Faculty Members Archive -

Cherie Choo Rui Min

Field(s) of study: Classical / Contemporary Vocal

Degrees: Bachelor of Music (Magna Cum Laude), Berklee College Music; International Baccalaureate Diploma in Higher Level Music, School of The Arts Singapore; Advanced Diploma in Classical Vocals, Trinity College London; Associate Diploma in Popular Music Vocals, London College of Music

Biography: Ms Cherie Choo has 11 years of voice teaching experience and 20 years of performing.

She has been involved as an Artist / Singer in various musicals such as Sunshine Girl Musical by Dick Lee Asia, Jack and The Beansprout Musical by Wild Rice and Aladdin Musical by Wild Rice.

Ms Cherie Choo is currently a founder, private voice instructor, music production and songwriting coach in CRM Creative.

Faculty : Faculty since July 2023

Jessica Lu

Field(s) of study : Sanxian

Born : China

Degrees : Bachelor Degree in Performing Arts (Sanxian), China Conservatory of Music

Biography : Born in Xi An. Jessica was accepted into Shanghai Conservatory of Music, majored in Sanxian at the age of 12 under the tutelage of Professor Zhang Nian Bing and was successfully accepted by China Conservatory of Music to do her Bachelor Degree in Performing Arts (Sanxian) 1995 – 1999 under the tutelage of Professor Zhao Cheng Wei.

She had her premier performance at Shanghai Concert Hall in 1994 and was awarded the Best Performer Award in the International Chinese Music Competition in 1995.

Jessica was signed as an Artist under Andrew Lum & New Asia (Singapore) 2000 – 2004 and released an album “Matter of Time”. New Asia & Flowing in the Seasons of the album recorded by Jessica was awarded Top 10 in USA International Songwriting Competition and Best World Music Award in Composers’ Association of Singapore (COMPASS). She was also actively involved in recordings internationally from Japan “This Way to Nike Beautiful” (Nike Asia) by NOKKO & GO, “Man Ray” by Milan Music (France) and “Liquid Sounds Vol.1” by Free Form Records (Germany). They were all awarded for “Best World Music Award”.

With her talents, she is known in the music industry for versatility in performing different genres of music; from classical, world music to pop music. In 2008, Warners Music released her first album “Beauty of Sanxian” with an overwhelming response.

Jessica is not only active in the local performing scene, over the years she often represents Singapore performing at international festivals all around the world to France, Japan, Scotland and USA in festivals including WOMAD, VOLVO World Music Festival, MIDEM, Chicago Jazz Music Festival, Japan Asia Music Market, Edinburgh International Music Festival.

She has also collaborated and performed with renowned musicians around the world like Phillippe Siasse (NYC), NOKKO & GO (Japan), Goh Hotoda (NYC/Japan), Guo Yazhi (Hong Kong), Mark Chan (Singapore), Nokko Rebecca (Japan) and V Selvaganesh of Remembering Shakti (India).

In 2020, Jessica was the first Singaporean to hold a 2-night Sanxian concert at the Esplanade as part of Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts.

Jessica quotes “I’ll not stop sharing the beautiful sound of Sanxian to the world and hope everyone who listens to my music will be in love with the sound of Sanxian”.

Faculty : Faculty since July 2020

Alvin Chan Keng Huat

Field(s) of study : Flute, Piccolo

Born : Singapore

Degrees : Masters in Flute, Conservatoire Royal de Mons, Belgique

Biography : Mr Alvin Chan started playing the flute at the age of 13 under the tutelage of Wang Tong. Since then, he has pursued his passion for music and graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) with a Diploma in Flute Performance. During his time in NAFA, he was awarded the Ngee Ann Kong Si Award. He was under the tutelage of Evgueni Brokmiller; associate principal of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

As a Military Expert with the Singapore Armed Forces Band, Mr Alvin continuously aims to enrich himself with numerous overseas Military Tattoos as well as local performances and recitals. He was also given the opportunity to master the Ryuteki and Dizi for various solo performances such as the WMC-WBAS Intercontinental conducting course conducted by Maestro Douglas Bostock and for the Amur Waves International Military Tattoo in Khabarovsk, Russia. Besides performing, he has also achieved a Distinction in the Enhanced Basic Military Musician Course.

As an orchestra and chamber performer, Mr Alvin involves himself with various musical genres and styles. He is the Principal Piccolo of the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra and Associate Principal of the Young Musician’s Foundation Orchestra. He also frequently plays in groups such as The Orchestra of Music Makers, The Philharmonic Orchestra, the Anglo Chinese Wind Orchestra, VeritaSG as well as Tomodachi Winds.

