Artistic Panel – Singapore International Choral Festival 2025

Ms Lim Ai Hooi

Artistic Director, SourceWerkz

Founder and Artistic Director, ONE Chamber Choir

Singapore

Ai Hooi’s philosophy for choral music and teaching stems from her view that a fulfilling musical journey is one that is filled with sincerity, love and excellence. She uses the creation of music as a platform to share and infuse her values and beliefs in her singers, and inspires them to use the beauty of music to craft experiences that touch the hearts of the audience.

Born in Penang, Malaysia, Ai Hooi graduated from Royal College of Music, London with Majors in Piano and Voice. After moving to Singapore, Ai Hooi actively contributes to the growth of the local choral scene, through nurturing younger choral conductors and choristers. On top of conducting several local secondary and junior college choirs, Ai Hooi established ONE Chamber Choir, a young adult choir. In 2017, the choir achieved the 2^nd Prize of the Mixed Choirs category at the 15^th International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf 2017, as well as the Special Prize of the Carl-Orff-Stiftung Diessan am Ammersee for the best interpretation of a choral worked premiered at the competition for “The Emigrant” by Wolfram Buchenberg. Recently, the choir took part in the 10^th World Choir Games in Tshwane, South Africa and achieved Gold in all three categories they competed in, including Champion of the World Choir Games in the Chamber Choir Category.

She has also been the conductor of the Hwa Chong Institution Choir since 2000 which has achieved numerous accolades over the years, including emerging Champion in the Mixed Choir category at the 5^th World Choir Games 2008, achieving the title Absolute Winner (top choir across categories) at the Festival of Songs Olomouc, and the Prix du public (Public prize) at the 2010 Florilège vocal de Tour.

Ai Hooi has served as a jury member on numerous international choral festivals, including the World Choir Games, Asian Choral Grand Prix, Singapore International Choral Festival, Bali International Choir Festival, Taipei International Choral Competition, Canta Al Mar Festival Coral Internacional, Karangturi International Choral Festival, Festival Coros de Verão and so on. She has also shared her conducting experiences as a panellist in Poland, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Ai Hooi co-founded Sourcewerkz PL in 2010 to further her calling to teach, touch and transform the larger choral community and its audience. To date, Sourcewerkz has organised the Winter Choral Festival in Hong Kong since 2010 and Festival Coros de Verão in Lisbon since 2012, as well as various workshops with international choral clinicians. In 2014, she conceptualised and directed the 1^st Singapore International Choral Festival and since then, SICF has played host to over 18,000 choristers and is now in her ninth iteration.

Most recently, she is the founder and director of ONE Choral Company Ltd, a non-profit arts organisation formed through the merger of the internationally acclaimed ONE Chamber Choir and Sourcewerkz Pte Ltd, a leading choral events management company.

Yong Chee Foon

Mr Yong Chee Foon

Artistic Director, Sourcewerkz

President, Choral Directors’ Association (Singapore)

Singapore

Yong Chee Foon’s journey as a choral director is a testament to his unwavering passion for choral music and commitment to artistic growth. Currently the President of the Choral Directors’ Association (Singapore), he began his musical journey by learning the piano, but his passion for choral music quickly took root when he joined the Victoria Junior College Choir and later, Victoria Chorale. This marked the beginning of a lifelong dedication to choral music education.

He first graduated from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) with a Bachelor Degree in Accountancy. After several years in the financial sector, he moved on to pursue his passion – Choral art – and obtained an ATCL in Voice from Trinity College, London. In 2016, he graduated with a Masters in Music (Choral Conducting) from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Alongside his studies, he has attended numerous choral conducting workshops by renowned choral directors, gleaning insights from their vast experiences and integrating their wisdom into his own approach.

He is currently the conductor of several choirs in Singapore and his choirs have performed well in the Singapore Youth Festival, garnering Gold and Gold with Honours awards as well as Certificates of Distinction. His choirs have also ventured overseas to participate in International Competitions where they received numerous accolades with Gold and Silver medals. Most recently, he was awarded a Distinction for Conductor Award at the 13^th International Krakow Choir Festival (2024), an award he was first conferred at the 4^th edition (2013) of the festival.

His philosophy for music revolves around the transformative power of artistic expression and its ability to bridge cultural divides. He believes that music has the ability to transcends barriers, enabling individuals from different backgrounds to communicate and connect on a profound level. He advocates for an inclusive and nurturing environment where aspiring musicians can explore their creativity, develop their technical skills, and discover their authentic musical identities.

