Hup Hiang Neo Neo, Hup Hiang

Born in Muar, Johor, Malaysia, Hup Hiang Neo currently teaches music theory and piano in Singapore.

Neo graduated in 2001 from the Department of Music at National Taiwan Normal University, majoring in composition under Professor 柯芳隆, with minors in piano and voice. During university, Neo took part in performances on campus and, outside school, sang with the National Experimental Chorus of Taiwan, gaining wide exposure to different kinds of repertoire; besides many formal concerts and touring performances in cities and towns across Taiwan promoting choral music, Neo also appeared in opera productions. In 2000, Neo won second prize in the chamber music category of the composition competition commemorating the 921 Earthquake, held as part of the 7th NTNU Arts Festival.

In 2006, Neo received a master’s degree in theory and composition from the Graduate Institute of Music at National Taiwan Normal University, again studying with Professor 柯芳隆. The master’s thesis, “The Use of Tone Rows in Zimmermann’s Ich wandte mich und sah an alles Unrecht, das geschah unter der Sonne” (欽默曼《我環顧四周，見日光之下所行皆非正義》中音列之運用), was supervised by Professor 羅基敏.

Works presented include “Fireflies” (螢火蟲) for baritone and piano; the suite “Emotions” (情緒) for piano; Variations for guitar; “Autumn Lament” (秋殤) for oboe and three strings; Gamelan, for gamelan and erhu; A Movement for Octet; “Phantom Sounds” (幻響) for pipa; “City Life?” (都市生活？) for violin, viola, cello and piano; “Two Pieces” (兩首小品) for clarinet and zheng; and “…Sometimes” (……有時) for soprano and chamber ensemble, among others.