In 2013, he participated in the 7th Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Austria, Vienna held at the Musikverein with the SMU Symphonia and was awarded the Outstanding Award. He has also attained the Gold award with the Anglo-Chinese Wind Orchestra in the 2012 and 2014 Singapore international Band Festival. In 2017, he was invited to represent Singapore at the Daegu Flute Festival, Korea, promoting Singapore’s young musicians at an international level.

Mr Alvin believes in spreading the joy of music to a wider audience. In 2018, he was invited to Ho Chin Minh city to give a series of piccolo recitals as well as premiering local works by Vietnamese composers. In the same year, he was also selected to attend the International Flute Seminar in Bruges. He had the privilege of learning under master flute and piccolo player Peter Verhoyen (Principal piccolo for the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra).

He has attained his Masters in Flute Performance at the Royal Conservatory of Mons, Belgium under the tutelage of acclaimed Belgian Flute Professor, Marc Grauwels and his associate Jean Prevot.

Faculty : Faculty since June 2021

Don Kow Kang Yue

Field(s) of study : Trombone, Trumpet, Euphonium

Born : Singapore

Degrees : Artist’s Certificate in Music, Royal Conservatory of The Hague; Master of Music, Codarts University of the Arts, Rotterdam; Bachelor of Music (Honours with Merit), Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music

Biography : Mr Don Kow holds an Artist’s Certificate in Trombone Performance from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, a Master of Music from the Codarts University of the Arts and a Bachelor of Music (Honours) from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.

His principal teachers include Alexander Verbeek, Brandt Attema, Fredi Sonderegger, Sebastiaan Kemner, Shannon Pittaway, Timothy Dowling and Zachary Bond. In addition, he has also performed in masterclasses with Jorgen van Rijen, Ian Bousfield and Joseph Alessi.

With vast experience in chamber and orchestral playing, Mr Don is versatile in diverse styles. He has performed on period instruments alongside the Orchestra of the 18th Century. Mr Don has also performed in the Dutch National Opera’s production of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s opera cycle ‘Aus Licht’ for the Holland Festival, where he performed a trombone solo role that was combined with elements of theatre and movement.

Mr Don has received scholarships to attend the Animato Foundation Orchestra Academy and the Domaine Forget Music and Dance Academy. Additionally, he has also been invited to be the Principal Trombone with the South Asian Symphony Orchestra and the Bandung Philharmonic Orchestra.

Back in Singapore, Mr Don plays regularly with the Orchestra of the Music Makers and Orchestra Collective.

Faculty : Faculty since December 2019

Mohamad Rasull Bin Md Khelid

Field(s) of study : Flute. Clarinet, Saxophone

Born : Singapore

Degrees : Bachelor of Arts with Diploma in Education (Music & Mathematics), NIE

Biography : Mr Rasull pursued a Bachelor of Arts with Diploma in Education at the National Institute of Education (Nanyang Technological University). Majoring in both Music and Mathematics, he graduated in 2003 and garnered the Mrs. Paul-Feng Pei Djen Gold Medal for outstanding achievement in his Music studies. It was there that he studied Conducting with Assoc. Prof Ho Hwee Long, Composition and Orchestration with Dr Kelly Tang, and flute with Dr Goh Tiong Eng. He maintains an active performing schedule with the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra (BHSO, Principal Flutist since 1997), the Singapore Wind Symphony (SWS) and the AudioImage Wind Ensemble AIWE), and also on the oboe with the Orkestra Melayu Singapura.

Mr Rasull obtained the Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM) in Flute Performance in 2005 and has been invited to perform for the ABRSM High Scores concert on two occasions. He also achieved a Merit in the ABRSM Grade 8 Performance examination in 2006. He has also been a featured soloist with BHSO, SWS, AIWE and The Chamber Players. He has also been a performing participant in flute masterclasses by Nancy Clew, Ayako Maeda, James Galway, Nestor Torres and Trevor Wye.

Mr Rasull served with the Ministry of Education, Singapore as a General Education Officer, teaching Music and Mathematics at Jurongville Secondary School from 2003 to 2007. He subsequently left the Education Service to become a full-time school band conductor and woodwind instrumental tutor, working with school band members at various primary, secondary and junior college schools. He is currently the Band Conductor at Assumption English School, Orchid Park Secondary School, Yishun Innova Junior College and the Institute of Education (Central). He is also currently the Associate Conductor of the AudioImage Wind Ensemble, a community-level concert band based at Siglap South Community Centre, Singapore. His commitment to the musical development of his students is evident by his continual hands-on involvement in the teaching of his young charges and leading them to successful public performances at concerts and festivals such as the Singapore Youth Festival and the Singapore International Band Festival.