He desires to inspire young singers, through choral music education, to live life with passion and achieve excellence in all aspects of life whilst remaining appreciative to all who have made a difference to them.

Susanna Saw

Ms Susanna Saw

Malaysia

Susanna Saw is an active music educator promoting music and choral education in Malaysia. She obtained her Master in Music Education (Choral Focus) from Westminster Choir College, U.S.A. She is currently a choir director at the Faculty of Music at the University of Malaya (UM) and the Adjunct Professor at the Taylor’s University.

In 2007, Susanna established the Young Choral Academy in Kuala Lumpur, a venue for choral lovers to learn more about vocal and choral education. She was instrumental in bringing the Kodály Teachers’ Training Course to the Southeast Asia region to improve the standards of classroom music teaching. She organised numerous events to promote music and choral education. During the pandemic, Susanna organized monthly Kodály Online Hangouts, bringing together music educators from around the world to learn, sing and stay connected. The hangout session is in the hybrid format now, keeping in touch with the active music educators globally.

Susanna is also the Founder and Director of the Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod (MCE), which organised various symposium, national and international choir festival since 2002. Since 2007, Susanna has been regularly invited by INTERKULTUR, Germany, to be a member of the jury for the Asia Pacific and World Choir Games. She has been appointed a member of the Working Committee for the Asia-Pacific Choral Council, under the auspices of the International Federation of Choral Music (IFCM), as well as at the Asian Choral Association (ACA) and World Choral Conducting Network (WCCN). Susanna is also an active speaker at various music education events, promoting effective music teaching in the 21st century. She currently the Vice-President of the International Kodály Society, the World Youth and Children Choral Artists’ Association, and the Malaysian Association for Music Education. She is also serves on the Advisory Board of INTERKULTUR and CHORALSPACE, Germany.

Dr. Zechariah Goh Toh Chai

Singapore

As a Principal lecturer of composition at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, a composer of music ranging from choir, symphonic band, wind ensemble, chamber music to large scale orchestral works, Zechariah Goh Toh Chai has carefully fused South East Asian-Chinese with Western traditions. In 1999, he received the David and Gunda Hiebert Scholarship award to work on his Master of Piano from University of Kansas, during which he was appointed as a graduate assistant by the university to teach undergraduate music theory. Subsequently, he worked on his Doctorate degree majoring in Composition under the guidance of Dr. Charles Hoag.

He is a lecturer at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts since July 2002. As a composer, he is frequently commissioned to write music for symphonic bands and choirs. Since the 1990s, his choral works have been premiered in Singapore as well as winning many international competitions. Dr. Goh has conducted numerous folksong arrangement and choral improvisation workshops for choral directors and composers across the Asia Pacific region, including cities such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Additionally, he was invited to lecture and give workshops at the Oklahoma State University and University of Kansas, USA in 2018. He adjudicated the World Children and Youth Choir Competition in Hong Kong (2017), and the Bali International Choral Competition (2018) and The Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod (2018 and 2023) and Singapore International Choral Festival (2024).

Some highlights of Zechariah’s compositions in 2018 include, 纪元晨光, performed by the Diocesan Boys’ School Choir (Hong Kong), which won the Best Male Choir award at the World Choir Games in South Africa. Reminiscences of Hainan and In the Bamboo Forest performed by the NUS Choir, was awarded the top prize at The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. Assassination performed by Diocesan Choral Society (Hong Kong) won the Grand Prix at the Tokyo International Choir Competition in the same year.

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra commissioned and premiered Blossoms for Large Orchestra in 2017, 承 Flow to be premiered in 2020 and Singaporean Folk Medley in 2023. Zechariah Goh has collaborated with Ding Yi Music Company on a multi-disciplinary production with Chinese Chamber music, Documentary film and ceramics entitled Songs of the Dragon Kiln in 2017 and Memories of Childhood Nursery Rhymes in 2024.

For his artistic excellence in the field of music, Zechariah was conferred the Young Artist Award (Music) in September 2003 by the National Arts Council, Singapore. The award was presented by the President of the Republic of Singapore at Istana. Zechariah was awarded the Artistic Excellence Award from the Composers and authors Society of Singapore in 2013. Zechariah Goh was also presented with the distinguished Alumni medal from NAFA in 2014.

