The Composers Society of Singapore (CSS) commemorates the 90th birth anniversary of Singaporean composer LEONG Yoon Pin (5 Aug 1931 – 13 Apr 2011).

The Composers Society of Singapore (CSS) commemorates the 90th birth anniversary of Singaporean composer LEONG Yoon Pin (5 Aug 1931 – 13 Apr 2011). LEONG Yoon Pin was a pioneering Singapore classical musician, regarded as the “Father of SG Composers”. He was also a conductor and an educator, and served as the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s first ever composer-in-residence in 2001.

An important figure for Singapore’s new music scene, LEONG Yoon Pin was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 1982, Bintang Bakti Masyarakt (Public Service Star) in 2005, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS) in 2007.

The late LEONG Yoon Pin was not only a prolific composer and conductor, but also a mentor to many of today’s established Singaporean composers, and an important figure in shaping Singapore’s classical music scene. In the 1950s, he founded and conducted a number of Singapore’s pioneering choirs, the most notable of which being Metro Philharmonic Society which remains active today. While LEONG composed for various music groups and organisations in Singapore, having written several outstanding symphonic works including his concert overture Dayong Sampan (1980) which became one of the most widely played orchestral pieces in Singapore, he remains best known for his choral works and arrangements such as Street Calls (1997) and Dragon Dance (1988).

For more information on LEONG Yoon Pin, you may read the following articles:

• Leong Yoon Pin: The “Father of Singaporean Composers” | TributeSG by Esplanade
• Leong Yoon Pin | Singapore Infopedia (NLB)
• Leong Yoon Pin | Project IDIOM

Banner photo from Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s page on LEONG Yoon Pin