OUR TEAM
Ms Jie Ying
Piano
Ms Marilyn
Piano
Ms Zhang Jie
Vocal
Mr Ed K
Piano Theory Composition
Ms Noryn
Violin
Mr Liew Lee Khong
Art
Jie Ying is a well established local pianist who currently holds a Masters Degree with Distinction from University of Otago, a Bachelors Degree with First Class from Royal College of Music, Diploma in Music Performance with Distinction from NAFA, along with a Distinction in both ATCL and LTCL from Trinity Guildhall. She started learning the piano at the age of 5 with her father, and later transferred to Ms. Alice Yap, who is a Pedagogue and Author. She has been involved in many solo and group performances with the Musikinder Ensemble by the time she was 7.
During her studies in NAFA, her mentors included Dr. Paul Liang and Prof. Boris Kraljevic. Other mentors included Rena Phua, Toh Chee Hung, Dennis Lee, Yaron Kohlberg, Julian Jacobson, Dina Parakhina, Tong-II Han, Gordon Fergus Thompson and John Blakely. She continued to further her Masters of Music studies with Prof. Terence Dennis, one of the most sought after pianists in New Zealand.
Jie Ying performs actively as a soloist. She has received multiple awards and won various competitions both locally and abroad, most recently in New Zealand. Recent highlights from Jie Ying's extensive list of performances include performances of Beethoven's Concerto no. 3 with the Central Otago Orchestra, Mozart's Piano Concerto K488 with the Colleagiate Orchestra, and various Marama Hall Concerts. She has collaborated with lecturers from the University of Otago including Heleen Du Plessis, Peter Adams, and Terence Dennis - all internationally acclaimed instrumental soloists. Jie Ying also had the honour of performing Dvorak's Solvanic Dance Op. 46 no. 5 for Four Hands with her piano professor, Terence Dennis, at the second ceremony just after her Masters graduation.
Jie Ying is a recipient of the Ngee Ann Kongsi Merit Award, Yamaha Scholarship and Ida G White Memorial Prize in Music. She also been awarded the Third place in the NAFA Essential Competition Piano Category, while placing both First and Second place in the Dunedin Performing Arts Society Music Competition Recital Classes in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
Jie Ying was invited to perform for the NAFA BMus High Scorers Concert in Aug 2013 and was the official piano accompanist from 2013-2014. During her time in New Zealand, she played for The Melrose Singers and taught at Able Music Studio, Auckland's largest music academy. Besides being an experienced performer, Jie Ying is also an active accompanist and teacher.
Marilyn started to play piano at a tender age of 5 but her interested was piqued much later during a chance encounter to teach at a music school. From then on, she has dedicated her time to perfecting the skill of piano-playing and achieved a Diploma in Piano Performance from Trinity Guildhall. Her major influences are mainly works from composers of the Romantic Period like Schubert and Chopin to name a few. On a wider level of orchestra works, she is particularly fond of Beethoven's Emperor Piano Concerto.
She has over 8 years experience teaching privately and in music school - previously taught in Eigthnote Music School. Ms Marilyn has attended many Masterclasses conducted by World Class Pianists such as Murray Mclachlan, Claudius Tanski, Dina Parakhina, Mark Tanner and Charlotte Turner (Harpsichord) which has honed her piano skills greatly.
Besides masterclasses and recitals, she also went to the Singapore Nanyang Piano Academy in 2019, having attended individual lessons with international visiting piano professors like Dr Nellie Quinn from Julliard School, Nigel Clayton from Royal College of Music, Claudius Tanski from University Mozarteum and You Xi. She also took part in the Nanyang Academy Piano Competition and achieved Silver Award in the competition.
Due to her passion in wanting to impart her pedagogy skills to fellow and budding young pianists, she is active in pursuing opportunities including performance and teaching pedagogy training, and has attended the Chetham's Piano Summer School in UK Manchester.
Her experience ranges between young children to adults for both pop and classical piano. Her lessons are fun and engaging, especially inspiring her young students to love the piano.
Mr Ed K graduated from La Salle College of the Arts with a Music Diploma, majoring in Composition, along with an AmusTCL Diploma in Music Theory.
He has over 25 years of experience as a teacher and music arranger in the pop music industry. He has arranged over 40 piano books sold locally and overseas, and has arranged music for various studio recordings, Japanese schools and public schools' SYF (Singapore Youth Festival) Competitions.
He teaches both pop and classical piano, advanced theory, composition and improvisation. Lesson plan is customised to each student's learning ability and what they would like learn.