Beverly Shangkuan-Cheng

Dr. Beverly Shangkuan-Cheng

Philippines

Dr. Beverly Shangkuan-Cheng is the President of the Philippine Choral Directors Association, Chair of the Conducting & Choral Ensemble Department of the University of the Philippines College of Music, and Artistic Director of the Las Piñas International Bamboo Organ Festival.

She is a first prize winner at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National Graduate Conducting Competition. She also won first prize for the A1 Piano Category of the Philippines’ National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA). She is the Philippine representative to the Asia Pacific Choral Council and was appointed as conductor of the Asia Pacific Youth Choir for its 2018 Season. In 2023, she served as one of the Artistic Directors for the World Symposium for Choral Music, an event organized by the International Federation for Choral Music. She was also a featured presenter at the 2023 National Conference of the American Choral Directors Association. In the same year, she served as guest conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra in one of its season concerts.

Dr. Shangkuan-Cheng’s conducting, academic, and teaching awards include the Levi Barbour Fellowship from the University of Michigan, the Phyllis Curtin Career Entry Award from the Yale School of Music, the Margot Fassler Award and the Hugh Giles Prize from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, the 2022 – 2024 One UP Professorial Chair Award in Music for Outstanding Creative Work and Public Service and the 2023 UP Diliman Centennial Professorial Chair.

Performance and adjudication engagements have brought her to Belgium, South Africa, Germany, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Spain, Vietnam, Portugal, Singapore, and the US. She also regularly leads workshops in different parts of the Philippines.

Dr. Shangkuan-Cheng received a Bachelor of Music (summa cum laude) from the University of the Philippines, a Master of Music from the Yale School of Music and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan.

Tommyanto Kandisaputra

Mr Tommyanto Kandisaputra

Indonesia

Tommyanto Kandisaputra is the Founder and Artistic Director of Studio Cantorum Bandung Choir & Orchestra since 1991 and Bandung Choral Society which has been organizing concerts, choir training, competitions and Choir Symposiums since 2000.

He is also the Artistic Director of the Bali International Choir Festival in Denpasar which is held annually successfully since 2012 until now.

Previously, successfully held The North Sulawesi International Choir Competition 2008 in Manado, Tomohon International Choir Competition 2009 and 2010 in North Sulawesi, Rhapsodie Indonesia Choir Festival (2019), Jakarta World Choir Festival (2019), Surabaya World Choral Festival (2024), Medan World Choral Festival (2025) and International Bandung Choral Festival 2022,-2024 in collaboration with Parahyangan University Bandung and the National Narcotics Agency of the Republic of Indonesia.

Tommyanto has also been elected as a member of the World Choir Council and representative of INTERKULTUR Indonesia since 2006, and has brought many Indonesian Choirs to perform on various international stages and competitions with great success. Became Artistic Director of The 1^st Asian Choir Games, November 2007, in Jakarta, and as a judge in World Choir Games in Xiamen-China 2006, Graz-Austria 2008, Shaozing-China 2010, Cincinnati-USA 2012.

In 2014 he became the representative of Indonesia at “One Asia Cultural Ambassador” held by “The Music for One Foundation”, South Korea. Then became the Conductor of the Taipei Philharmonic Youth Choir on May 4, 2016, performing at the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. He was a speaker at the Asian Pacific Children Choir Assembly in Okinawa, December 2016, and The Summer Academy of Lithuanian Conductors in Vilnius, Lithuania, August 2017. He was a judge at the Suwon Choral Festival, and led a Workshop at the Jeju Senior Choir Festival – South Korea, the Claudio Monteverdi International Choral Festival in Venice-Italy 2019, Rimini International Choral Festival Italy 2024 and The Busan International Choral Festival 2022. Jeju International Choral Festival 2024, South Korea, Singapore International Choral Festival 2019, Malaysia International Choral Festival December 2022 2023 and November 2024.

He is a singing teacher and leads many Choir Development Programs for Singers and Conductors by doing seminars and workshops all over Indonesia.

Tove Ramlo-Ystad

Norway

Tove Ramlo-Ystad is an educated singer and conductor with a Master Degree from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim. Her teachers and mentors in conducting have been Stefan Sköld, Anders Eby and Mogens Dahl.

Tove is one of Norway’s most acknowledged choir conductors. She is a popular and inspiring guest conductor, and is frequently invited as an adjudicator in international choir competitions. Tove is representing Norway in The World Choir Council. Since 2015 she has been the artistic director of The Norwegian National Championship for Choirs.

