Fairview National Piano Competition

Artistic Advisor/Adjudicator As a pianist, impresario, concert promoter, producer, music teacher and artiste manager over the past 35 years, KeeBoon’s passion has been to establish a cultural milieu within Malaysia that will both benefit locals and foreigners alike. To this end, he has devoted his time to organising concerts and cultural events, playing a key role in local music education, building audience friendly programmes, developing a rapport with local artists, corporate sponsors and government bodies. Kee Boon has won the prestigious Jaycees International Outstanding Young Malaysian Award for Cultural Achievement and many other music awards including the first prize winner of the NSW State Conservatorium Piano Festival Competition in Sydney, Australia, and Gems of Asia by the Federation For Asian Cultural Promotion in Indonesia .He was featured as one of the Steinway Artistes for the Steinway For A Cause online charity show and also appointed as one of the  judges for the upcoming Malaysia ‘s Greatest Talent contest. Mr. Kok Kee Boon is currently the ‘Director of Performing Arts for Dominus’ at Fairview International School.

Artistic Advisor/Adjudicator Steinway Artist, Poom Prommachart from Thailand has established himself as one of the most prominent and promising artists of his generation for his impeccable physical demonstration, sincerity as well as the extreme lyricism with philosophical insights. Being such a passionate pianist and pedagogue, Mr. Prommachart has recently been appointed a Distinguished Piano Faculty, University College of Fairview, Malaysia, the Artistic Director of the 5th Steinway Youth Piano Competition 2020 in Thailand and VP Agency International, Singapore. Mr. Prommachart has completed his Bachelor of Music degree, Master of Music degree and Artist Diploma under Prof. Yonty Solomon,Prof. Ian Jones and later on with Prof. Dina Parakhina at the Royal College of Music, London (RCM) in 2014 on full scholarship, sponsored by H.R.H Princess Galyani Vadhana of Thailand and the RCM. During his time in London, he won the most prestigious Tagore Gold Medal which was presented by His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, upon graduation. Currently, Mr. Prommachart is based in Montréal , Canada and will be receiving his Doctorate of Music under the tutelage of Prof. Dang Thai Son and Prof. Jean Saulnier at the Université de Montréal, Canada in 2022. Healso previously studied at Moscow Conservatory, Russia with Prof. Vladimir Tropp. Mr. Prommachart’s performances are highly considered for their lyrical intensity and virtuosity. He has already developed an international reputation of carrying rare expressive depth, and has been acclaimed by critics who praised him as “a young Ashkenazy” from Seen and Heard UK Concert Review after his performance of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor with London Musician Symphony Orchestra in 2010.Moreover, The Straits Times, Singapore, applauded his performance that “Still in his late twenties, Poom Prommachart is Thailand’s most accomplished and decorated pianist.” Mr. Prommachart has released his first solo debut CD in April 2015 with Champs Hill Records in the U.K. featuring works by Medtner, Liszt andRachmaninoff which received great reviews in Europe, America and Asia, a recording with Steinway Spirio in New York, USA as well as his coming recording of Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor under Maestro Jean – Francois Rivest and Orchesrchestre de l’Universite de Montreal. Mr. Prommachart international performing career has started when he won the First Prize in the Fifth Isidor Bajic International Piano Competition,Serbia in 2010. In addition, he made a victory in his homeland by winning the First Prize in Thailand International Piano Competition in 2011,followed by continued success of winning the First Prize in Sussex International Piano Competition in 2013. The distinguished orchestras he has recently worked with include Montevideo Philharmonic Orchestra, London Musician Symphony Orchestra, Timisoara Philharmonic Orchestra ofRomania, Eailing Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Serbia, Worthing Symphony Orchestra, Vojvodina Symphony Orchestra,Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and Philippines Philharmonic Orchestra. His recent major concert engagements included piano recitals at Rachmaninoff Hall in Moscow, Belgrade Kolarac Hall in Serbia, Seoul Arts Center in Seoul and Busan, SouthKorea, Esplanade Hall in Singapore, South Bank and Royal Albert Hall in the U.K., Music Festival Perugia in Italy and Suntory Hall in Japan. Mr. Prommachart has won first grand prize at 2020 Orford Music Award, Canada.

A native of Petaling Jaya, Kenneth is a graduate of the Moscow State Conservatory named after Tchaikovsky, where he studied under Professor Natalia Trull. Whilst in Russia, he performed regularly in Moscow and St Petersburg. He collaborated in various ensembles with musicians from the Russian National Orchestra (RNO) and the chamber orchestra “Moskoviya”, and also made appearances on stage with singers and soloists from the Bolshoi Theatre, Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre, Novaya Opera Theatre, and the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Centre. After graduating in 2010, he made his Malaysian debut at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas where he performed with the Prima Vista String Quartet (Poland) at the Gala Opening Ceremony of the 4th ASEAN International Chopin Piano Competition. Since then, he has been actively performing around the country as a soloist, chamber pianist, and accompanist. Kenneth is currently a part-time lecturer at UCSI University.

