra).   Also worth noting is his extensive work coaching chamber music highlighted by a selection as coach for the Cleveland Quartet (Haydn and Bartok Quartets)

Mervyn has worked with many award-winning young groups performing in cities like Taipei, Nagoya, Los Angeles, Sydney, New York and Berlin over the years.  He is a dedicated advocate of string programs in school ensembles of all levels and we are thrilled to welcome him back to SAS for our Cultural Convention.

Amanda Zhu

Singaporean cellist Amanda Zhu started her music journey at the age of 5 with the piano. She attained her LRSM in Piano Performance (ABRSM) at the age of 13, and picked up the cello as a second instrument in the same year. Her interest in the string instrument quickly flourished, and Amanda received her Diploma in Cello Performance 2 years later. She went on to pursue her dreams at the Royal College of Music in London, with the cello as her principal study, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Music with Honours.

During her performance career, Amanda has performed and recorded at prestigious venues such as the Esplanade Concert Hall, Shanghai Concert Hall, Abbey Road Studios, Royal Festival Hall, the Wigmore Hall and Royal Albert Hall in London. She has played under the baton of highly acclaimed conductors including Vladimir Ashkenazy and Bernard Haitink, and also worked personally with world-renowned minimalist composer, Steve Reich. Throughout her years of studies, Amanda had the privilege to attend masterclasses with the late Johannes Goritzki, Julian Lloyd Webber and Kenneth Hamilton. Amanda also performed for multiple distinguished guests, including the late former president of Singapore - S.R. Nathan and former prime minister of London, Sir David Cameron. In 2012, Amanda was featured as a young international soloist, with the Shanghai Baroque Chamber Orchestra; in a concert that was broadcast live to millions.

Apart from being a soloist, Amanda enjoys performing with her chamber groups - The Piano Trio and Aurelia Trio, and has just recently performed with T’ang Quartet. Although performing was her first calling, Amanda’s interest in conducting grew over her years of study at the Royal College of Music. She is also hugely passionate about music education and outreach for the young. At present, Amanda is the conductor for Kids Philharmonic Orchestra Star in Singapore; she also manages her private teaching studio and is the up and coming radio presenter for the Singapore classical music radio station, Symphony 924.

Lim Yan

2006 National Arts Council Young Artist Award recipient Lim Yan was a student of David Hartigan at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, UK, and subsequently graduated from the University of Manchester and the Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of Ronan O’Hora.

After placing first in the Piano Open category in the 1997 National Piano and Violin Competition, Yan’s competition results in Europe – including 1st at the 2001 Karic International Piano Competition – led to concert engagements across Europe and Asia. He gave two recitals at the Cheltenham Festival and also worked with the China Radio-Film Symphony Orchestra at the Beijing International Piano Festival. When the Singapore National Youth Orchestra was invited to the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival, he was the soloist in Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

Nearer home, Yan has appeared with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra several times in concerto performances, and also collaborated with the Orchestra of the Music Makers as well as re:Sound. Together with The Philharmonic Orchestra, he completed a cycle of all five Beethoven Piano Concertos and the Triple Concerto over three concerts in June 2012.

Besides his solo and concerto performances, Yan is a highly sought-after collaborative pianist and chamber musician, having worked together successfully with many leading musicians – for instance, violinist Ning Feng and cellist Wang Jian. His current chamber groups include a piano trio, as well as the established piano quintet series Take 5 which is well into their second decade.

Kseniia Vokhmianina

Hailed as a performer with an “artistry of the highest order” by Straits Times and “maturity of musicianship and virtuosity” by Pianomania, Kseniia Vokhmianina has gained critical and audience attention as a concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. 