Ramlo-Ystad has conducted both mixed and male choirs through the years, and has kept conducting the female choir Cantus since their beginning in 1986. Through Tove’s leadership has Cantus received a lot of attention, won several competitions and has recorded 9 CD’s. The three last recordings got a Grammy nomination. Cantus is known by their Nordic sound. This sound was the reason Disney discovered Cantus, and led to the choir being asked to sing in their animation movie ‘Frozen’ 1 and 2. Several of the works commissioned for Cantus through the years have become an inspiration for many other female choirs around the world.

Tove Ramlo-Ystad is music director for the Norwegian Choral Association.

Paulo Vassalo Lourenço

Portugal

Born in Lisbon, Mr. Lourenço is the head of the master’s Program in Choral Conducting at the Lisbon’s Superior School of Music where he conducts the ESML Chamber Choir.

He has a doctoral degree in Choral (Stephen Coker and Earl Rivers) and Orchestral (Mark Gibson and Chang Zhang) Conducting at the College/Conservatory of Music – University of Cincinnati (USA).

He was appointed assistant conductor at the Gulbenkian Choir since 2012 to 2017. During this period he has prepared the major repertoire for such figures as: Gustavo Dudamel, Simone Young, Jonathan Nott, Alain Altinoglu, Lawrence Foster, Paul McCreesh, Lorenzo Viotti and many others.

He began his career at the of Portuguese Youth Choir (1990-1995) and the Ricercare Choir (1995-2002). With the Ricercare Choir he was awarded with 1^st and 2^nd prizes at the Certamen de Villancios (Madrid 1999) and II Certamen Internacional de Corales Polifonicas (Seville 1998).

He was also the founder of the acclaimed “a cappella” group “Tetvocal” (11 CD’s recorded including EMI, RCA/Victor, BMG and others) from which he was awarded with several prizes including Radio and TV.

Mr. Lourenço dedicates a substantial part of his work in performing contemporary music including more than 100 premieres of Portuguese composers in the last 25 years and the Portuguese premiere of Arvo Pärt’s Passio with the Hilliard Ensemble. He is also the founder and Artistic Director of the Summer Choral Festival that takes place in Lisbon being the most important choral event in Portugal.

His international career includes engagements in Turkey (Turkish State Polyphonic Choir), Spain (Coro de la ORCAM and Coro de la Radio Television Española), Poland (Filharmonii Wrocławskiej), Israel (New Israeli Vocal Ensemble), Mexico (Coro de Bellas Artes), France, Iceland, Germany, China, Singapore, Brazil, Slovenia, and USA as clinician at the “Ambassadors of Song” (an international male chorus symposium in Michigan University and as guest teacher at the University of Cincinnati. CCM.

He was the Portuguese Music Advisor for Europa Cantat from 2013 to 2018. Mr. Lourenço is also the president of COROS PORTUGAL since 2017 (Portuguese Association of Choral Music).

Başak Doğan

Turkiye

Başak Doğan is an innovative conductor whose unique style has been turning heads around the world. After finishing her master in Philosophy of Music at Bogazici University in Istanbul, she got her second master’s degree in Rhythmic Choral Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music, Denmark, with the thesis of ‘Intuitive Conducting’.

As a versatile conductor, she appears at numerous choral events, leading singers from all age groups. She won prizes and international recognition with her choir Chromas.

Known best for blending different styles, Başak has developed a distinctive method for leading singers. Her enthusiasm for bringing her own cultural background into the choral world has had an impact on rhythmic choral music. Central to her style is “Vocal Painting,” a series of signals that allows the conductor and choir to improvise together and create “music of the moment.”

Her new initiative “Vokal Akademi” has become the center for all the singers who want to master their singing and further their music career. In 2023, Başak was selected to represent Turkey at the World Choir Council and served as a jury member at the 2023 World Choir Games in South Korea. Also she is the artistic director and founder of VoiceUp A Cappella Festival, in Istanbul.

Jürgen Budday

Jürgen Budday was artistic director and founder of the Maulbronn Chamber Choir until 2016, with whom he won several prices in national and international competitions.

Since 1979 he worked up the Maulbronn Monastery Concerts as artistic director and he held this position until 2013. In 1998 he was awarded the “Bundesverdienstkreuz” (German Cross of Merit).

