BIOGRAPHY

Music Director: Chong Poh Kong

Ipoh-born Chong Poh Kong graduated with a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering at Imperial College, London in 1990. During that period, he was accepted to learn privately under the aegis of the late Alan Colebourne (who was himself taught by Louis Kentner). During his final year at Imperial College, he successfully auditioned for a place in the advanced postgraduate diploma course at the prestigious Royal College of Music, London. He was the recipient of several trust funds notably the Craxton Trust, the Laura Ashley Foundation and the Alper Trust which enabled him to continue with his postgraduate studies for three years, learning under professor John Barstow.

He performed a concerto with the Southgate College Orchestra in 1987 and subsequently won the North London Concerto Competition, resulting in rehearsals and a performance with the Finchley Chamber Orchestra under David Lardi in the same year. He has also won all the top piano prizes at the festivals of Ealing, Hounslow, North London, Kingston, Kent, St. Albans and Richmond.

Whilst at the College, Poh Kong won the Vivian Hamilton (Chopin) prize and the John Ireland prize. He collaborated with many instrumentalists and performed regularly in concerts as pianist and accompanist.

Poh Kong made his Singapore debut at the Victoria Concert Hall in April 1995. His programe included Beethoven Sonata Op. 109, Liszt La Campanella, and Prokofiev Seventh Sonata. Subsequently he gave a Chopin-Liszt recital in 1997. He was a regular performer at the British Alumni Music Recitals and also performed a solo piano and a piece for horn and piano in singapore composer Tan Chan Boon's "Harvest of a Decade" concert in December 1997. In 2002, he was selected to perform Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 in a masterclass by Jose Feghali as part of the programme organised by the Van Cliburn Institute in Texas, USA.

Poh Kong has also been invited as adjudicator in Cristofori's Piano Competition 2006, and in the Young Persons' Piano Competition in Malaysia in 2006.

Poh Kong is now fully commited to teaching piano performing/theory and performs when opportunity arises.

Li Zhen Qiang

Li Zhen Qiang started his music education at the age of 10 and developed a passion for music ever since. He learnt the piano and tuba in his secondary school and was appointed the band major. He then joined the Serangoon Junior College Concert Band when he was doing his A levels and he was appointed the Chairman of the band. His piano teachers include Mr Chong Poh Kong , Ms Lim Tsui Fang and Dr Ernest Lim.  He was also mentored by Mr Leonard Tan in tuba playing. During his National Service, he was enlisted into the Singapore Armed Forces Band where he had the opportunity to participate in the National Day Parade in 2003 as a fanfare trumpeter.  Being very active in the local band scene, he has performed in  the Singapore Trombone Choir as a trombonist,  Audio Image (Siglap South CC)( from 2002-2004) and the Toa Payoh South CC-Moulmein Wind Symphony (since 2004). He has also served 6 years as President of the TPSCC-Moulmein Wind Symphony (known as Novo Winds 2004-2010). His experience in band directing has enabled him to work with students across a wide spectrum of educational institutions- from Primary to Tertiary levels. Some of the schools he was involved in were: Dunman Secondary School, Bedok Town Secondary school, Holy Innocents’High School, Rosyth School Nanyang girls high school, St Margaret girls sec school, Sengkang secondary school, Loyang secondary school, ITE  band (simei) and johor bahru Malaysia 1^st division boys brigade military band. Zhen Qiang participated in the International band competition the 1^st World Music contest (Kerkrade, Holland) and obtained the gold (3^rd division) with Maris Stella band alumni. He also participated in  an exchange programme with one of China’s top-rated music colleges  from Guang Zhou-Xing Hai University in 2005. Locally, the national band competition in 2006 was one of the highlights of his band-playing career when he played with the Maris Stella band alumni, obtaining the gold and attaining the top band in the 1^st division. In 2009 Zhen Qiang went for his 2^nd World Music Contest in Kerkrade Holland, this time,  with the NTU band and brought back the gold (1^st division). He also attended the Chiayi International Band Festival with NIE Symphonic Band.

He holds the Dip In Music from NAFA and Dip in Music Education with credit from NIE. He has been teaching at Classical Heritage music centre for over 8 years and has had 100% pass rate in his students’ exam thus far.

Mervin Wee

Mervin holds a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from NUS, Bachelors degree in Music from LaSalle College of the Arts,  and a diploma in music of the ABRSM. Whilst at the NUS, he was a student music director for Piano Ensemble (2003-2004). He performed in Melange, Touch 2004 & Touch 2005.
He has more than 10 years of teaching experience. He is presently exploring the jazz genre and enjoys improvisation. Mervin is a patient teacher with a methodical approach to his teaching.