Fun with Poems in Dialect

by Lee Yong Tick, Chin Yen Chien and Lim Kwuan Boon (Singapore) 

Premieres 29 Sep, Tue, 8.30pm 

Duration: 30mins

Performed in Mandarin with dialect, with Chinese subtitles. 

Have you ever wondered how classical Chinese poetry would sound when recited in dialects? Performed in Cantonese, Hokkien and Hakka, this spoken-word showcase by veteran voiceover artist Lee Yong Tick in collaboration with musicians Chin Yen Chien and Lim Kwuan Boon will open up new ways of experiencing and interpreting these ancient texts. 

About Lee Yong Tick 

Lee Yong Tick was the former deputy programme director and music director of Radio Singapore International (Chinese section). He started his career as a voice-over artist at the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation in the 1980s and participated actively in the establishment of Radio Singapore International (RSI) in 1994.

Lee is currently a freelance voice artist and the leader of Char Yong (Dabu) Association’s Hakka Melody Group, which actively promotes Hakka culture and traditions.

About Chin Yen Chien  

Chin Yen Chien started learning the pipa at the age of ten. In 1992, he participated in the inaugural Chinese Music Competition and came in first in the Intermediate Category. The following year, he took home the first prize in the "Pipa (Intermediate Category)" of the National Music Competition organised by National Arts Council. Yen Chien had represented Singapore in many international arts events, including New Delhi (India), Hangzhou, Chengdu, Hakka, and Shanghai (China), Bangkok (Thailand), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Hong Kong SAR (China) and in 2018, represented Singapore in Moscow, Russia, for the Moscow-Singapore Day organised by Singapore Tourism Promotion Board. Yen Chien is currently an instructor at various primary and secondary schools teaching Chinese instruments.

About Lim Kwuan Boon 

Lim Kwuan Boon picked up the erhu when he joined Raffles Institution’s Chinese Orchestra in 2002. While holding key positions such as section leader and concert master in several orchestras, he also helped found the Chinese string quartet Stringanza. Kwuan Boon was also the Associate Principal for Bowed Strings Section for Ding Yi Music Company from 2010 to 2016, as well as a member of the SAF Music and Drama Company. 

Under the tutelage of Mr. Wong Sun Tat and Ms. Shen Qin, Kwuan Boon obtained his diploma in erhu performance in 2007. He also emerged as the runner-up in the “Erhu (Open Category)” of the biennial National Chinese Music Competition in 2010 and 2016. To date, Kwuan Boon has performed in more than 60 concerts, including concertos and solo performances with various orchestras. In 2013, he staged his first recital with two musicians from Ding Yi Music Company at Esplanade Recital Studio. He has performed locally as well as overseas in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Germany and Uzbekistan.