Dr Ang is an eminent musician with extensive experience as a music educator, pianist, mezzo-soprano, and conductor. She has established a strong reputation for her expertise in piano didactics as she has trained teachers and performers from various states of Malaysia over the past 39 years. She holds a doctorate in music from North-West University, a master’s degree in music (piano didactics) from the University of Pretoria, a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Edinburgh, as well as performing and teaching licentiates in piano from the Trinity College of Music and the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in the United Kingdom. She is also a life member of the Golden Key International Honour Society for excellence in scholastic achievement. She began her musical journey at the tender age of six. She subsequently undertook her advanced graded studies at the Federal Academy of Music under the tutelage of Mr. Harold Boe Ashcroft and Ms. Ada Weinman where she was awarded a scholarship for her outstanding musical ability. Her studies culminated in her having scored the highest marks in Malaysia for the Licentiate Examination of the Royal Schools of Music in 1979. In the same year, she was talent-scouted by Dr Colin Kingsley of the University of Edinburgh and was accepted to study music at a degree level. There, she won the Rackstraw scholarship for excellence in academic performance. While in the United Kingdom, she studied piano with leading professionals such as Dr Colin Kingsley and she appeared in numerous public recitals as a solo and collaborative pianist, specifically with the Edinburgh Society of Musicians, Chopin Circle and the Scottish Arts Council. She also received accolades for her performance of piano works by Debussy in a master-class conducted by the esteemed Professor Joseph Bloch of the Julliard School of Music. Upon her return to Malaysia, she continued to perform in a two-piano recital and was a collaborative pianist for vocalists and choirs at performances organised by the Selangor Philharmonic Society. She was also highly commended at another vocal recital for her performance on the piano of accompanying opera singers from the renowned Metropolitan Opera. She began her career in teaching with a special focus on diploma-level piano students in both performing and teaching. After eight years of experience, she then helmed the establishment of her music college, namely, the Philharmonic College of Music, where she was the co-founder, principal and Director of Music for five years. Furthermore, she was actively involved in conducting choirs, ensembles, producing and directing musicals as the Head of the Performing Arts Ministry of the Full Gospel Assembly in Kuala Lumpur from 1999 to 2016. Dr Ang’s key achievements are evident in the accomplishments of her students, who have received High Scorer Awards at the advanced  and diploma levels by both the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and the Trinity College in recognition of excellence in the piano examinations held in Malaysia. In addition, her students have been accepted into esteemed music institutions such as the Guildhall School of Music, the Royal College of Music, the University of Edinburgh, Chetham’s School of Music and the Purcell School in the United Kingdom, as well as the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in Australia. Furthermore, her students have been major prize-winners in piano competitions such as the Malaysian Youth Music Festival, Hong Kong (Asia Pacific) Piano Competition, AIMS Young Musician Award, 3rd Steinway and Sons Malaysia Youth Piano Competition, Kingsburg International Music Competition, Asia Pacific Arts Festival, 5th Hong Kong International Youth Performing Arts Festival, 19th Osaka International Music Competition, Singapore Asia Youth Competition, the South East Asia (SEA) Piano Competition in 2020, and the 5th Steinway Malaysia Youth Competition. Dr Ang has frequently been invited to serve as an adjudicator at several music competitions, including the International Grand Music Festival, which was recently held in April 2021, and the Roland Music Festivals. She has also been an external examiner for Yamaha Music Malaysia’s Advanced Diploma level and first-year recitals leading to a degree in music at Middlesex University. She is currently teaching piano performance and pedagogy privately at diploma, pre-university and tertiary levels. She also conducts piano master-classes as an adjunct lecturer at UCSI University’s Institute of Music.

U-Jin Lim gained his B.Mus. at University of London where he studied piano with Hilary Coates and composition with Edward Gregson. Advanced diplomas in Performance and Teaching from Trinity College London and the Guildhall Schools of Music and Drama were also obtained in his secondary school years. Adept in both classical as well as pop music genres, he taught at British schools and was also active as a session keyboardist. He assisted in the formation of the undergraduate music programme at the Cultural Centre of University Malaya in 1998, where he taught piano performance and theory of music for over a period of 12 years, apart from being the department’s Head of Instrumental Studies and course leader for Music Theory. A study grant enabled a post-graduate degree in Music Education Research from University Malaya. He actively adjudicates at national and regional festivals and competitions and was for several years on the examining panel for Trinity College London Classical Music and Rock & Pop. U-Jin is currently Trinity’s Regional Academic Consultant for the South-East Asia region.