A prizewinner of numerous piano competitions held in France, Australia, Poland, Italy, Serbia, Indonesia, Singapore, Germany, Kseniia has been a guest artist at various international music festivals, including “Convivium Musicum” (Serbia), “International Piano Festival” (Vietnam), “Days of Music” (Montenegro), “George Town Festival” (Malaysia), “International Holland Music Sessions” (Netherlands), “Pablo Casals Festival” (France). She appeared as a concerto soloist with international symphony orchestras, including Kaunas Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (Lithuania), Sichuan Symphony Orchestra (China), Murmansk Philharmonic Orchestra (Russia). 

Kseniia Vokhmianina began her music training at a very young age in her native Ukraine. She studied at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts under Prof. Boris Kraljevic as a recipient of the Lee Foundation Scholarship. Further studies took her to the Royal College of Music (United Kingdom), Kharkiv National Pedagogical University (Ukraine), and Zurich University of the Arts in Switzerland where she was taught by Prof. Konstantin Scherbakov. 

Kseniia has been a full-time Music Faculty member at School of the Arts (SOTA) in Singapore since 2014. A dedicated music educator, she conducts individual piano lessons, masterclasses, and lectures on various aspects of music performance. Her students win local and international music competitions as well as succeed at various music examinations. Since 2018 she has been the President of the World Piano Teachers Association (Singapore affiliate). She is often invited to jury at regional and international piano competitions, including the Steinway Youth Piano Competition, Le Magnifique Music Competition, the Overseas Performers’ Festival, WPTA Finland International Piano Competition, among others. Since 2023 Kseniia has joined Madison Academy of Music as the full-time piano teacher and Music Programme Director. 

Rueben Lai

Reuben Lai is an established soloist and voice tutor-coach. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and later earned his Master of Opera and Master of Music from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS). He was the runner-up for the prestigious Ye Cronies Opera Prize, and was the first Singaporean to be chosen for the prestigious Samling Scholarship. He has sung in masterclasses for Sir Thomas Allen , Matthew Best, Jane Eaglen, Jose Cura, Isobel Buchanan amongst others.

He performed extensively in Scotland, UK, where he was previously based, and later was a member of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera’s chorus where he performed both solo as well as part of the ensemble. As a soloist, he was described by Opera magazine as a first-rate tenor for his role as Truffaldino in Prokofieff’s “L’amour des trios oranges” and received praise for his role as Lenski and in the Chevalier de la Force in Francis Poulenc’s “Dialogues des Carmélites”.

Since returning to Singapore, Reuben has since appeared in several opera premieres in Singapore, playing lead roles as patriarch Mr Lee in Dr. John Sharpley’s Fences, Second Nazarene in “Salome”, Dr Falke in “Die Fledermaus”, L’Aumonier in “Dialogues des Carmelites.

He has also sung as a soloist in Singapore for in Opera in the Park with Singapore Lyric Opera, Singapore Symphony Orchestra in “Nielsen Symphony 2”, Celebration Chorus in Dixit Dominus (Handel), Kuala Lumpur based Yin Qi Music in Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Red Dot Baroque in its 2019 Christmas Concert.

Reuben sees promise in Asia’s artistic talents and has immersed himself in helping Singapore’s emergent opera scene blossom. He speaks regularly at music clinics and festivals across the region and is dedicated to helping young musicians develop to their full potential. Under his mentorship, several of his students have secured places with, and are furthering their studies in music conservatories in Singapore, England and New York.
Since his return to Singapore, Reuben has worked with Dunman High School, LaSalle College of Arts, Raffles Music College, and United World College on their music development programmes, and is now choral director to Dunman High School Choir and voice tutor to NUS Choir.

He is also an adjunct lecturer at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), LaSalle College of the Arts as well as the School of the Arts (SOTA) where, on top of teaching and mentoring aspiring young musicians on their careers, he adjudicates examinations and is involved in the entry auditions of young people seeking entry into the arts institutions’ music programmes. Recently he also joined the faculty of the Voice Company, a company that specialises only in teaching singing and includes some of the best vocal teachers in Singapore. His students have been accepted into the Royal Northern College of Music, Royal Scottish Conservatory, Manhantten School of Music, Berklee amongst others.