Soprano Zhang Jie graduated from the Xing Hai Conservatory of Music where she studied voice as her major and achieved her Degree in Music Education. She was taught by Prof Li Ning and Prof Zhou Xiao Yin. In recent years, she has also continued her studies with Nancy Yuen in Singapore. She also studied in an Artist Training Program in Singapore Lyric Opera
Zhang actively performs in concerts and competitions in Singapore, receiving the second prize in the open category of the SLO-ASEAN Vocal Competition held in 2016. She also won awards in the Singapore Vocal Competition and the Singapore-Malaysia Vocal Competition in 2004. Her most recent performance is Mozart's Le Nozze Di Figaro in 2019. She sung the role of countess Almaviva. Other performance include "Lion City Nostalgia Gala Concert in 2018 (in Victoria Concert Hall, 'SLO opera in park 2017 with SLO Orchestra, SLO Gala Concert 2017 in Esplanade Concert Hall, Soave Sia il vento (cosi fan tutte) SLO Opera in park 2019 (with SLO orchestra). Will perform Donna Anna in Don Giovianni in 2021 Victoria Concert Hall.
Besides being a seasoned performer and singer, Zhang Jie is also an experienced vocal teacher who has taught helped students prepare for vocal exams, performances and even singing auditions.
Noryn graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, NAFA under the tutelage of Matthias Oestringer with a Diploma in Music Teaching. She is currently expanding her musical path with great exposure to classical and new modern music. Her burning passion for classical music was first ignited when she picked up the violin at the age of seven back in her primary school as a co-curriculum activity. Ever since, she has continued to manifest her showmanship and love for classical music.
Noryn’s curiosity led her to explore further into the different genres of music. In 2013, she joined her secondary school’s Chinese Orchestra as the Principal Cellist. She was also offered the noble position as the Student Conductor of the orchestra in the year 2015. This definitely kept her burning passion for music alive up till today.
Entering NAFA, Noryn was given many blooming opportunities to soar. She took part in masterclasses with Yuri Zhislin as well as Lucy Russell, faculty from Royal College of Music London and also Pisoot Saay Op Oua, the concertmaster of Bangkok’s Symphony Orchestra. She actively participates in the weekly Faculty Studies such as NAFA Orchestra rehearsals, NAFA Project Strings, NAFA Choir and Gamelan Ensemble. Noryn has performed in many NAFA concert series such as Viva Verismo, NAFA 80th Anniversary Arts Festival Concert, NAFA Project Strings The Last Serenade and The Complete Sibelius Symphony Cycle. She also engages with many external orchestras in Singapore such as The Philharmonic Orchestra, Orkestra Sri Temasek, Orkestra Melayu Singapore, yIN Harmony, ADDO Arts Company and Singapore Pocket Opera Theatre. She is currently the Orchestra Leader and Principal Violinist for Orkestra Sri Temasek.
In 2018, Noryn was flown to Beijing for an Overseas Immersion Programme in which she attended masterclasses with the Professors from Central Conservatory of Music. She has volunteered in NAFA Outreach Project in which she travelled to many schools and villages in Sabah, Malaysia to share her love of music with the under privileged kids. In August 2019, she was also flown to Vietnam to perform for the Singapore’s Embassy in Hanoi and Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City together with yIN Harmony. On top of that, she has worked together with Gamelan Asmaradana for the Singapore Night Festival held at the National Museum of Singapore back in September 2019. Noryn has also performed at the Anugerah MENDAKI 2019 for the guest of honour, Dr Maliki Osman as well as Chairman Minister Masagos Zulkifli. She has also been given the opportunity to perform for President Halimah Yacob during the commencement of Bulan Bahasa 2019. Just recently in November 2020, she was invited to play for the Singapore’s Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, together with Orkestra Sri Temasek for the launch of an eight-part series #MusicalCollidoscope in which it featured some of Singapore’s brightest musical talents and their reinterpretation of iconic Turkish folk songs such as Çay Elinden Öteye.
Mr. Liew Lee Khong is the man who has been the support behind our founder, Ms. Jie Ying, helping her to achieve what she has today. He is a professional and passionate local artist who has dedicated almost his entire life to the arts.
He graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Art - Western Art Department in 1966. While he was working as a freelance artist in 1979, he travelled throughout Europe for six months where most of his 1979 artwork were purchased by European art collectors.
Upon his return to Singapore, he was an art educator for children and teenagers, conducting private and group classes in RCs and schools.
He has participated in numerous art exhibitions such as the “Six Man Art Exhibition”, with five other artists at the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce in 1982. He has also been invited to showcase his artwork at the National Day Art Exhibition, Hwa Chong Alumni Association’s Hua Ling Art Exhibition, National Library’s “Pastel Art in Singapore” Art Exhibition, NAFA Alumni Association’s 36th anniversary art exhibition, Club NAFA’s “Reflection in Nanyang” art exhibition, NAFA Alumni Association’s Mini Art Exhibition at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, NAFA Celebration of SG50 and 40th anniversary of NAFA Alumni Association art exhibition and many more.
Mr Liew also had the honour to draw a portrait of President Halimah Jacob and presented the painting to her with his family.
Mr. Liew is an extremely experienced and dedicated art teacher with over 40 years of teaching experience mentoring students of all ages. His students have always found his classes very enjoyable and he has taught many who have received awards in local art competitions. Some of his former students have also returned to study art under his guidance again.
He teaches mainly in Mandarin with some English.