Writer Director 作家董事

Dr. Goh Toh Chai 吴多才博士

(Special Elected Director representing Classical / Choral music genre)

As a Senior lecturer of composition at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, a composer of music ranging from choir, symphonic band, wind ensemble, chamber music to large scale orchestral works, Zechariah Goh Toh Chai has carefully fused South East Asian-Chinese with Western traditions. He began his music piano lesson under Ong Lip Tat, harmony from Phoon Yew Tien and counterpoint from Leong Yoon Pin while working on his Diploma of Music from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. In 1999, he received the David and Gunda Hiebert Scholarship award to work on his Master of Piano from University of Kansas, during which he was appointed as a graduate assistant by the university to teach undergraduate music theory.

Subsequently, he worked on his Doctorate degree majoring in Composition under the guidance of Dr. Charles Hoag. At the same time, he studied Orchestration and Arrangement for Band under James Barnes.  Zechariah was also awarded the prestigious Anthony Cius Prize for outstanding student composer from the University of Kansas for the Academic year of 2001 and 2002.

Before embarking on his studies in the United States, he was a familiar face in the local music scene, teaching bands and choirs in Singapore. He was a lecturer at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, specializing in Composition, Orchestration, Aural and Sight Singing, and Choir since July 2002. Zechariah commissions for SG 50 includes, The Vocal Consort Chamber Choir, SYC Ensemble Singers, The One chamber Choir, and Hwa Chung High School. Orchestra commissions include The Philharmonic Orchestra and NAFA Orchestra. Other commissions include Philharmonic Winds, The Sing Song Club and a Trio for Saxophone, Violin and Piano

Zechariah Goh is also an active speaker at International music conferences such as the WASBE, ISME, APSME, and etc. He was also invited to judge international choral and Band  competition such as the Voyage of Songs, and Taiwan Band Director’s Association’ Band Competition and etc. For his artistic excellence in the field of music, Zechariah was conferred the Young Artist Award (Music) in September 2003 by the National Arts Council, Singapore. The award was presented by the President of the Republic of Singapore at Istana. Zechariah was awarded the Artistic Excellence Award from the Composers and authors Society of Singapore in 2013. Zechariah Goh was also presented with the distinguished Alumni medal from NAFA in 2014.