Folk Song Improvisation

SARAWAK INTERNATIONAL CHORAL SYMPOSIUM 2025

Arranging Asian Folk Songs: Folksong Improvisation
with Dr. Zechariah Goh (Singapore)

Zechariah Goh graduated with a Diploma in Music from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1989. 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. He was also awarded the prestigious Anthony Cius Prize for outstanding student composer from the University of Kansas for the academic year of 2001 and 2002.

Dr Goh is a recipient of the National Arts Council Young Artist Award in 2003. He is an active composer whose musical compositions have been performed widely around the world. He is also a conductor of several choirs, ensembles and orchestra. Over the years, he has been invited as a jury member in international music competitions. He is also a regular speaker in national and international conferences and competitions such as SICF, BICF, MCI and Tokyo International Choir Competition. He has been presented with the ‘COMPASS Artistic Excellence’ Award in 2013 presented by Composers And Authors Society of Singapore Ltd for his outstanding and commendable achievements in his field of music expertise. He is currently Head of Composition Studies as well as Principal Lecturer at the Department of Music in NAFA, teaching composition, and orchestration

Singapore Symphony Orchestra commissioned and performed many works in 2017, 2022, and 2023. In 2024 he was appointed by the orchestra to mentor six young composers in the orchestra workshop and reading by SSO