Mr Rasull is also an active arranger of symphonic band music and is currently the Resident Arranger with BHSO, SWS and AIWE. His arrangements range from transcriptions of orchestral music (Borodin – Polovtsian Dances, Tchaikovsky – Waltz from Swan Lake, Eugene Onegin) to the latest pop hits by Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga. He has had his arrangements performed by local acapella group Vocaluptous, Benjamin Kheng, Wicked Aura Batucada, Sezairi Sazali, Nathan Hartono, Joanna Dong, and internationally-renowned euphonium artist Steven Mead. His most recent commissions range from arranging the music for the Anglican High School’s 60^th Anniversary school musical “Chrysalis”, to original symphonic band compositions for the Singapore Wind Symphony, Bedok Green Secondary School and Angsana Primary School.

However, being an avid gamer since young, his first love still remains with the music of video games and anime, and he has endeavoured to bring performances of his arrangements of music from Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Legend of Zelda, Pokemon, Macross Frontier and Neon Genesis Evangelion among others to local audiences for the past 16 years. With the AudioImage Wind Ensemble he has arranged and conducted music from Attack on Titan, Naruto, the Touhou Project, the Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros, Overwatch, Nier: Automata and the Final Fantasy series in three separate “Symphonic G-On” concerts put up since 2015. He strives to bring to his audiences, especially the fans of music from video games and anime, the experience of being able to hear the music being performed live in a grand symphonic setting in a concert hall.

Mr Rasull’s continued active involvement in the Singaporean music community shapes his philosophy of music education, with strong emphasis on the fundamentals of music and in performing for the public. He strives with his students, the eventual goal of enabling the student to make a meaningful connection with his audience through performance.

Faculty : Faculty since October 2017

Dianne Rivas

Field(s) of study : Piano

Born : The Philippines

Degrees : Bachelor in Music Education, University of the Philippines-Diliman

Biography : Ms Dianne is a licensed teacher specializing in early childhood development who uses renowned methodologies such as Kodaly, Dalcroze, Carabocone, Music Mind Games and various ecclectic methods. Ms. Dianne has a reputation for raising students who pass their ABRSM exams with flying colors. Not only is she passionate about teaching children, she instills good values and disciplines and stirs up love for music in her students.

Her group classes and masterclasses are thoroughly enjoyed by her students as she delivers a holistic approach in their overall learning experience. She embodies versatility and creativity being able to teach classical, jazz and pop music. With this, her improvisation techniques enrich song pieces that are palatable to the soul.

Alongside Ms. Dianne’s teaching excellence is her practical knowledge in music technology. Having composed songs, performed in concerts and co-produced music albums in Singapore and abroad, her expertise and insights are sought after by both secular and religious organizations. The use of technological applications also aids her in designing curriculum for digital learning.

Prior to joining Mandeville, Ms. Dianne was a musical directress in a network of Christian churches in Manila, a consultant and curriculum developer in music to international schools in Philippines. She also collaborated with different organizations in conducting music trainings, masterclasses and even musical plays. She is also an established composer and music arranger, and an author of contemporary music improvisation books circulated nationwide in Philippines. She has bagged awards in music performances, music composition, choral competition.

While she specializes in teaching young children, her students’ age ranges from 3 years old to mid 50s.

Faculty : Faculty since May 2011. Team Lead of Department for Piano Studies.

Ken Tan

Field(s) of study: Double Bass, Guitar

Born: Singapore

Degrees: Diploma, Trinity College of Music, London (UK)

Biography: Awarded the first Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) scholarship to pursue music studies in London from 1979-1982. Upon return to Singapore, was member of the SSO till 2005. Taught in National University of Singapore for more than 10 years.

Faculty: Founder & Director since inception

Yap Shu Mei

Field(s) of study: Violin, Violin Group

Born: Malaysia

Degrees: Bachelor of Music, New England Conservatory (Boston, USA); Post-Graduate Diploma, Trinity College of Music (London)

Biography: As an advocate of early childhood education, Ms Yap has nurtured students as young as 6 months old in a group class setting. Over her vast 30 years teaching experience, she has taught students of all levels varying from toddlers to adults with her target group being the 6 months – 15 years spectrum.

98% of students under her tutelage achieved Distinction in the ABRSM examinations and were winners in American Prodige, Zhongsin International Music Competition, Golden Classical Awards International Competition, Singapore Performers’ Festival, and Mandeville Music Festival Competition. Some of her students have even become professional musicians and concert artists in the field.

Ms Yap recounts that the success stories of her students is due to her teaching philosophy by believing that “Nurturing the love of music is the ultimate goal of music education”.