From 2002 until 2019 he has also held the chair of the Choral Committee with the German Music Council and was the head of the jury of the German Choir Competition.

In 2011 he was awarded Professor by the Minister President of Baden-Württemberg and in 2013 he was honored by the Georg-Friedrich-Händel-Ring. In 2014 he was called as artistic director of the International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf.

Jürgen Budday initialized a cycle of Handel oratorios over a several years that involved working with soloists like Emma Kirkby, Michael Chance, Nancy Argenta and Mark Le Brocq (to name but a few). The live recordings of these performances, that have received the highest praise from reviewers, has won him international recognition.

Since 2019 he holds the chair of the board of the recently founded National Youth Choir of Germany. Beyond that he is a member of the advisory board of the World Choir Council.

Jonathan Velasco

Jonathan Velasco is a much sought after choral conductor, clinician and adjudicator in the world today.

He and his choirs have won first prizes in major European choral competitions. He regularly adjudicates choral competitions in Europe and Asia, and gives choral conducting workshops and choral clinics worldwide. He currently conducts the Ateneo Chamber Singers.

Velasco was elected the first President of the Philippine Choral Directors Association in 2008. He was awarded the Pinoy Playlist Music Festival Ryan Cayabyab 2022 Award for his lifelong excellent contribution to Filipino choir music.

He was recently appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to the Board of Trustees of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Dr Wei Cheng

Dr Wei Cheng is the Director of Choral Program and Associate Professor of Teaching at University of California, Berkeley, Department of Music, where she oversees the UCB Chamber Chorus, University Chorus, Vocal Program, and conducting instruction. For her outstanding contributions she has been named the Virginia Chan Lew Distinguished Professor in Music for 2023-2028. This follows her tenure as the Jerry and Evelyn Hemmings Chambers Distinguished Professor in Music from 2020-2023. Originally from Beijing, China, Dr. Cheng earned her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in choral conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.

Recipient of the Dale Warland Conducting Award from the American Prize, Dr. Cheng is revered as an accomplished performer, educator, clinician, and adjudicator, having engaged musicians across the USA and China. Her leadership has seen both present and past choirs embark on numerous international tours, collaborating with renowned musicians and ensembles such as the Ethel String Quartet, Phillippe Entremont, the Munich Symphony Orchestra, and Essa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia Orchestra (London).

Moreover, under her guidance, the UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus recently won the American Prize in 2022 (college division), further attesting to Dr. Cheng’s commitment to excellence in choral performance.

Dr. Cheng’s primary professional focus lies in China, where she serves as Principal Guest Conductor of the Beijing Harmonia Choir and frequently conducts the Young People’s Chamber Choir at the National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing. She has also led residencies at prestigious institutions such as the China National Opera House and the Lanzhou Performing Arts Group. Additionally, she conducted the Stara-Zagora Opera Chorus and Orchestra in Bulgaria.

As a clinician, Dr. Cheng has worked with diverse age groups, ranging from children’s choirs to conservatory-level ensembles, in both the USA and China. Her expertise includes contemporary choral repertoire, conducting pedagogy, and the advancement of choral music in China. Committed to her mission of promoting Western choral traditions in China, she has served as a guest lecturer and conducting master teacher at prestigious conservatories in the country. Additionally, Dr. Cheng has been invited to adjudicate numerous state contests, music festivals, and national conferences, further solidifying her reputation as a leader and innovator in the choral community.

Zechariah Goh Toh Chai

As a Principal lecturer of composition at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, a composer of music ranging from choir, symphonic band, wind ensemble, chamber music to large scale orchestral works, Zechariah Goh Toh Chai has carefully fused South East Asian-Chinese with Western traditions. In 1999, he received the David and Gunda Hiebert Scholarship award to work on his Master of Piano from University of Kansas, during which he was appointed as a graduate assistant by the university to teach undergraduate music theory. Subsequently, he worked on his Doctorate degree majoring in Composition under the guidance of Dr. Charles Hoag.

Additionally, he was invited to lecture and give workshops at the Oklahoma State University and University of Kansas, USA in 2018. He adjudicated the World Children and Youth Choir Competition in Hong Kong (2017), and the Bali International Choral Competition (2018) and The Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod (2018 and 2023). and Singapore International Choral Festival (2024).

Artistic Director

Associate Artistic Director

Artistic
Director

Associate
Artistic Director