Malaysian pianist Dr. Tham Horng Kent's concert Sat, 9th of April, 2016 Tallinn Town Hall
Malaysian pianist Dr. Tham Horng Kent will be performing a program of Western and Asian repertory - music from his native country Malaysia; music from China, where his grandparents originated from; and Western music, which became ever more familiar during his lengthy studies in Europe. Guest performer, Malaysian soprano Florence Khei Kuan Chong, will join him in performing the premiere of Chow Shern Yeo’s song cycle “ Songs from Malaysians”.
Tham Horng Kent (1986 / Sabah, Malaysia) started taking piano lessons at the age of 10 under the guidance of Pastors Voo Fui Kong and Lie Tjioe Lan. In 2007, he was one of the recipients of the Asia Yamaha Music Scholarship (classical piano) and in 2009 received the Hedy King Robinson Prize for ABRSM Theory of Music. He graduated from University Putra Malaysia with a bachelor’s degree in 2009 with first class honours (piano performance). Towards the end of his undergraduate studies, he obtained the Licentiate diploma of Trinity College London, and in 2010, a Fellowship diploma.
In the same year, Horng Kent was awarded an RSAMD Trust Scholarship to pursue his Master of Music in piano performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, where he studied with Jonathan Plowright. During his time there, he received recognition in numerous competitions including the Jock Holden Memorial Mozart Prize and the Peter Lindsay Miller Prize for Piano Duo. In 2011, he was a recipient of the Hope Scott Trust Award; participated in the Glasgow Piano Festival and in the International Summer Academy with Gottlieb Wallisch (Professor of Piano at the Geneva University of Music) as well as in contemporary improvisation classes with Mr. Anto Pett (Professor of Improvisation at the Estonia Academy of Music and Theatre). In 2011, Horng Kent was awarded distinguished at the IBLA Grand Prize International Piano Competition (piano duo).
In 2012, He was a semi-finalist in the Kerikeri International Piano Competition in New Zealand and has been awarded both, a full scholarship by the Malaysian Higher Education Ministry and a teaching assistantship at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, where he attained his Doctorate in Music Performance (Piano), under Dr Denise Neary, Peter Tuite and Prof Hugh Tinney. He was invited to participate in the Dublin International Piano Festival and Summer Academy in 2013. In 2014, he was invited to participate in the 5th Katowice International Piano Masterclasses in Poland, chosen as Boyne Music Festival Young Associated Artists Programme 2014 (piano duo) as well as awarded a scholarship to participate in the 2014 British Isles Music Festival. In 2015, he was chosen as an Erasmus Doctoral Student at the Sibelius Academy in Finland, in the class of Prof Margit Rahkonen and Prof Lauri Suurpää. Most recently, he was selected to present a paper in the Ninth Annual Postgraduate Conference of the Society for Musicology in the Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Malaysian soprano Florence Khei Kuan Chong began her music training as a pianist in 2002 studying with Liaw and Lean Hin Chong. In 2007, she was awarded a full scholarship to attend the SEGi College Subang Jaya where she studied piano and violin. In 2009, Florence decided to switch her major from piano to voice on the recommendation of her singing teacher and her developing passion for singing. Pursuing a strong interest in choir singing, Florence joined the award winning Klang Chamber Choir (KCC) in 2008. As an active member of KCC, she participated in the Venezia in Musica International Choral Competition in Italy in 2011 and in the Asia Cantate Choral Festival in Phuket, Thailand in 2012.
Florence is currently a student at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, Ireland where she studies voice with Virginia Kerr. She has actively participated in competitions and music festivals in Ireland and has won numerous awards, including the Newpark Music Festival Ruth Beare Perpetual Cup (First Prize, 2015), the Margaret Dillon Prize (First Prize, 2015), Sligo Feis Ceoil Cup for Songs by Italian Composers (Second Prize, 2015), Sligo Feis Ceoil Oratorio and Sacred Solos (Highly Commended, 2015), the Sligo Feis Ceoil Cup (Highly Commended, 2015), and the Newpark Music Festival Adult Vocal Baroque Aria (First Prize, 2014). She has been selected to perform in masterclasses given by world renowned coaches and singers, such as Emma Kirkby, Kamal Khan, Roy Laughlin, Ann Murray, Mirella Parutto, and Emi Mohri. She also had the privilege to attend the North Sea Vocal Academy in 2015 where she studied voice with Lena Hellström-Färnlöf and Audrey Hyland in Denmark. Within the same year Florence gave several solo recitals in Ireland, Thailand, and Malaysia. She sung the cover role of Papagena from Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” in January 2016 and the role of Clori from Handel’s comic cantata “Clori, Tirsi e Fileno” in March 2016.