In addition to her teaching commitments, Ms Yap is a member of Resound Chamber Orchestra, performing as a soloist and in small ensembles in differing genres for corporate, charity and private events. She is also the Program Director of Singapore International String Conference and was a Speaker at Raffles Music Festival.

She has since produced two CD albums of original compositions and is coming up with a series of three books for young beginner violinists with arrangements and original compositions of music accompaniment tracks.

In her free time, Ms Yap keeps an active lifestyle by taking nature walks, going on cycling excursions and also relaxing whilst being one with nature in her diving trips.

Faculty: Founder & Director since inception12

Yap Qin

Field(s) of study: Violin

Born : Malaysia

Degrees: Bachelor of Music (Honours), NAFA/Royal College of Music (UK / Singapore); Diploma in Music, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts

Biography: Growing up in a musical family, Yap Qin started learning violin and piano at the age of 3 with both of her parents as musicians; father, a conductor and a violinist and mother, a pianist.

She is an active player who constantly found herself performing on stage not only as a soloist, chamber musician and an orchestra player. Starting at a young age of 7, she was an avid member of Jesselton Philharmonic Orchestra (JPO) and became co-concertmaster from 2014-2017. Through JPO, she had performed for the Tip of Borneo Concert, Malaysia-Korea Opera Gala Friendship Concert, JPO Annual Concerts and JPO Chamber Music Concert Series.

In the year 2010-2016, she was selected to join the program Permata Seni Muzik Orchestra for the musically gifted children organized by Malaysia’s former first lady. The program enabled her the opportunity to perform in different countries such as Dubai, Kazakhstan, Germany, and Beijing. She was also selected to be the concertmaster from 2015 to 2016. Throughout the program, she was packed with different aspects of music like violin techniques, playing as soloist together with the orchestra and leading in chamber and orchestra. Furthermore, the program has given her the chance to perform to some of the prominent figures like Prime Ministers, Kings, Queens and Presidents of different countries during their official visit to Malaysia.

As a fresh graduate from NAFAxRCM, she was a recipient of Lucien Wang Scholarship and NAFA Merit Awards. In 2020, she was awarded with a Dean’s List. On top of that, she has been leading the NAFA Orchestra as a concertmaster from 2020 to 2023 under the baton of Mr. Lim Yau.

Faculty : Faculty since October 2023. Team Lead of Department for Violin Studies.

Amir Khalid

Field(s) of study: Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Drums

Born: Singapore

Degree: Grade 8 Guitar – Trinity College London

Biography: Despite picking up the guitar at a late age of 12 years old, Mr Amir diligently self taught himself the acoustic guitar playing mainly pop and rock songs. Given his deep rooted interest in the instrument, he eventually upgraded to playing the electric guitar at the age of 15.

Mr Amir graduated to learning the guitar at Yamaha music during his NS years under the tutelage of his teacher, Mr Rosli Mansoor who is now touted as one of the best guitarist in Singapore.

In his formative working career, Mr Amir gained experience with music in working in a major musical instruments franchise – SWEE LEE for a couple of years where he interacted with professional musicians in Asia.

Mr Amir’s calling to teach came later in life when he encountered interested parties who requested to take up guitar lessons with him. As a result of this, he changed his line of work from sales to teaching. His initial job as a music teacher started off with him becoming a private teacher for a few years where he was also part of a music school Music Ensemble. He was later employed in an international school as an enrichment guitar teacher.

To back up his teaching venture, Mr Amir decided to sit for the ABRSM Grade 5 classic guitar exam in which he passed. With this obtained credential, Mr Amir was promoted to work on a different post in the international school as an Instrumental teacher in the High School department where he taught for 15 years.

Throughout the years, Mr Amir had immeasurable experience teaching students ranging from 4 years old to 65 years old, both in a group setting of 15 students and also individually where the students had different goals setting. Mr Amir also actively organized concerts for his students outside school premises in YMS every year.

To experience a different set of challenges, starting from 2015, Mr Amir moved from the international school to private institutions which cater to more exam oriented students. In these institutions, Mr Amir sent his students for the ABRSM exams where they achieved merit and distinction for their results. He also has students who learn the guitar for leisure.

Being someone who constantly upgrades his skills, he has self taught himself to learn the drums. In his free time, Mr Amir actively composes his own original instrumental tracks. His original compositions can he purchased online and he has presently amassed a gathering of 55 fans worldwide who loves his music.

“I can’t separate music in my life. It has always been a constant facet in my life. Music is a universal language without words which the whole world understands” – Amir Khalid

Faculty: Faculty since March 2018