Artistic Instructors | Portfolio Categories | City Chinese Orchestra

Artistic Instructors

Ding Huai Cheng

Ding Huai Cheng is currently the music instructor for the woodwind section of the City Chinese Orchestra. He is also a member of the China Musicians’ Society and the China Woodwind Music Society. In 1977, he was admitted to the…

Ding Huai Cheng is currently the music instructor for the woodwind section of the City Chinese Orchestra. He is also a member of the China Musicians’ Society and the China Woodwind Music Society.

In 1977, he was admitted to the Central Conservatory of Music and transferred to the China Conservatory of Music in 1980 to further his learning. Upon graduation with a Bachelor’s degree in 1982, he remained at the China Conservatory of Music as an instructor, and was promoted to lecturer status in 1992.

Ding is now an instructor at the Shangyin Music School and also for the Chinese Orchestras of several primary and secondary schools. Through the years, his proficient teaching has yielded notable results with the orchestras that he has instructed; the Dunman High School Chinese Orchestra Wind and Percussion Ensemble and the Dunman High School Chinese Orchestra have both garnered numerous accolades in their respective national competitions.
Wang Gui Ying

Wang Gui Ying graduated from the Tianjin Conservatory of Music in 1990 under the tutelage of renowned erhu performer and educator Professor Ju Wen Yu. She has also studied under other eminent erhu performers such as Zhao Yan Chen, Song…

Wang Gui Ying graduated from the Tianjin Conservatory of Music in 1990 under the tutelage of renowned erhu performer and educator Professor Ju Wen Yu. She has also studied under other eminent erhu performers such as Zhao Yan Chen, Song Guo Sheng, Zhang Zeng Liang, Yang Jian, Liu Chang Fu, Liu Ming Yuan and Min Hui Fen. After graduation, she became a professional musician with the Tianjin Song and Dance Theatre before joining City Chinese Orchestra in 1993 as the Principal erhu player and chief instructor of the Strings section. In 2011, she obtained a Masters of Music degree from Beijing Normal University. At present, Wang is studying the art of conducting from Dr Tay Teow Kiat.

Wang is currently the Strings instructor at Shangyin Music School and Dunman High School Chinese Orchestra. She is also the conductor and Strings instructor of Raffles Girlsí School Chinese Orchestra since 1996. She is a diligent and meticulous teacher, having nurtured many cohorts of talented students who have garnered admirable results in national music competitions.

She has held numerous solo concerts in Singapore and has been invited as a guest performer and soloist for many orchestras in China as well as in Malaysia. Her repertoire consists of numerous works for the erhu and orchestra of which many she premiered.

Her playing has been commended by famous Chinese music critic Liu Zai Sheng as full of passion, and yet elegantly measured, reflecting a thorough grasp of the music.
Tian Ling

Tian Ling is currently the music instructor for the lower strings section in City Chinese Orchestra, as well as the lower strings instructor at Shangyin Music School. Born in 1957 in Liaoning, Shenyang, Tian studied cello under Dai Tian You…

Tian Ling is currently the music instructor for the lower strings section in City Chinese Orchestra, as well as the lower strings instructor at Shangyin Music School.

Born in 1957 in Liaoning, Shenyang, Tian studied cello under Dai Tian You in high school. In 1977, she enrolled at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music, Faculty of Chinese Music. In 1980, she transferred to the Faculty of Western Orchestral Music, specialising in cello, studying under the tutelage of Li Zong Li. Upon graduation with a bachelor degree in 1982, Tian joined the Liaoning Children Theatre Group as an orchestral member.

In 1999, Tian joined Shangyin Music School as a music instructor, and at the same time joined City Chinese Orchestra. Currently, she also teaches as a lower strings instructor for the Chinese Orchestra at several schools, including Dunman High School, Raffles Girls’ School, Red Swatiska School, Maha Bodhi School and Bedok Green Primary.
Tay Soon Dee

Tay Soon Dee is currently the concertmaster and dizi instructor of the City Chinese Orchestra, as well as one of the founding members of the Singapore Chinese Instrumental Music Association. Tay taught himself to play the dizi and erhu as…

Tay Soon Dee is currently the concertmaster and dizi instructor of the City Chinese Orchestra, as well as one of the founding members of the Singapore Chinese Instrumental Music Association.

Tay taught himself to play the dizi and erhu as a child, and went on to seek guidance from several masters, including erhu maestro Liu Ming Yuan, dizi maestro Lu Chun Ling and erhu artistes/educators Wang Yi and Xiang Zu Ying. This has enabled him to be a specialist in both string and bamboo flute instruments.

In 1983, Tay joined the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation Chinese Orchestra (the current City Chinese Orchestra). He has since worked with conductor Tay Teow Kiat for over 200 concerts, often as a soloist or lead player, and has participated in several performance tours to China and Malaysia. Tay is also currently an erhu and dizi instructor for many primary and secondary schools; his students have achieved outstanding results in various local music competitions
Ling Hock Siang

Ling Hock Siang, recipient of the 2004 Young Artist Award and Singapore Youth Award (Culture and Arts Team Category, The Huqin Quartet). A talented erhu performer, Ling holds a Masters degree in erhu performance from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.…

Ling Hock Siang, recipient of the 2004 Young Artist Award and Singapore Youth Award (Culture and Arts Team Category, The Huqin Quartet). A talented erhu performer, Ling holds a Masters degree in erhu performance from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. His graduation recital held in Shanghai with guest performances by the Huqin Quartet in September 2005 was a huge success. Ling is also the first Singaporean to achieve a Masters degree in erhu performance.