In 2015, Reuben co-founded chamber opera company, L’arietta Productions, as a platform where multiple arts disciplines connect to create an Asian perspective, and with a view it eventually becomes an avenue through which Asian talents can take the spotlight on an international stage.

Akiko Otao

“A tour de force”-Straits Times

“Commanding presence with powerful feelings and a voice to match.”-Opera Magazine

Multi-award winning Japanese-American soprano Akiko is an arts practitioner, educator, and the co-artistic director of L’arietta Productions, a chamber opera company focused on bringing bite-sized contemporary operas in English. 

 She debuted in Singapore as the leading role of Nora in John Sharpley’s world premiere of Fences. A champion of contemporary work, her performance in the monodrama Diary of Anne Frank directed by Samantha Scott-Blackhall received Straits Times’ Best Opera of the year in 2015, and again in 2018 for Chen Zhangyi’s A Singapore Trilogy.

As a vocal coach, she has worked extensively in classical, musical theatre as well as commercial studio recordings internationally, collaborating with Sony Japan, Avex, Gap Japan. She is a frequent guest clinician at VOS, CDAS, Performing Arts Medicine Singapore, Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory to name a few. She holds B.M. Ed with vocal emphasis from the Hartt School (USA), and continued her professional development with San Francisco Conservatory of Music, VocaLab Australia and many more. 

Her musical versatility continues to bring her an eclectic collection of projects. She is currently on the voice faculty at SOTA, BA (Hon) Musical Theatre faculty at Lasalle College of the Arts, Artistic Director of The Voice Company, and is a full-member of NATS.
 

Benjamin Yeo (b.1985) is a Singaporean composer-conductor who is internationally recognized for his original wind band works. 

Benjamin started writing and arranging music for wind bands and ensembles at the age of fifteen before learning under the tutelage of his principal teacher, Dr. Kelly Tang and through seminars with Dr. Zechariah Goh. His works have since been performed at both national and international platforms such as the locally-held Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation for Brass/Concert Bands, the Japan Band Clinic in Hamamatsu and the prestigious Midwest Clinic, an annual International Band and Orchestra Conference held in Chicago, Illinois. He has also been invited to serve as an adjudicator for events such as the Junior Band Festival in Singapore, the All Chinese Wind Band Competition in Taiwan and The Sichuan Wind Orchestra Competition in China. 

Most of Benjamin's compositions have been published by well-known and long-lasting American publisher of band music, C. L. Barnhouse Company. Selected works have also been published by Carl Fischer Music (USA) as well as reputable European publishing houses including Beriato Music (Belgium) and Tierolff Muziekcentrale (The Netherlands). Since 2008, a number of Benjamin's works have ranked in the Top 100 of over 800 titles in the American Band College/Band World Magazine/Western International Band Clinic Literature Lists. His music has also been recorded by renowned ensembles like The Washington Winds in the USA, the Royal Netherlands Army Band ‘Johan Willem Friso’, Rundfunk Blasorchester Leipzig, Royal Band of the Belgian Guides and The Royal Band of the Belgian Air Force in Europe. Most recently, his "Winds of Niagara" won the Dallas Wind Symphony Fanfare Competition and was premiered by the Dallas Winds on March 2017 at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center.

Benjamin is actively involved in the local band scene and has guest-performed for many tertiary and professional groups as well as guest-conducted various ensembles in Singapore. His experience in band directing has enabled him to work with students across a wide spectrum of educational institutions ranging from primary to tertiary levels. As a conductor, he has been under the mentorship of prominent professors in the field such as Dr. Mallory Thompson, Dr. Steven Davis and Dr. Shawn Vondran from the USA and Associate Professor Chan Tze Law from Singapore. 

A well sought-after composer-conductor, Benjamin largely writes commissioned works and remains an active clinician and conductor with both local and overseas invitations. He is a member of the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS).