Choo Thiam Siew is an instrumental figure in the development of the arts in Singapore. Trained in horticulture, he was involved from 1976 to 1996 in the greening of Singapore into a garden city before moving into the arts sector as CEO of the National Arts Council from 1996 to 2003. Choo’s leadership contributed to a more open and understanding environment among arts practitioners and administrators, and the embracing of Singapore arts’ multiculturalism and diversity. He continued to promote a culture of openness and interaction thereafter as President of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

Born in 1951 in Singapore, Choo Thiam Siew’s earliest encounters with art were experienced with his father and during his early education.

His father practised Chinese calligraphy at home, enlisting an intrigued Choo to help grind calligraphic inksticks. As a primary school student in Catholic High School in the early ’60s, Choo had the opportunity to practice calligraphy in school, thus furthering his interest in the art form. As Choo entered secondary education, he started reading Chinese classical poems, which enriched and deepened his love for Chinese art and culture. Inspired to learn more, he read classical books on Chinese calligraphy and classical poetry.

Choo also became acquainted with Western arts as he began learning to play the clarinet in secondary two when he joined the school’s brass band. Choo and his bandmates would practise their instruments with their school principal Brother Joseph Chang after school, learning how to read Western musical notation. Choo would come to feel the influence of his principal’s love for music, and go on to perform many works of classical Western music with the school orchestra.

Through these artistic activities in his teenage years, Choo gained a balanced appreciation for both Chinese and Western arts that would inform much of his later life and philosophy towards the arts.

Having completed his pre-university education, Choo moved to New Zealand to attend the Lincoln College of University of Canterbury in 1970 on a Colombo Plan Scholarship. He graduated with a honours bachelor’s degree in horticulture and 8 years later, went on to obtain his master’s degree at the Australian National University in 1982, also under the Colombo Plan Scholarship.

Choo returned to Singapore in 1976 and joined the Parks & Recreation Department (now National Parks Board), embarking on the first of his two careers playing instrumental roles in the development of Singapore. He spent twenty years at the Parks & Recreation Department, rising to become Deputy Commissioner of the Department in the latter half of his service. For his work with the Department, Choo received the Pingat Pendatbiran Awam (Gangsa) (Public Administration Medal [Bronze]).

Throughout his time at the Parks & Recreation Department, Choo continued being a keen follower and lover of the arts, keeping abreast of the Singapore arts scene through his regular attendance of art exhibitions and arts performances.

In 1996, Choo was presented with the opportunity to begin a new career with the National Arts Council. The ’80s had seen a newly emerging Singapore art scene trying to find its legs in an environment that was described by observers as a cultural desert. Feeling that his management skills would be put to good use in the arts, Choo took on the challenge and joined the National Arts Council as Deputy Executive Director, becoming the Chief Executive Officer of the Council the following year.

In the six years that he led the National Arts Council, Choo brought about a culture of openness and understanding within the Singapore art community, improving the working dynamics and relationships between artists and arts administrators. Believing in the relevance and importance of all kinds of art forms and the advantages of cultivating diversity in the arts, Choo encouraged the healthy sharing of opinions and views, which benefited the multicultural make-up of the Singapore arts scene. With Choo at the helm, the Singapore Arts Festival had its first Fringe opening at Fort Canning Park. The park also played host to the first Singapore Arts Festival Village, which created a communal space where arts lovers could share in their arts experiences.

In 2001, Choo received the Pingat Pendatbiran Awam (Perak) (Public Administration Medal [Silver]) for his contributions to the arts in Singapore.

Besides his role at the National Arts Council, Choo also contributed his services as a member of the board of a number of arts organisations, including the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Chinese Orchestra and the School of the Arts. He also presided as the Chief Judge of the UOB Painting of the Year Competition for a number of years.

In 2003, Choo left the National Arts Council to focus his efforts on arts education as the President of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

His philosophy of multicultural diversity and sharing carried on at the academy, with the academy attracting growing student numbers across a diverse range of nationalities, especially from the Southeast Asia region. Choo had also planned for the expansion of the academy’s campus so that students have more spaces for interaction and exchange of ideas.

Choo served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre from 2014 to 2017. His current appointments include serving as Chairman of the Tote Board Arts Fund Committee.

In his free time, Choo practises Chinese calligraphy and composes classical Chinese poems.