Ling joined the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) in 1997 and is currently the Erhu Associate Principal. In July 1999, the 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, staged an erhu and guan recital by Ling Hock Siang and Han Lei entitled “Oriental Folk Music” at the Esplanade Recital Studio.

Ling is also a member of the Huqin Quartet. He has performed with the group and the SCO in Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen, Taiwan, Budapest, London, Gateshead, France, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, United State, Japan, Korea and Malaysia.

Ling is also currently holding position as:
• Artistic instructor of the City Chinese Orchestra (CCO)
• Erhu Instructor of the Singapore Youth Chinese Orchestra (SYCO)
• Adjunct Instrumental Teacher (Erhu Performance) of the School of the Arts (SOTA)
Chan Choon Seng

Chan Choon Seng graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, and is currently serving in the public sector. He joined Singapore Broadcasting Corporation Chinese Orchestra in 1967, and performed several pieces with the orchestra, such as Hua Mu Lan, The Sisters from…

Chan Choon Seng graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, and is currently serving in the public sector. He joined Singapore Broadcasting Corporation Chinese Orchestra in 1967, and performed several pieces with the orchestra, such as Hua Mu Lan, The Sisters from the Plain, The Butterfly Lovers, Song of Pipa, Listening to the Rain.

Chan studied sanxian under the tutelage of Li Yi, and pipa under the tutelage of several masters, including Wei Zhong Yue, Lin Shi Cheng, Liu De Hai and Zhou Li Juan. He came in first in the Open Category for the National Music Competition (Singapore) in 1988. In 1989, he was awarded a Special Performance Award in the Chinese Instrument ART Cup International Music Competition for Pipa, in the Non-Professional Youth Category. In 1985, he took part in an exchange programme for Pipa practitioners, organised by the National Tertiary Music Institutions in Kunming, China.
Zhang Tian Yun

Zhang Tian Yun has been an artistic instructor for the Plucking section of the City Chinese Orchestra since 2006. Zhang studied under the tutelage of prominent liuqin and zhongruan masters like Professor Zhou Chang Hua and Professor Ling Ji Liang.…

Zhang Tian Yun has been an artistic instructor for the Plucking section of the City Chinese Orchestra since 2006. Zhang studied under the tutelage of prominent liuqin and zhongruan masters like Professor Zhou Chang Hua and Professor Ling Ji Liang. In 2005, Zhang graduated from the Shenyang Conservatory of Music with excellent results. Zhang is also a member of the China Nationalities Orchestra Society (CNOS), Liaoning Musicians’ Society as well as the Liaoning Nationalities Orchestra Society.

Zhang has garnered numerous accolades in national and international competitions. Her works have also received excellent reviews from professionals in the music scene.

She is currently a music instructor at Shangyin Music School as well as for the Chinese Orchestras of several primary and secondary schools.
Wang Ji Ying

Wang Ji Ying is a music instructor with City Chinese Orchestra. She is also a member of the Pipa Research Society within the China Musicians’ Association. Wang started learning the Pipa when she was six years old. She has studied…

Wang Ji Ying is a music instructor with City Chinese Orchestra. She is also a member of the Pipa Research Society within the China Musicians’ Association.

Wang started learning the Pipa when she was six years old. She has studied under the tutelage of maestros such as Wang Xiang Hong and Sun Shu Ling. Through the years, she garnered numerous awards and accolades. In 1995, her outstanding results gained her admission into the Primary School affiliate of the Central Conservatory of Music. She then studied under the tutelage of prominent Pipa musician and “Wang” Clan successor, Professor Yi Fan. She was subsequently promoted to the High School affiliate and eventually the Central Conservatory of Music in 2002.
During her years in school, she accompanied the Plucking Ensemble on numerous performance tours in China. She was awarded the Best Performance Award in the International “Long Ying” Cup Chinese Instrumental Competition. Besides participating in television recordings, she also recorded a Chinese Instrumental album in 2005. In 2006, she graduated from the Conservatory with excellent results and a Bachelor’s degree. Since then, she has participated in many concerts both locally and abroad as a soloist as well as guest performer.

She is now a Pipa instructor for Shangyin Music School as well as for many other primary and secondary schools.
Liu Tao

Liu Tao graduated from the Tianjin Conservatory of Music with a Masters degree in traditional instrumental performance. He studied under the tutelage of renowned erhu performer and educator Professor Ju Wen Yu. Liu is a music instructor at Shangyin Music…

Liu Tao graduated from the Tianjin Conservatory of Music with a Masters degree in traditional instrumental performance. He studied under the tutelage of renowned erhu performer and educator Professor Ju Wen Yu. Liu is a music instructor at Shangyin Music School and an artistic instructor for City Chinese Orchestra.

Liu was formerly the deputy concert master for the Tianjin Youth Chinese Orchestra, and successfully staged the concerts Golden Cantonese Tunes in 2006, and Liu Tao Masters Student Solo Concert in 2012. He has also garnered numerous awards in national and international competitions in China.