Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Award

Han Lao Da (also known as Ann Jong Juan) has been active in Singapore Chinese theatre since the 1970s. Until the early 1990s, he was the Chairman and Head of Theatre Group of the Singapore Southern Arts Society, and Secretary-General of the Singapore Chinese Language Theatre Alliance. Many of his works were staged at the drama and arts festivals in Singapore.

In December 1986, he started the Sin Feng Xiang Sheng Society with Yang Shibin and several crosstalk enthusiasts. It was registered as the first crosstalk organisation in Singapore in the following year. From the early days of the Sin Feng Xiang Sheng Society, Mr Han worked tirelessly and played the promoter’s role to bring Chinese crosstalk masters and arts organisations to perform in Singapore. He forged close friendships with the Chinese Ballad Singers Association and crosstalk masters like Ma Ji and Jiang Kun, and collaborated with them on cultural exchanges. This brought high quality crosstalk performances to Singapore, and enhanced crosstalk appreciation amongst local enthusiasts and crosstalk practitioners. In 1995, the Chinese Ballad Singers Association awarded the Honorary Certificate to Han Lao Da, and for many years invited him and representatives of the Sin Feng Xiang Sheng Society to attend the prestigious China Art Festival, and for exchanges to various provinces and cities in China. Exchanges with the Malaysian crosstalk scene started since 1986 when Mr Han and the late Yao Xinguang, the ‘father of Malaysian crosstalk’, became friends.

Mr Han played a major role in the development, promotion and localisation of crosstalk in Singapore. Since creating ‘The Gift Ticket’ in 1973, he has written countless scripts, many of which have been performed on stage. He has also published three crosstalk collections and commentaries, and written more than 60 crosstalk works. In 1996, the Sin Feng Xiang Sheng Society organised the ‘Tan Tian Special Crosstalk Performance’ to raise funds for the Chinese Development Assistance Council. In 2012, the Young People’s Performing Arts Ensemble put up the ‘Lao Da Special Crosstalk Performance’.

Han Lao Da’s meticulous research for his crosstalk script-writing has resulted in diverse works that have inherited traditional crosstalk techniques and are infused with characteristics of local culture. In 1990, he participated in the Shanghai International Crosstalk Exchange Performance, and showcased for the first time in China a Singaporean crosstalk ‘A Chain of Love Stories’ performed by Yang Shibin and Huang Jiaqiang. The basis of this crosstalk is an Indian love song, which reflected Singapore’s unique multiculturalism. In 2005, Han Lao Da led Wang Weilin and Weng Yingfen in participating in the televised crosstalk competition organised by the Beijing Television Station. Their crosstalk item ‘One-Day Tour of Singapore’ captured the attention of the Beijing audience and the Chinese judges. In 2008, his performance of ‘Chinese English Parody’ won him the Special Prize for the Overseas Category in the crosstalk competition organised by the China Central Television. In 2015, he wrote ‘Unresolved Issues of the Lion City’, the inaugural attempt to use the crosstalk format to reflect local history. His works, ‘Unresolved Issues of the Lion City’ in 2015 and the ‘Queries on History’ series in 2016, both demonstrated how crosstalk could leave the audience in stitches and still manage to stimulate thinking about life and history. These can be considered iconic local crosstalk works.

Approaching age 70 now, Han Lao Da has spent nearly 40 years of involvement in a career of crosstalk. Till now he still perseveres in making sterling contributions in innovating, promoting, and passing on the tradition of the local crosstalk genre.

Information accurate as of 20 May 2017.

Lee Yuk Chuan is the President of the Choral Association (Singapore) and the Honorary Life President of the Association of Composers (Singapore). He is also the Honorary President of the Musicians Society of Singapore and its choir conductor.

Lee Yuk Chuan graduated from the Royal College of Music, London, with numerous certificates in violin, vocals, and music theory. In the 1950s, at the mere age of 20, he became the conductor for the Ershang Alumni Association choir. In the 1960s, he was the Chinese orchestra and choir conductor in many large-scale cultural performances. He introduced local and classical music in radio programmes and wrote dozens of articles on music for TV Weekly. Along with his friends, he founded the Metro Philharmonic Choir, and as its President, led three tours to Malaysia. He also conducted this choir as part of the opening ceremony of Television Singapore, which was broadcasted live.

In the 1970s, Lee was appointed conductor of the National Theatre choir, and music director of the Singapore Police Force. He also served as the music instructor for the Ministry of Defence to produce music lessons for the National Service and conduct its choir and Chinese orchestra.

In the 1990s, he served as the President of the Association of Composers (Singapore) and Choral Association (Singapore). In 1998, he led the Association of Composers (Singapore) to perform at vocal and  instrumental music concerts in Beijing.

In March 2006, Lee led the Melo Art Choir and Choral Association (Singapore) to present his works in Zhu Ni Jiankang, organised by the Choral Association (Singapore) and the Association of Composers (Singapore). It raised funds for the Singapore Cancer Society and received tremendous support from all quarters. Over the years, Lee has led various local and overseas choirs, Chinese orchestras, and ensembles in his delicate yet bold and energetic style. He has also composed for symphonic orchestras, Chinese orchestras, choirs, and soloists. He teaches the violin and his students number in the thousands. He has actively contributed to local music and choral composition and is a sought-after judge in international music  competitions.

Lee led the Association of Composers (Singapore) in seven editions of the Singapore International Choral Festival. Under his leadership, the association successfully organised the Singapore International Choral Festival, Voice Of A Thousand, Asia Vocal Competition, Asia Singing Competition, Singapore-Malaysia Singing Competition, the 2006 Singapore International Chinese Choral Festival, Songs of Joy and the 2010 Singapore International Vocal Competition, featuring the participation of 160 professionals and amateurs from all over the world.

Lee released his first collection of songs in 1982 in Singapore and Taiwan, his second collection in 1993, and his third collection, Zhu Ni Jiankang, in 2006. His recent works include Women Shi Jianguo Yidai and Zaoan A, Xinjiapo. Amongst Lee’s works are many original music  compositions, lyrics, and choral  arrangements that incorporate his  compositions, renowned Chinese and Western pieces, and Indonesian folk songs.

Information accurate as of 18 May 2018.

A celebrated historian in Singapore and Malaysia, Kua Bak Lim graduated from Nanyang University with First-Class Honours in History in 1971. Fueled by a desire to promote the cultural values and heritage of the Chinese Singaporean community, Kua joined the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA), serving as the inaugural Chairman of the Research Committee for 10 years from 1986 to 1995. He resumed his stewardship of the Research Committee in 2010.

His first 15 years with the Research Committee was focused on promoting and preserving the heritage and culture of the Chinese Singaporean community. The second stage of his work with the committee commenced in 2010, with an emphasis focused on sharing and promoting research into the history and culture of the Chinese Singaporean community. With this end in mind, he has been organising research-led international conferences, lectures, public talks, broadcast programmes, and exhibitions in this area. Under Kua’s leadership, the academic activities of the Research Committee have provided a platform for sharing and exchange amongst scholars, historians, and the general public. The work of the Research Committee has also been recognised by Xiamen University in China, which regards the SFCCA as one of their collaborative partners in academic research.

Kua’s own research focuses on the history of the Chinese pioneers in Singapore. An author and editor of many noted publications, he won the Book Award 1988 from the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS) for his publication, The Studies of Historical Figures in the Chinese Community of Singapore. His latest and most acclaimed book, A General History of the Chinese in Singapore, launched by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in November 2015, was commended as a “precious gift to the Chinese community in Singapore”. This book was also rated by the newspaper China Reading Weekly as one of the best 20 publications in 2018 under the category of “History and Biography”. The English edition of this book was released in June 2019 to commemorate Singapore’s Bicentennial.

Since 2013, Kua has represented Wan Qing Yuan – Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYSNMH) under the National Heritage Board to deliver lectures in China, Japan, and San Francisco. He was also invited by the China National Archive in Beijing to support their application for “Qiaopi” (侨批) as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in the UNESCO Register (April 2013).

Besides his chairmanship of the Research Committee, SFCCA, Kua serves on the Board of Governors, Chinese Heritage Centre, at Nanyang Technological University. He is also a member of the National Library Advisory Committee, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre’s Academic Advisory Committee, and the resource panel of SYSNMH. Aside from his duties on various boards, he is a history consultant for the Quanzhou History Museum of Overseas Chinese in China and an Adjunct Professor in Chinese Studies, New Era University College, Malaysia.

Information accurate as of 24 May 2019.

Liang Wern Fook is an outstanding Singaporean author, poet, and music-maker. Over the last 40 years, his words and music have attained a Singapore style and carved out a place for Singaporean culture in the Chinese-speaking world.

Xinyao is a music and cultural movement that began in Singapore in the 1980s, and Liang is one of this movement’s earliest pioneers. Xinyao is a unique expression of Singapore’s Chinese culture. Liang’s iconic works such as Singapore Pie (新加坡派), The Sparrow with a Bamboo Twig (麻雀衔竹枝), One Step at a Time (一步一步来), Too Much (太多太多) and Before the History Exams (历史考试前夕) have distinct local Chinese traits and a national flavour, reflecting the vibrant linguistic and musical charms of a multi-cultural society. They also reflect the spirit of the era when they were created in, in documenting Singapore’s development and building social cohesion amongst Singaporeans.

In Singapore, Liang is a household name who is known across different generations and whose work is admired by diverse segments of society. Dramatist Kuo Pao Kun once described Liang’s special role in Singapore’s arts sector as that of a builder of bridges between literature and music. A public poll conducted by the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore saw Liang voted as the person who was most representative of the spirit of xinyao. After xinyao’s heyday, he worked with top singers from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, thereby introducing the cultural specificities and literary charm of Chinese Singaporean popular music to then wider Chinese-speaking world. This helped to consolidate and promote the development and maturation of the local Chinese popular music industry.

Professor David Wang of Harvard University has highlighted Liang’s Singapore-style xinyao as an important emblem of Singapore’s Chinese linguistic culture. He stressed that the popularity of xinyao pointed to the rise of a localised voice. As a leading figure in the xinyao movement, Liang had used his talent for creating lyrics and melodies to translate the sentiments and historical memories of Singaporeans into a “voice of the people”. In 2013, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang hosted a state banquet for Prime Minister Lee. At this event, Friendship Forever was performed, symbolising the long-standing ties between China and Singapore. The song also illustrates how Chinese Singaporean culture is connected to Chinese heritage while also possessing its own unique style. In 2015, Liang held a concert to mark the 35th anniversary of his career as a songwriter. The event was described as a banquet of literature and music, and Lianhe Zaobao named Liang as the representative figure for the music industry when it published its list of that year’s important cultural figures.  He has also been invited twice to write the closing song for the Chingay Parade, which features distinctive local multi-cultural characteristics as well as Chinese cultural traits.

Liang has received several awards and accolades for his works. He has continuously created outstanding literary and musical works which have connected with audiences within and beyond Singapore, and helped to mould a unique Singaporean identity. He is an iconic figure of our culture.

Information accurate as of 3 May 2021.

Tay Teow Kiat is a renowned local conductor of Chinese orchestral music, with an extensive and highly esteemed presence in the Singaporean musical scene. He is a pioneer who has made outstanding contributions to the education and development of local Chinese music scene and has a wealth of experience in developing and training Chinese music orchestras and concert planning. Tay’s conducting style is known for its rigour, precision, and passion, and has a place in the Chinese orchestral music scene.

Tay received his PhD in Art Studies from Beijing Normal University. He is currently the President of the Singapore Chinese Music Federation and the Emeritus Music Director of Ding Yi Music Company. Furthermore, he also serves as the Music Director of the City Chinese Orchestra, the Dunman High Performing Arts Centre, and Reverberance, a Chinese wind percussion ensemble.

In a music career spanning half a century, Tay has travelled all over China as a guest conductor and judge in music competitions. In 1985, he was invited to conduct the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra, becoming the first Singaporean to conduct a professional Chinese orchestra in China. Later, he was invited to conduct various professional orchestras as well as the orchestras of various music academies in Tianjin, Shanxi and Shandong, among others. He also often served as a judge of Chinese music competitions in China, and in 2007, he was invited to be a judge of the National Instrumental Music Competition organised by China Central Television. All these demonstrate the industry’s deep respect for Dr Tay. In an article titled “Tay Teow Kiat & Chinese Music” written by China’s late renowned music conductor Piao Dongsheng in his 2003 book “50 Years Chronicles of Chinese Music”, he wrote: “In Singapore, everyone calls him ‘Zheng laoshi. Although a teacher, he is highly recognised in Singapore; he is also very well-known in the music industry in Southeast Asia and China . There are few who do not know Zheng laoshi. This not only reaffirms Tay’s highly respected status in Chinese music circles overseas, but also emphasises the important role he played in the education and development of the local Chinese music.

In 1980, Tay took over the training and development of the Dunman High School Chinese Orchestra, and under his leadership, the 100-member orchestra has won acclaim both locally and internationally. In 1992, he led them on tour in Beijing and Shanghai, where their high-level performances drew great praise. The authoritative Chinese music magazine People’s Music published an article applauding Tay’s conducting as “natural, unrestrained and free-spirited”. It further went on to quote various musical luminaries who commended the Dunman High School Chinese Orchestra as being “of the highest standard among youth orchestras seen in China”. At that time, the China Nationalities Orchestra Society also held a symposium in honour of the Dunman High School Chinese Orchestra tour, inviting influential figures such as Liu Wenjin, Qin Pengzhang, and Piao Dongsheng to discuss Singapore’s excellence in Chinese music popularisation and education. Tay has also provided training and music consultation to local institutions. Among them, in 2000, he served as the Music Director for the East Zone School’s Chinese Orchestra Development Centre, using the foundation laid down by Dunman High School Chinese Orchestra to improve the performance level for schools in the east zone of Singapore. This proved Tay’s ability and strength in training Chinese orchestras.

Besides this, Tay also founded City Chinese Orchestra, a non-professional orchestra that has more than a hundred members. His motto in training the orchestra is that they are “an amateur group with a professional spirit”, hence, the orchestra maintains a professional-level standard and has been consistently active in the local music scene. From 1996 to 2013, Tay led City Chinese Orchestra on tour in Beijing, Tianjin, Zhengzhou, Changchun and other places, winning rave reviews from audiences.

Tay has spared no effort in his unflagging mentorship of youth groups and has unfailingly promoted the development of local Chinese music over the years. In 2007, he became the Music Director of Ding Yi Music Company to develop the group and genre of Chinese chamber music. In 2017, he became its Emeritus Music Director. In 2013 and 2018, he became President of the Singapore Chinese Music Federation and Reverberance respectively, yet again contributing to uniting local Chinese music groups, and developing Chinese wind and percussion music with youth groups. In 2019, under his leadership, the Singapore Chinese Music Federation joined forces with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra and the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre to hold the inaugural Singapore Chinese Music Festival (SCMF), sowing the seeds for the future of local Chinese music. In 2021, SCMF presented nearly 40 programmes and performances in 30 days, both live and online.

Over a storied career of more than half a century, Tay has not only been highly acclaimed by the music industry for his artistry as a conductor, but recognised for his outstanding contributions to the development of local Chinese music. Many batches of outstanding young Chinese musicians look up to him as a mentor figure. Truly, Tay has been utterly instrumental in the vigorous growth and development of the local Chinese music scene.

First introduced to Singapore more than a century ago by Chinese immigrants from Fujian province, nanyin music has become an integral part of local Chinese culture ever since. Though nanyin has been included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, it is confronted by the tide of gradual decline and marginalisation. Siong Leng Musical Association is Singapore’s most important local cultural champion of this traditional art form. Though founded in 1941, the association made its presence felt on the international stage only in 2010, when it won first prize at the Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod held in North Wales. Since then, young musicians from Siong Leng have been making waves with their artistic prowess in different parts of the world. In 2015, Siong Leng Musical Association held a 3-day International Nanyin Youth Concert and Symposium, a platform for young nanyin groups from around the world. In May the same year, Siong Leng presented nanyin in three French cities as part of the Singapore Arts Festival in France. And on the eve of National Day in 2015, the Association staged four performances of a new production called Soul Journey – Nine Songs at the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. In 2016, Siong Leng Musical Association received a grant from the Singapore International Foundation to perform in Tokyo and Yokohama in Japan. Besides performing Soul Journey, it also presented the technically demanding Musicians of the Imperial Court as well as the equally challenging Admiring Festive Lanterns, the first among the five grand suites of nanyin. The Multi-sensory Nanyin Banquet, an annual fund-raising event for Siong Leng, has become one of the most highly anticipated cultural activities of the Chinese community. Aside from this, Siong Leng Musical Association tirelessly nurtures talented young performers to produce new musical works in this genre. Information accurate as of 20 May 2017

The Singapore Association of Writers was founded by the pioneering writer Lien Shih Sheng and fourteen other writers in 1970, fueled by a sense of national consciousness in the society. In the past decades, the three presidents of the Association, Dr Wong Meng Voon, Professor Wong Yoon Wah, and Chia Hwee Pheng, have actively encouraged the creation and publication of Chinese Singaporean literature with a unique local flavour. This anchored Chinese culture in Singapore through literary works and facilitated the recognition of Chinese Singaporean literature in global literary circles. Besides invigorating the local literary scene, the association has also played the role of cultural ambassador in the past 50 years, establishing communication channels with overseas literary circles, literary groups, and writers to promote the understanding of Singapore literature and culture by overseas Chinese. The association has also published a hundred issues of its flagship publication Singapore Chinese Literature, which has attracted much attention both at home and abroad. In recognition of their remarkable contributions to Chinese Singaporean literature and culture, all three former Presidents have been conferred the Cultural Medallion, the highest cultural award in Singapore. The Executive Council and members of the association have also won various literary awards, such as the Southeast Asian Writers Award, the Golden Lion Literary Award, and the Golden Point Award. In recent years, the association has partnered with literary and cultural organisations, government agencies, and clan associations to promote Chinese Singaporean literature and cultural activities in the form of multi-disciplinary collaborations. In 2017, for example, the association worked with the Singapore Literature Society and the May Poetry Society to present Year of Chinese Poetry@SG. The annual National Primary Schools On-the-Spot Chinese Creative Writing Competition and the biennial National Secondary Schools Flash Fiction Writing Competition are forays by the association to cultivate a new generation of writers and to enhance the appreciation of Chinese literature among young adults. In addition, it organises the Young Writers’ Reading and Writing Camp and participates in the Author-in-Residence programme by the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning. The association regularly organises high-quality seminars on literature and culture, book launches, and sharing sessions for Chinese literature lovers.  Information accurate as of 18 May 2018

