Formal art and music education programmes in Singapore were established by the British colonial government in the 1920s and ’30s respectively. Private Chinese-medium schools also offered art education through courses run by professional artists. After Singapore ...
Independent (commonly shortened to “indie”) music encompasses a wide range of musical genres, including rock, pop, metal and folk. Indie music is associated with alternative, non-mainstream productions and forms of distribution. Increasingly, the term “indie music” ...
The Thau Yong Amateur Musical Association (陶融儒乐社) is a musical group formed in 1931 and registered as a society in 1962. It remains active today, performing Waijiang (外江) and Teochew music and opera concerts regularly.
Popular music flourished in Singapore during the 1960s, when a number of local bands became extremely popular with their cover versions of British and American songs as well as original compositions. These bands had a strong following and often played to crowds ...
Alexander S. Abisheganaden (b. 31 January 1926, Singapore–d. 7 March 2023) was among the most prominent guitarists in Singapore. A recipient of the Cultural Medallion for music in 1988, Abisheganaden dedicated much of his life to teaching and popularising guitar ...
Music festivals play an important role in developing audiences and Singapore’s music scene. Grouping music events into a festival results in an intense and exciting audience experience. Music festivals have been staged in Singapore since the early 20th century. ...
Orkestra Melayu Singapura (OMS), Singapore’s first Malay orchestra, was set up by the People’s Association (PA) in September 1991. Formed to preserve and promote Malay music in Singapore, OMS is the only orchestra in Singapore to combine modern and traditional ...
Kit Chan (陈洁仪) (b. 15 September 1972, Singapore – ) is a Singaporean singer, actress, author and Singapore’s first Youth Ambassador. Dubbed by the local Chinese media as Singapore’s “national treasure”, the multi-talented artiste has recorded numerous albums in ...
Dubbed Singapore’s King of Swing, Jeremy Ian Monteiro (b. 20 June 1960, Singapore–) is an internationally acclaimed jazz musician. Since the 1970s, Monteiro has performed in Singapore as a resident artiste or with bands, and in many festivals worldwide. Monteiro ...
World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) Singapore was an arts event that made its debut in 1998 at the Festival of Arts. The first WOMAD to be held in Southeast Asia, the event ran for 10 years in Singapore before it was put on hold in 2007.
Paul Selvaraj Abisheganaden (b. 27 March 1914, Penang, Straits Settlements–d. 31 August 2011, Singapore) was a musician and conductor, who was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 1986. Born in Penang, Abisheganaden came to Singapore in 1916 at the age of two, when ...
Yeh Tsung (b. 17 May 1950, Shanghai, China–), better known as Tsung Yeh, has been the music director of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) since 2002. Currently also the music director of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra in the United States (US), Yeh is the ...
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Band provides musical support for state and military functions and is the musical ambassador of the SAF. The band traces its beginnings to the Singapore Military Forces (SMF) staff band that was formed in 1958. Since then, the band ...
David Lim Kim San (b. 7 May 1933, Singapore–) has a diverse career in music which spanned over four decades, including educator, administrator, producer, advocate, vocalist and conductor. Lim’s contribution to the school band and choral movements began in the 1960s ...
The Singapore government has commissioned national songs since the 1980s. The early songs featured strong nationalistic themes and resembled advertising jingles. Since then, national songs have taken on a pop sensibility and become a showcase for local musical ...
Dikir barat is a style of Malay choral singing popular in Singapore and Malaysia. With a flexible format that incorporates singing, poetry, movement and music, dikir barat is a form of entertainment that cuts across various segments of society.
Arguably one of Singapore’s funniest women, talented local artiste Selena Tan (b. 1971, Singapore–) is a director, playwright, actress, producer and comedienne. As a versatile actress, Tan has performed in live theatre shows such as stand-up comedy acts, musicals, ...
Michael Chiang (b. 1955, Malaysia–) is a prolific playwright who has received accolades for his contributions to the arts in Singapore. Mostly loved for his comedies and musicals, such as Army Daze and Beauty World, his works have been runaway successes at home ...
Wayang kulit is a form of traditional theatre in Southeast Asia. It involves a puppet shadow play performance with origins that are possibly linked to the Indian shadow play. There are many forms and types of wayang kulit in Asia. Those performed in Peninsular ...
The Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall (VTCH) along Empress Place is Singapore’s oldest performing arts venue. Gazetted as a national monument on 14 February 1992, the VTCH comprises two blocks of building constructed more than 43 years apart, in 1862 and 1905, ...