Quek Ling Kiong was a recipient of the National Arts Council’s (NAC) Singapore Young Artist Award (2002) and the NAC Cultural Fellowship (2013). He studied at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music under the NAC Overseas Scholarship, as well as the Lee Foundation and Singapore Hokkien Huay Kwan scholarships. He learned Chinese percussion from renowned master Li Min Xiong and Western classical percussion from Xue Bao Lun. He also explored various Chinese percussion arts with masters such as Li Zhen Gui, An Zhi Shun and Zhu Xiao Lin. After graduating from the Conservatory in 1997, he joined the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) and became its Percussion Principal.
Quek Ling Kiong learned conducting from Cultural Medallion recipient Tay Teow Kiat and famed Chinese conductor Xia Fei Yun. He attended the workshops and masterclasses of luminaries such as Tsung Yeh, Kirk Trevor, Colin Metters, Harold Farberman as well as Johannes Schlaefli, Marc Kissoczy, Oleg Proskumya and Leonid Korchmar.
Quek Ling Kiong’s career in professional conducting took off when he became SCO’s first Conducting Assistant in 2003. In 2004, he became SCO’s Assistant Conductor as well as the Conductor for the Singapore Youth Chinese Orchestra (SYCO). In 2005, he debuted with SCO at the opening concert of the 12th International Conference of WASBE (World Association for Symphonic Band and Ensembles). In 2006 and 2013, he led SYCO to perform at the Tainan International Arts Festival and Hsinchu Chinese Music Festival in Taiwan respectively.
Besides conducting orchestras in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, he has conducted symphony orchestras in the Europe including Westbohmisches Symphonieorchester in Marienbad, Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra and Berg Komorni Orchestra of Prague. In September 2006, he was again awarded the NAC overseas bursary and scholarship from the Hokkien Huay Kwan to pursue Conducting Studies in Zurich, Switzerland. In 2007, he completed the International Academy of Advanced Conducting in St. Petersburg, Russia. 2008 he obtained his Diploma in Advanced Studies in Orchestra Conducting from Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, Switzerland. Upon his return to SCO in 2008, he was promoted to Associate Conductor. 2013 he was appointed the Resident Conductor of SCO. One of his successful creations is Young Children Concert and Young People’s Concert. As an advocate for contemporary music, Ling Kiong led Ding Yi Music Company and initiated the “Composum” the 1st International Competition for Chinese Chamber Music Composition in 2012 in Singapore. To lead the Chinese Chamber Music movement in the Asia region, Ling Kiong organized the 1st Chinese Chamber Music Festival in 2014.
Quek Ling Kiong is currently an adjunct teacher at the Singapore School Of The Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Music Director for Singapore Management University Chinese Orchestra and Conductor for Singapore most acclaimed Chinese Chamber ensemble the Ding Yi Music Company.
Assistant Conductor- Wong De Li Dedric
Dedric is the General Manager and Assistant Conductor of Ding Yi Music Company, Conductor for the China Conservatory of Music Middle School Orchestra Class, as well as a recipient of the 2014 National Arts Council Arts Scholarship. He is currently pursuing his Master’s in Orchestral Conducting at the China Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of Professor Yang You Qing.
After his graduation from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in 2007 with a Diploma in Music, majoring in Suona performance, Dedric received guidance in conducting from Singapore’s renowned Chinese music educator and Cultural Medallion, Dr Tay Teow Kiat.
In 2006, he clinched the first prize in the National Arts Council Chinese Music Competition’s Suona Open Category. Since then, Dedric has often gone to China to further his Suona performing skills under the guidance of many Suona masters. He staged a Suona concerto with the Xi’An Music Conservatory Oriental National Symphony Orchestra in 2008. In 2011, Dedric was invited and accompanied by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra as a soloist, under the baton of Maestro Tsung Yeh.
With his keen interest in traditional Chinese music, he received The Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Arts and Cultural Bursary twice in year 2004 and 2006.