Established in 2007, Ding Yi Music Company is one of Singapore’s most prodigious Chinese chamber music ensembles. Its distinctive approach to music-making, distinctive repertoire, and collaborations with prominent musicians such as Min Huifen and Lu Chunling have garnered accolades from critics and audiences alike. It first drew national attention in 2008 by winning at the Singapore National Arts Council’s National Chinese Music Competition. The following year, Ding Yi emerged the Champions in the prestigious Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod held in Wales, United Kingdom. In 2011, it clinched the Silver Award in the 28th Shanghai Spring International Music Festival. In recent years, Ding Yi has represented Singapore at overseas festivals and performances, including the Hong Kong International Youth Chinese Music Festival, Canberra International Music Festival, Taoyuan Traditional Music Festival, World Music Festival Sharq Taronalari, Jogja International Performing Arts Festival, Sarawak Rainforest World Music Festival, Borneo World Music Expo, ASEAN Arts Festival, Philippines Arts Festival, Shanghai World Expo, and more. To date, the ensemble has pioneered two iconic major events within the Chinese music scene: the biennial Ding Yi Chinese Chamber Music Festival, organised in collaboration with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, and the Composium, a triennial inaugurated in 2012 to encourage new Chinese chamber music works. In conjunction with SG50 in 2015, the ensemble was invited by the Singapore Embassy in Berlin to present a concert titled Sights and Sounds of Singapore. Subsequently, the ensemble staged a concert in Suzhou and Wuxi titled Remembering Lee Kuan Yew — A Tribute to Singapore Founding Father and Celebration of SG50. Ding Yi Music Company is a proud recipient of the National Art Council’s Seed Grant in 2011 and the Major Grant in 2013. It is a Major Company Scheme Recipient in 2016 and 2019. Till date, Ding Yi has organised over 250 outreach and school programmes which attracted over 8000 audiences annually. Information accurate as of 24 May 2019. 

The Theatre Practice (Practice) is Singapore’s longest-standing professional bilingual theatre institution. Founded in 1965 by playwright/director Kuo Pao Kun and dancer/choreographer Goh Lay Kuan, the institution was first established as Singapore Performing Arts School. After years of continuous development and re-organisation, Practice continues to shape Singapore’s cultural landscape as the definitive voice in Singaporean bilingual theatre under the helm of current Artistic Director Kuo Jian Hong. Artist-driven and deeply progressive, Practice strives to be an arts space in Singapore that consciously nurtures and empowers people who care about humanity.

During its early days, Practice provided an alternative voice by championing Chinese-language theatre when Singaporean theatre was predominantly English-language. Many of its seminal works were written during this period, including The Coffin Is Too Big For The Hole, The Spirits Play and Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral. These works have since entered the canon of Southeast Asian literature, and been adapted and presented by theatre companies worldwide. Motivated by a desire to always respectfully entertain and give voice to the voiceless, it has presented a critically-acclaimed repertoire of over 350 productions including musicals, classics, original and experimental works.

In recent years, Practice has also pioneered the Chinese language musical theatre genre, a uniquely Singaporean form, synthesising Western musical traditions with Asian storytelling. Lao Jiu: The Musical, If There’re Seasons… and Liao Zhai Rocks! are widely beloved and have enjoyed multiple sold-out stagings. Liao Zhai Rocks! was also invited to be a part of Shanghai Culture Square’s International Musical Festival. Featuring a fully Singaporean team of cast, crew and creatives, it was the first-ever full-scale international touring production of a Chinese language musical.

As pioneers in arts education in Singapore, Practice has been instrumental in nurturing leaders in the Singaporean arts scene, and inculcating a love for the arts in generations of local youths. Believing in the power of theatre to connect children to the Chinese language in a fun and accessible way, The Theatre Practice Education Project (TTPEP) educates, and engages the young through child-centric Chinese-language projects like the long-running children’s weekend classes, The Nursery Rhymes Project as well as the award-winning wee Question Mark series. To date, The Nursery Rhymes Project has reached tens of thousands of attendees, and become a treasured childhood memory for a whole new generation of children.

Since its inception, Practice has served as a cultural bridge between Singapore and the world. Its legacy of carefully-curated seminars and festivals like the Chinese Theatre Festival and Patch! gathers practitioners of all disciplines and cultures for sharing and exchange, while providing valuable platforms for outstanding international work. Additionally, Practice works extensively with international artists with the most recent example being I came at last to the seas, Huayi Festival’s first local commission for the Esplanade Theatre. Exploring the Chinese diaspora, the work brought together an international cast of creative talents and artists from Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China.

