Welcome to my webspace! Some of you know me as a journalist and author, while others recognise me as a classical guitarist / instructor. Combining the two skills, I'm sharing my music and knowledge of the classical guitar with anyone who would listen and learn here or at my free Open Studio. I'm also devoting some time to featuring prominent musicians and luthiers in Features, an editorial series on everyday classical guitarists called, I, Guitarist, as well as Excuse Me? – a column on all things that matter to classical guitarists.
In this space, you can also get exclusive release of Scores – my arrangements of well-loved Chinese classic songs. And if you plan to buy a guitar, check out the luthiers and brands that I work with.
Recently, I was part of the jury for the SEA Guitar Performance Awards 2024 in Bangkok. A bit about myself: I started training in the classical guitar when I was 10 and by the time I was 13, I had come in first in the Singapore Guitar Festival Classical Solo Junior section (under 16) organised by Yamaha Music School. At 17, I came in second in the Classical Solo Open section as the youngest competitor in a field dominated by music
instructors. Years later, I performed a solo concert during the Singapore International Guitar Festival at the Alliance Francaise Singapour and accompanied Lithuanian accordionist Martynas Levickis – who was at the time the No 1 classical recording artist in the UK – at Yellow Lounge. I studied the classical guitar for nine years. But as fate would have it, I became a journalist later on. Over the years, I have had a fairly successful career in journalism, and I have also written, edited and produced about 40 books. But I never stopped playing the guitar.
Till today, I continue to practise and learn new pieces. Besides playing works by living composers, I play a wide range of music, though I lean towards the Spanish Romantic style – Francisco Tarrega, Isaac Albeniz, Miguel Llobet, Federic Moreno Torroba, etc – as well as works of Latin American composers such as Agustin Barrios Mangore, Manuel Maria Ponce, Leo Brouwer, Astor Piazzolla and Heitor Villa-Lobos. I hope you enjoy the contents of this space.
