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Toh Yan Ee (October 2021)<\/em><\/p>\n Kam Kee Yong (b.1938) is a composer, violinist, visual artist and educator who has made a significant impact on Singapore\u2019s music scene.<\/p>\n Born in Penang, Malaysia, Kam grew up in a musical family and lived in a village in Jelutong. From a young age, he was influenced by his father, a clarinetist and music educator who was also the leader of a jazz band, and first began learning the violin from his father at the age of 10. Kam continued his violin studies under Mr Louis Lim for 5 years, and was invited to record and perform works both as a soloist and with his father\u2019s band on Radio Malaysia. Besides practising and performing existing repertoire, Kam also began delving into improvisations on the violin.<\/p>\n Apart from music, Kam was deeply passionate about visual art, which would remain an important part of his life and source of inspiration for his music. Being surrounded by nature in his formative years, he would often take inspiration from the sights and sounds of his village. Kam briefly studied art at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), Singapore, before embarking on his formal music education overseas.<\/p>\n In 1960, Kam enrolled in the Royal Academy of Music, London, studying the violin with Fredrick Grinke and Molly Mack, and chamber music with Watson Forbes. Having received leadership opportunities in a string quartet setting, Kam was motivated to compose his first pieces, String Quartet No. 1 in B minor<\/strong><\/em> and\u00a0String Quartet No. 2 in D Minor (Malaysian)<\/strong><\/em>. He premiered String Quartet No. 2<\/em> in 1963 which allowed him to take composition lessons at the academy with Alan Bush, and later won the John E. West Prize for composition. One of his more notable works\u00a0Chung Kuo Kuang Hsi Chu<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0for violin and piano was written in 1964 and performed by the composer in the same year. During his time at RAM, Kam also presented exhibitions of his own art works at various galleries in London.<\/p>\n After completing his studies in London, Kam returned to Singapore and contributed to its growing music scene through music education. In 1970 he founded the Singapura String Orchestra which he conducted and composed for, and in 1981 he initiated the Kam Kee Yong School of Music and Children\u2019s Art, as well as the People\u2019s Association (PA) String Orchestra comprising young budding musicians. He was committed to cultivating the young musicians of Singapore, and continued to conduct and teach the violin until the late 1980s.<\/p>\n As a violinist and conductor, Kam was also an avid supporter of Singapore\u2019s music scene and often performed local compositions at his concerts. He was awarded the Cultural Medallion of Singapore in 1984 in recognition of his remarkable impact on Singapore\u2019s arts scene. In 1989, Kam and his family moved to Toronto, Canada, where he founded the Avant Garde School of Childrens\u2019 Art and Music.<\/p>\n Over the years, Kam developed a large collection of works, ranging from solo violin to large orchestra pieces. Two of Kam\u2019s works Chinatown Suite<\/em><\/strong> and\u00a0Marine Parade Suite<\/strong><\/em> were written for and performed by the PA String Orchestra in 1985, with the recordings released by WEA Records in the same year.\u00a0Chinatown Suite<\/em>, inspired by the hustle and bustle of Chinatown, comprises 20 short movements showcasing various aspects of life in Chinatown.<\/p>\n Kam also received commissions during his time in Singapore. Kuang Xiang Qu (Chinese Rhapsody)<\/strong><\/em> (1978) was composed for solo violin, piano harp and percussion on commission for TOKK Ensemble of Tokyo. It was arranged for violin and piano, and later reimagined for solo violin and orchestra. Kam also composed\u00a0The Five Sentiments<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(1982) for ballet and orchestra commissioned by the Ministry of Culture of Singapore, which premiered at the Singapore Arts Festival.<\/p>\n Other notable works by Kam include Huai Ku: <\/strong><\/em>Sonata for solo violin<\/strong>\u00a0(1976), one of his most popular works which he premiered in Singapore and was recorded in 1997 by his daughter, internationally acclaimed violinist Kam Ning in her debut album. The piece features a range of timbral and harmonic colours, as well as elements alluding to traditional Chinese music. The piece was later selected to receive its American premiere in 1997 by North\/South Consonance.<\/p>\n Kam\u2019s compositional output also includes several pieces for orchestral setting, such as Symphony in E minor (Youth)<\/strong><\/em> written in celebration of World Youth Day in 1985. He also wrote\u00a0The surpassing beauty<\/strong><\/em> for solo violin and orchestra,\u00a0A Tranquil Night<\/strong><\/em> for solo violin, harp and strings, The River<\/strong><\/em> for symphony orchestra,\u00a0Lao Jiang Xing<\/strong><\/em> for violin and orchestra, all of which were premiered together with\u00a0Kuang Xiang Qu<\/strong><\/em> by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in a 2010 concert featuring Kam Ning. In the same year, Kam Kee Yong released the album\u00a0Cicada: Works for Violin and Piano by Kam Kee Yong<\/strong><\/em>, recorded by Kam Ning and David Laughton.<\/p>\n As an artist, Kam not only presented solo exhibitions in Singapore and Toronto alongside his music career, but was also commissioned by The Straits Times in 1982 to create 20 sketches of musician characters which were to be published.<\/p>\n Having developed holistically through visual and performing arts throughout his lifetime, Kam sees his visual and auditory senses as \u201cinseparable\u201d, and may have sonic imaginations in response to colours or textures in his own paintings. His music and paintings are often inspired by nature and oriental elements, such as ancient Chinese history. Tang Shi Yue Yun<\/strong><\/em>, comprising two works Reminiscence of Spring<\/strong><\/em> and Cicada<\/em><\/strong>, was based on Chinese poems written during the Tang Dynasty. Incorporating Asian influences into his works, Kam has beautifully fused both East and West while preserving unique traits of each culture.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” header_5_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” header_5_font_size=”1.3em” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ header_5_font_size_tablet=”1.2em” header_5_font_size_phone=”1.1em” animation_style=”fade”]<\/p>\n \u201cKam Kee Yong.\u201d Esplanade Offstage, September 12, 2016. Accessed September 13, 2021. https:\/\/www.esplanade.com\/offstage\/arts\/kam-kee-yong<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSingaporean Composers Collection: Kam Kee Yong.\u201d LibGuides. NUS Libraries, n.d. Accessed September 13, 2021. https:\/\/libguides.nus.edu.sg\/sgcomposers\/Kam<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ong, Eng Chuan, and Eleanor A. L. Tan. \u201cKam Kee Yong.\u201d Infopedia. National Library Board (Singapore), April 6, 2011. Accessed September 15, 2021. https:\/\/eresources.nlb.gov.sg\/infopedia\/articles\/SIP_1808_2011-05-12.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAbout the Artist.\u201d Kam Kee Yong \u2013 Artist, Musician, Composer. Accessed September 15, 2021. http:\/\/www.kamkeeyong.com\/artist.php<\/a>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” header_5_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” header_5_font_size=”1.3em” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ header_5_font_size_tablet=”1.2em” header_5_font_size_phone=”1.1em” animation_style=”fade”]<\/p>\n Toh Yan Ee (November 2021)<\/em><\/p>\nBibliography<\/h5>\n
Monumentality Through Tradition<\/h5>\n