Vocal And Piano Recital
Sunday, 17 April, 02.30 PM at USM Penang

By Cecilia Yap, soprano & Ng Chong Lim, piano

The Malaysian-German Society will be presenting a vocal and piano recital to Penang enthusiast community. Cecilia Yap (Soprano) and Ng Chong Lim (Pianist) are renowned Malaysian musician. Cecilia Yap is a graduate of Santa Cecilia Conservatory of Rome, and Ng Chong Lim studied at the Royal College of Music. Both of them had won prizes in numerous international competitions. They will be performing the works of Vivaldi, Rossini, Schubert, R.Strauss, Grieg, Puccini and some other short pieces.

In this concert, the MGS collaborates with the USM music department and with friendly support of Goethe Institut.

For further information please contact Georgetown House of Strings (04-2263814) or Malaysian-German Society (04-2296853)

Cecilia Yap Keat Chee
Malaysian soprano Cecilia Yap Keat Chee is currently an active singer in the country’s musical scene. A graduate of Santa Cecilia Conservatory of Rome, Yap’s vocal style is in the vein of the Italian tradition, taught to her by renowned singers: Lorraine Nawa Jones Marenzi and Arte Scenica opera directors Marcello Ferroni and Marcella Govoni, to name a few. While in Italy, Yap had won the 7th Cascinalirica International Vocal Competition (1994), of which she was the only Asian finalist. The country’s magazine L’Opera describes Yap as a singer with a “dramatic flair, refined vocal expression and interpretation”.

Yap’s concert repertoire spans a wide range, from European to Russian art songs and opera arias to sacred genres such as oratorios, cantatas and requiems, to songs in her own mother tongue, Chinese art and folk songs. Yap’s vocal prowess has earned her much recognition. In 2002, she was honoured with the Best Solo Performance of the Year by the The BOH Cameronian Arts Awards.

More information below>

Ng Chong Lim
Hailing from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, pianist–composer Ng Chong Lim studied at the Royal College of Music (RCM), London under the tutelage of Professor Frank Wibaut in London, and continued his piano studies with Professor Elza Kolodin and subsequently with Professor Beat Furrer at the Universität fur Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz, Austria for music composition. He is Winner of Malaysian National Piano Competition 1993, Prize winner of the Royal Overseas League Competition and Anthony Saltmarsh Junior Fellowship (RCM).

As a pianist, Chong Lim has appeared both as a soloist and chamber musician in England, Austria, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, Holland, USA, Japan, Cambodia, Philippines, Brunei, Singapore, Taiwan, Greece, Denmark, Korea, Kazakhstan and Malaysia.
As a keen composer, Chong Lim has had his works commissioned by and premiered in various countries and being a pedagogue, he was a faculty member of Universiti Malaya (Malaysia) Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Singapore).

More information below>

More about Cecilia Yap:
With many producers, Yap has brought gems of Western Classical music to the stage: Vivaldi’s Gloria in D (RV 589) and Dixit Dominus (RV 594), Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion and Mass in B minor, Handel’s The Messiah and Dixit Dominus (HWV 232), Haydn’s The Creation and Mozart’s Requiem Mass in D Minor (K.626), Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Mendelssohn’s Psalm 95 Op.46, Elijah, St. Paul and choral works from his Symphony no. 2 in B-flat (Lobgesang). In 2008 Yap was invited by Singapore-based Hallelujah Oratorio Society to perform the Asian premiere of Handel’s Gloria (HWV deest). Among opera productions, Yap’s notable roles include Micaela in Bizet’s Carmen and Liu in Puccini’s Turandot, Among orchestras she has worked with are Malaysia National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC), Symphony Orchestra and Penang State Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (PESSOC), Aula Simfonia Jakarta and Singapore Lyric Opera (SLO).

Reviews:
“Yap certainly lived up to expectation. Her voice was clear and powerful, and superbly controlled even for the most demanding songs…” ~ The Malay Mail
“Yap is a singer of rare musicality and stunning virtuosity. Her voice left the audience in awe with its sheer power, wide range and histrionic ability…” ~ The Star
“Carmen” – “Micaela is a complicated role to play. Cecilia brought humanity to Micaela, … Her voice was clarity and sweetness, sorrow and loss”. ~ Kakiseni.com
“Viva Verdi” - …very secure technique, blossoming in the higher range, with ease and freedom in the singing that was welcome, as well as some real dramatic flair with no sacrifice to beauty of tone.” ~ The Flying Inkpot, Singapore

More about Ng Chong Lim:
As a pianist he continues to be active in performances, with his latest involvements International Piano Festival with National Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven Complete Piano Sonatas Project in Singapore, Robert Schumann 200th Anniversary Fest “of Foreign Lands & People” 2010, Kuala Lumpur Piano Festival 2012- 2014 , 3rd Asian Grand Piano Concert (Seoul, Korea) 2012. In November 2012 & 2015, he was among the 7 international juries at the 5th & 6th ASEAN International Chopin Piano Competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 2013, He was invited to “Evmelia” International Music Festival, Greece and “Opusfest” Antipolo 2013- International Piano and Chamber Music festival, Philippines. In 2014, he was invited to “21st New Music festival” Almaty, Kazakhstan.

A a composer, Chong Lim has had his works commissioned by and premiered in various countries, e.g. "Two Preludes" (for the National Piano Festival, Malaysia 2000), “Three Sketches for two pianos” (premiered in Taiwan, the National Recital hall Taipei 2004 "Rimba", “Window” and “Xiang” (premiered by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra in 2006-7), “A distant Voice of the Rain Forest” for solo piano (performed at Tongyeong International Music Festival, Korea, 2009), “Amorphous” for String Orchestra (premiered at “Streams” New Music festival in Brauweiler, Germany, 2010), “Footprints” for Piano Solo (premiered at “John Donald Robb Composers’ Symposium, New Mexico, USA, 2011), “Shadows” for Piano and Malay Traditional Instruments (premiered at “International Festival Of Classical Music” Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2011), “Three Sketches” for Oboe, Cello and Piano (commissioned by the Ernst von Siemens Foundation for Chambre d'écoute, Germany, 2012), “Dragonfly(s)” (specially commissioned for the 5th ASEAN International Chopin Piano Competition, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2012).