Tham Horng Kent (1986 / Sabah, Malaysia) started taking piano lessons at the age of 10 under the guidance of Pastors Voo Fui Kong and Lie Tjioe Lan. In 2007, he was one of the recipients of the Asia Yamaha Music Scholarship (classical piano) and in 2009 received the Hedy King Robinson Prize for ABRSM Theory of Music. He graduated from University Putra Malaysia with a bachelor’s degree in 2009 with first class honours (piano performance). Towards the end of his undergraduate studies, he obtained the Licentiate diploma of Trinity College London, and in 2010, a Fellowship diploma.
In the same year, Horng Kent was awarded an RSAMD Trust Scholarship to pursue his Master of Music in piano performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, where he studied with Jonathan Plowright. During his time there, he received recognition in numerous competitions including the Jock Holden Memorial Mozart Prize and the Peter Lindsay Miller Prize for Piano Duo. In 2011, he was a recipient of the Hope Scott Trust Award; participated in the Glasgow Piano Festival and in the International Summer Academy with Gottlieb Wallisch (Professor of Piano at the Geneva University of Music) as well as in contemporary improvisation classes with Mr. Anto Pett (Professor of Improvisation at the Estonia Academy of Music and Theatre). In 2011, Horng Kent was awarded distinguished at the IBLA Grand Prize International Piano Competition (piano duo).
In 2012, He was a semi-finalist in the Kerikeri International Piano Competition in New Zealand and has been awarded both, a full scholarship by the Malaysian Higher Education Ministry and a teaching assistantship at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, where he attained his Doctorate in Music Performance (Piano), under Dr Denise Neary, Peter Tuite and Prof Hugh Tinney. He was invited to participate in the Dublin International Piano Festival and Summer Academy in 2013. In 2014, he was invited to participate in the 5th Katowice International Piano Masterclasses in Poland, chosen as Boyne Music Festival Young Associated Artists Programme 2014 (piano duo) as well as awarded a scholarship to participate in the 2014 British Isles Music Festival. In 2015, he was chosen as an Erasmus Doctoral Student at the Sibelius Academy in Finland, in the class of Prof Margit Rahkonen and Prof Lauri Suurpää. Most recently, he was selected to present a paper in the Ninth Annual Postgraduate Conference of the Society for Musicology in the Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Malaysian soprano Florence Khei Kuan Chong began her music training as a pianist in 2002 studying with Liaw and Lean Hin Chong. In 2007, she was awarded a full scholarship to attend the SEGi College Subang Jaya where she studied piano and violin. In 2009, Florence decided to switch her major from piano to voice on the recommendation of her singing teacher and her developing passion for singing. Pursuing a strong interest in choir singing, Florence joined the award winning Klang Chamber Choir (KCC) in 2008. As an active member of KCC, she participated in the Venezia in Musica International Choral Competition in Italy in 2011 and in the Asia Cantate Choral Festival in Phuket, Thailand in 2012.
Florence is currently a student at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, Ireland where she studies voice with Virginia Kerr. She has actively participated in competitions and music festivals in Ireland and has won numerous awards, including the Newpark Music Festival Ruth Beare Perpetual Cup (First Prize, 2015), the Margaret Dillon Prize (First Prize, 2015), Sligo Feis Ceoil Cup for Songs by Italian Composers (Second Prize, 2015), Sligo Feis Ceoil Oratorio and Sacred Solos (Highly Commended, 2015), the Sligo Feis Ceoil Cup (Highly Commended, 2015), and the Newpark Music Festival Adult Vocal Baroque Aria (First Prize, 2014). She has been selected to perform in masterclasses given by world renowned coaches and singers, such as Emma Kirkby, Kamal Khan, Roy Laughlin, Ann Murray, Mirella Parutto, and Emi Mohri. She also had the privilege to attend the North Sea Vocal Academy in 2015 where she studied voice with Lena Hellström-Färnlöf and Audrey Hyland in Denmark. Within the same year Florence gave several solo recitals in Ireland, Thailand, and Malaysia. She sung the cover role of Papagena from Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” in January 2016 and the role of Clori from Handel’s comic cantata “Clori, Tirsi e Fileno” in March 2016.
