For pianist Dr. Khoo Hui Ling, playing the piano is a reflective meditation. It is a vulnerable and precious expression of what is in the heart beyond where words can go. Sought after as both a performer and teacher, she enjoys sharing this experience in her musical endeavours. Hui Ling is currently academic faculty at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, and Founder and Pedagogy Consultant at The Music Studios, where she mentors piano teachers and students.
Hui Ling’s artistry at the piano has been heard in recitals in the United States, Europe and Singapore. Her performances have been praised as “having a rare sensibility and musicianship that is too hard to ignore.” Performance highlights include solo recitals at the Esplanade Recital Studio in Singapore and at the Alba Music Festival in Italy, and performing at the Beethoven Institute at the Mannes School of Music in New York. A recipient of various awards and scholarships, she was a prizewinner in competitions such as the Queensland Piano Competition and the Singapore National Piano and Violin Competition. Her performance of Gershwin’sConcerto in F with the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra after winning the Conservatory Concerto Competition earned her rave reviews in the Singapore Straits Times.
Apart from performance, Hui Ling cultivates a passion for teaching. Her sensitivity to detail and ability to ability to elicit the strengths of every student have helped students gain entry into prestigious music programmes, festivals and competitions. Prior to her current teaching appointments, she was a teaching intern at the Peabody Preparatory, a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the University of Oregon and a Higher Music Programme teacher at Nanyang Girls’ High School in Singapore. She has also served as an adjudicator for piano competitions organized by the Music Teachers National Association in the United States.
A curious soul with diverse interests in music, Hui Ling’s research interests lie in how music interacts across cultures and various artistic disciplines. For her doctoral thesis, she produced short documentaries that show how Chinese traditional music and painting come together in Tan Dun’s 8 Memories in Watercolor, culminating in a multimedia performance of the work. Her presentation “When Words Meet Music – Different Dimensions of Musical Poetry in the Music of Robert Schumann” has won prizes in the Oregon Graduate Forum. Hui Ling is also an accomplished erhu player who continues to study with Ms. Xu Wen Jing, a huqin musician at the Singapore Chinese Orchestra.
In 2016, Hui Ling graduated with a Doctorate in Piano Performance from the University of Oregon under the tutelage of Dean Kramer. She previously attended the Peabody and Yong Siew Toh Conservatories of Music, and studied with Brian Ganz, Thomas Hecht, and Julie Tan. In her years as a student, she is grateful to have had the opportunity to perform in masterclasses for renowned pianists such as Leon Fleisher, John Perry, Sergio Tiempo, Garrick Ohlsson, Anton Nel, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet.
The musical journey of an artist is a lifelong one. Hui Ling hopes to further develop her interests in performance, teaching, and in innovative collaborations with other artistic fields.
Hui Ling’s artistry at the piano has been heard in recitals in the United States, Europe and Singapore. Her performances have been praised as “having a rare sensibility and musicianship that is too hard to ignore.” Performance highlights include solo recitals at the Esplanade Recital Studio in Singapore and at the Alba Music Festival in Italy, and performing at the Beethoven Institute at the Mannes School of Music in New York. A recipient of various awards and scholarships, she was a prizewinner in competitions such as the Queensland Piano Competition and the Singapore National Piano and Violin Competition. Her performance of Gershwin’sConcerto in F with the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra after winning the Conservatory Concerto Competition earned her rave reviews in the Singapore Straits Times.
Apart from performance, Hui Ling cultivates a passion for teaching. Her sensitivity to detail and ability to ability to elicit the strengths of every student have helped students gain entry into prestigious music programmes, festivals and competitions. Prior to her current teaching appointments, she was a teaching intern at the Peabody Preparatory, a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the University of Oregon and a Higher Music Programme teacher at Nanyang Girls’ High School in Singapore. She has also served as an adjudicator for piano competitions organized by the Music Teachers National Association in the United States.
A curious soul with diverse interests in music, Hui Ling’s research interests lie in how music interacts across cultures and various artistic disciplines. For her doctoral thesis, she produced short documentaries that show how Chinese traditional music and painting come together in Tan Dun’s 8 Memories in Watercolor, culminating in a multimedia performance of the work. Her presentation “When Words Meet Music – Different Dimensions of Musical Poetry in the Music of Robert Schumann” has won prizes in the Oregon Graduate Forum. Hui Ling is also an accomplished erhu player who continues to study with Ms. Xu Wen Jing, a huqin musician at the Singapore Chinese Orchestra.
In 2016, Hui Ling graduated with a Doctorate in Piano Performance from the University of Oregon under the tutelage of Dean Kramer. She previously attended the Peabody and Yong Siew Toh Conservatories of Music, and studied with Brian Ganz, Thomas Hecht, and Julie Tan. In her years as a student, she is grateful to have had the opportunity to perform in masterclasses for renowned pianists such as Leon Fleisher, John Perry, Sergio Tiempo, Garrick Ohlsson, Anton Nel, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet.
The musical journey of an artist is a lifelong one. Hui Ling hopes to further develop her interests in performance, teaching, and in innovative collaborations with other artistic fields.