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Associate Professor Dr Cheong Yew Choong

Associate Professor

Academic Qualifications

DMA (Piano)
MMus (Piano)
BMus (Piano)
Dip. (Music)
Dip. & Higher Dip. (Software Engr)
ATCL (Piano)

Areas of Interest
Piano Performance
Performance Practice
Piano Literature
Historical Musicology
Biography

Cheong Yew Choong holds his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate Degrees from West Virginia University (USA) under full scholarship and graduate assistantship. His teachers include Prof. Dr. Peter Amstutz and Prof. Dr. Tean Hwa P’ng. Despite hearing impairment, Yew Choong is a prizewinner of several competitions: Music Teachers National Association Collegiate Artist Piano Competition in the State of West Virginia (2002), WVU’s Annual Young Artists Auditions (2003) and the VSA Arts’s International Young Soloists Award (2007). He has performed as a soloist and collaborative pianist in Malaysia, Austria, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and the United States. 

As an educator, Yew Choong has presented lecture-recitals and papers at the international conferences in Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Switzerland, and Malaysia. He has been invited to serve as a research review committee for Mahidol University College of Music in Thailand and currently a member of Editorial Board for Mahidol Music Journal. He has also adjudicated international piano competitions and conducted master classes and workshops. 

Yew Choong is Associate Professor at UCSI University Institute of Music. He teaches applied piano, music theory and analysis, performance practice and piano literature. He also serves as a research supervisor for both undergraduate and postgraduate research projects.

 

Research / Conference Publications, Presentations, Performances / Recordings

MAJOR PERFORMANCES

  • Cheong, Yew Choong, piano. Solo Piano Recital: "Fantasies by Mozart, Corigliano and Schumann." International Piano Festival and Competition, UCSI University, 7 June 2018.
  • Cheong, Yew Choong, piano, and Tan Chee Shen, tenor. Voice-Piano Recital: "Schubert's Winterreise D911." Mahidol University College of Music, Thailand, 18 January 2018.
  • Cheong, Yew Choong, piano. Solo Recital: "Liszt's Sonata in B minor and Schubert's Klavierstucke D946." KL Piano Gala, 13 March 2016.
  • Cheong, Yew Choong, piano. Guest Performance: "Beethoven's Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111." The 3rd International Piano Festival by People with Disabilities in Vienna, Austria, 13–17 November 2013.
  • Cheong, Yew Choong, piano. Guest Performance: "Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 and Dr. Jeffrey Rowlands's 'Furusato'." The Asia International Piano Festival by People with Disabilities, Osaka, Japan, 5–11 December 2011.
  • Cheong, Yew Choong and Ramasoon Sitalayan, pianos. Piano Duo Recital: "Schubert's Fantasie in F minor D940 and Bolcom's Garden of Eden." Thailand's First Mozart Piano Competition and Festival 2011, Thailand, 5 June 2011.

PUBLICATIONS

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

  • Cheong, Yew Choong. "A Historically Informed Perspective of Beethoven’s Idiosyncratic Dynamics and Accents in His Piano Works." Paper presentation,  Beethoven and the Piano: Philology, Context and Performance Practice (Online Edition), Bern University of the Arts (HKB), Lugano, Switzerland, 4–7 November 2020.
  • Cheong, Yew Choong. "Interpreting Rhythmic Assimilation of the Dotted Rhythms to the Triplets." Lecture-recital, PGVIM International Symposium 2019, Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music, Thailand, 28–30 August 2019.
  • Cheong, Yew Choong. "Deciphering Idiosyncratic Hairpins: Dynamic Changes or Notated Rubato?” Lecture-recital, The 2nd International Conference on Performance and Creativity: Historical Keyboard Music 1700–1850, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, 27–29 May 2019.
  • Cheong, Yew Choong. "Unlocking the Mystery of Hairpins: Dynamic Changes or “Notated” Rubato?” Lecture-recital, The 13th Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference, University of Adelaide, Australia, 10–14 July 2017.

Networks / Industry Linkages / Memberships

1. Editorial Board Member, Mahidol Music Journal (MMJ), Thailand.
2. Elected Special Officer, Malaysia Piano Teachers Association (MPTA).
3. Member, World Piano Teachers Association (WPTA).
4. Member, The Society for Music Theory (SMA).
5. Lifetime Member, Malaysian Association for Music Education (MAME Baru).

Other Accolades / Achievements

1. Principal Investigator. "To Develop Music Theory E-book for UCSI University’s Foundation in Music Program." UCSI University Research Excellence & Innovation Grant (REIG), 2021–2023.

2. Appointed Mentor and Adjudicator. The International Young Soloists Competition, The Kennedy Center, Washington D.C., USA.