Choo Hwee Lim was an instrumental figure in the development of choral music and opera in Singapore. Starting as a teacher at Anglo-Chinese School in the ’50s and ’60s, Choo made major contributions to the Singapore choral music and opera scene in myriad ways since then—as a host of radio programmes on opera, as a vocal teacher, as an accomplished baritone singer, as a conductor of various choral groups, as a founding member of the Singapore Lyric Opera, and as an all-round music educator who initiated the Choral Excellence Scheme in Singapore schools. In 1992, Choo received the Cultural Medallion for his contributions to music in Singapore.

Born in 1931, Choo Hwee Lim was a self-taught musician who began his choral music career as a young singer and conductor of church choirs, leading the Kampong Kapor Methodist Church Double Male Quartet as well as conducting the Geylang Methodist Church Choir and Kampong Kapor Methodist Church Choir in the late ’40s till the early ’50s.

Choo took his interest in choral music to the classroom when, as a young man in 1951, he joined the teaching profession. Teaching at the Anglo-Chinese School, he became not only a passionate badminton coach who led the school team to win many titles, but also a dedicated music educator.

In 1956, he received a Ministry of Education scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music in London, UK where he graduated with majors in singing, conducting and teaching. During his time in London, Choo received prizes for singing and performed in operas such as Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Donizetti’s Don Pasquale.

Upon his return to Singapore in 1959, Choo resumed his career as a teacher in Anglo-Chinese School and initiated the establishment of the Anglo-Chinese School marching band and orchestra, of which he was also the music director. This establishment of Singapore’s first school orchestra in an English-language school would reflect Choo’s foresight for music education and development in the years to come.

During this time, Choo also started performing in public concerts, recitals and broadcast recitals, and gained a reputation as a singer of German lieder. Besides being a sought-after oratorio baritone soloist, Choo also sang in the amateur English-language choral group Singapore Musical Society.

In 1964, Choo became a specialist Inspector of music with the Ministry of Education. Four years later, he retired from his career in education to concentrate on developing a full-time musical career. Even though he officially ended his education career, Choo continued to contribute his services to Anglo-Chinese School and remained a dedicated coach to the school’s badminton team for the next decade.

Choo dived into music. Ever passionate about education, he opened a music school and became a strict and demanding music teacher who was known as a perfectionist, and whose students would include the eminent singer and conductor Lim Yau and well-regarded baritone William Lim. Seeing a need for properly qualified music educators in Singapore, Choo also founded the Singapore Music Teachers Association, contributing to the increase in the standard of music education.

In 1988, Choo introduced the Choral Excellence Scheme that was implemented in secondary schools and junior colleges. The following year, he started serving as the chairman of the Choral Advisory Committee with the Ministry of Education, a post he would hold till 1996.

Besides his efforts in music education, Choo also scripted, produced and hosted two popular opera and classical music radio programmes for the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation’s FM92.4 radio station. In 1980, he became the conductor of the National University of Singapore Choir, bringing the choir on a tour of USA in 1985.

Choo’s passion for opera never went away, and he produced operas in Singapore during this time. In 1990, together with Lim Yau, Toh Weng Cheong and Leow Siak Fah, he founded the Singapore Lyric Theatre (now Singapore Lyric Opera), Singapore’s first arts company dedicated to opera. The pioneering opera company would be instrumental in the development of Singapore’s very young opera scene, providing training to aspiring singers and opportunities for Singapore arts audiences to attend opera performances through its regular opera productions.

Together with his partners at the Singapore Lyric Opera, Choo developed and produced Singapore’s pioneer Western operas, including Singapore’s first Western opera Bunga Mawar in 1997, which featured compositions by pioneering Singapore composer Leong Yoon Pin.

In 1992, Choo received the Cultural Medallion for his contributions to the development of choral music and opera in Singapore. He continued pursuing his musical passions until ill health forced him to take a less prominent role in his various capacities from 1998.

In 2008, Choo passed away at age 76.

Profile image of Choo Hwee Lim courtesy of National Arts Council.