Artistically diverse and constantly relevant, Practice will always engage in the ceaseless exploration of new frontiers.

Information accurate as of 3 May 2021. This video was partially recorded before circuit breaker and some is of recent with safety distancing observed.

The Young People’s Performing Arts Ensemble (YPPAE) is a Mandarin theatre performing arts company for the young, by the young. It aims to promote creativity and independent thinking in youths and children through theatre performing arts.

Founded in 1973 under the former Radio Television Singapore, YPPAE has evolved over the years under the leadership of its Artistic Director Ma Gyap Sen. In 1992, it stepped out of the recording studio and began staging live performances. In 1999, it was registered as a non-profit arts group. To date, it has presented more than 70 stage works and over 200 shows, drawing more than 170,000 people to the performing halls.

Among their notable performances is 1999’s A Gift to the Young Emperor of the Qing Dynasty (送件礼物给清朝的小皇帝), Singapore’s first Mandarin children’s musical. The production also set another record as the first musical to have a Chinese orchestra as accompaniment.

In 2001, YPPAE staged Singapore’s first children’s crosstalk play The Crosstalk Master Seeks Disciples (相声大师找徒弟), and invited China’s top crosstalk master Li Lishan to join the cast. The production marked the start of the popular Crosstalk Master series, including Where Are You, Crosstalk Master? (相声大师您在哪儿？), We Are Here, Crosstalk Master! (相声大师，我们来了！) and Excuse Me, Are You A Crosstalk Master (请问，您是相声大师吗?). The series was not only a cornerstone in the local crosstalk and clapper talk (快板) scene, but also nurtured a generation of seasoned crosstalk performers, such as Liu Zhibin, Nam Yunzhou, Long Jijian and Chen Zihan.

In 2008, the group broke ground by launching its very own crosstalk brand Roaring Good Times (哄堂). The series showcased many original works, such as Singapore-Lah (新加坡“拉”语), Talking Filial (谈孝), Nonsense (废话) and Entrance and Exit Music (进出场音乐), which featured both humourous and thought-provoking local themes.

In 2014, the well-received crosstalk play A Teahouse of Crosstalk (小茶馆) inspired sequels that promoted the traditional artform and tea culture. Audiences could appreciate a cup of tea while enjoying the performances up close.

YPPAE has always sought opportunities to hone its members’ skills. It often collaborates with artists and performing groups from local and overseas, and has received invitations to international arts festivals and cultural events. In 2007, YPPAE hosted a master class series and invited Professor Yang Hongnian, the late renowned conductor and founder of the Beijing Philharmonic Choir, to share on choral singing techniques. In the following year, YPPAE staged Voices of the Rainbow (七彩歌声) at the Esplanade Concert Hall, where 450 children and nine local choirs performed on the stage.

In 2012, 2015 and 2018, YPPAE was invited to Tianjin International Children’s Culture and Art Festival, taking its homegrown crosstalk and choir talent to the city. It was also in Tianjin where the group crosstalk show Battle of the Musical Notes (音符大战) premiered, breaking the boundaries of language to win critical acclaim.

In 2017, under the leadership of Mr Tang Jiayou, YPPAE teamed up with youths from China and the USA to present the stage play Mr Magnolia (木兰先生). It won the “Best Production for the Young” award at The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards 2018.

Today, YPPAE continues to experiment and innovate, producing deep, insightful works that boast strong local flavours, all while promoting the traditional Chinese art of crosstalk. Using pedagogies that integrate Confucian philosophy and Western theories in creative drama, the group has sharpened its members’ techniques such as improvisation, sensory awareness and physical skills, developing performers who are not only masters in spoken Mandarin, but also morally upright youths. Tapping on their talent, these young people have contributed, and will continue to contribute greatly to the promotion of traditional Chinese culture and performing arts.