Private Legacy -- Lucien Wang's Students

Lucien Wang was a piano instructor in Singapore from the early 1940s to the late 1980s. Using her home in Loke Yew Street as a classroom, Wang has trained at least two generations of students, with many of them eventually becoming renowned professional musicians.

As a teacher, Wang provided numerous opportunities for her students to excel and be known in the Singapore music scene. She organized numerous concerts for them, such as A Piano Recital by Miss Toh Chee Hung (1965) [1], A Piano Recital by Miss Mary Chang and Miss Chou Heng Pin (1966) [2], A Christmas Piano Recital (1975) [3], and A Vocal and Piano Recital by Miss Tan Joo Eng and Mr. Ong Lip Tat [4]. Some of these concerts were for charity, like the Piano Recitals by the Pupils of Mrs. Lucien Wang (1951) [5], which aided the YMCA Swimming Pool Fund, and another concert that raised funds for the Katong Boys' Club [6]. Wang organized one free-admission concert, Popular Classics Presented by Pupils of Mrs. Lucien Wang (1946), to raise money for her pupils "whose fathers were taken away by the Japanese in February 1942" [7]. Her students also got the opportunity to perform in informal events with other music students, such as in The Singapore Music Teachers' Association Students' Workshop (1967) [8], which was a collaborative informal recital for piano, singing, and violin students. Furthermore, she entered her students in competitions both locally and overseas, for instance the Beethoven Bicentenary Piano Competition (1970) [9] and the Singapore Musical Society Annual Music Competition (1970-73) [10].

She appeared to be a strong believer in the importance of providing children with a rich learning environment even from an early age, once stating that a child's future success can be predicted if his or her parents engage good teachers to train them in their early years. Drawing upon a Chinese saying that the child at age three determines what he or she will be like at age eighty, she uses the learning of dance and music as examples in showing that if one does not establish oneself during one's youth, it will not be possible to do so during adulthood [45].

A note accompanying the concert booklet for Popular Classics Presented by Pupils of Mrs. Lucien Wang (1946), appealing for donations to aid Wang's disadvantaged students [7]

Relationships with her students

Wang kept in contact with many of her students even after they had moved on from her tutelage. While studying music overseas, her students often wrote to her to ask for advice, praise her on her achievements, or recall fond memories of their time under her instruction. She maintained close relationships with a handful of her former students. One of them, Lim Jing Jing, endearingly referred to her as por por (grandmother) in their correspondences [11]. Another former student, Ong Lip Tat, frequently updated Wang about his life and achievements overseas [12]. Cheung Mun Chit, a former student who later became an internationally renowned accompanying pianist, also sent her photos from her graduation or during a performance, some of which she has compiled into a personalised scrapbook.

A page from Lucien Wang's scrapbook, comprising photos sent by Cheung Mun Chit as well as handwritten caption, "one of the monkeys" [13]

Wang retained many copies of her students' certificates, piano and theory of music examination results, and competition results. She would attend their concerts and keep the concert booklets - sometimes even two or three copies of the same booklet. She also sometimes wrote the forewords for their concert booklets, like what she did for Jenny Ling's charity recital [14]. Over the years she has also accumulated a sizeable collection of newspaper clippings concerning performances, achievements, or interviews involving her students; in some cases, she would correct details about a student, such as their age or parents' names, that had been wrongly published in the paper. In one of the concert programme booklets for an early recital she organised for her students, Wang penned several remarks about her students, concerning events in their lives that had clearly taken place many years after the concert itself - including but not limited to their occupation, marital status, and migration to other countries [7]. All these are indicative of how she managed to keep herself updated with her students' affairs, as well as maintain good relationships with some of them, even years after completing their studies with her.

In the programme booklet for Popular Classics, Wang wrote comments on what had happened to her students years after the concert itself

Renowned Students

Detailed below are some of Wang's more prominent students.

Cheung Mun Chit, Elly (???)

Born in Hongkong, she came over to Singapore with her parents in 1939. Her mother – an accomplished pianist – taught her the piano until Mrs. Lucien Wang took over.[53] She was very kind since a young age. Cheung Mun Chit, a student at Raffles Girls’ School, Singapore, has given the $20 she earned for a recent piano broadcast over Radio Malaya to the Social Welfare Department. She said, “I get all I want from daddy, so I thought it would be a good idea if my broadcast fee were paid into the Social Welfare Department instead. There are so many boys and girls who are hungry and homeless in this town.” [52]

Cheung started piano lessons with Lucien Wang at age 4 [15], and by the time she was 10, gave her first solo piano recital, organised by Lucien Wang [16]. At age 12, Cheung had already given 40 concerts in Singapore and Hong Kong, and had won various first prizes from these performances[17]. As a rising name in the contemporary Singapore music scene, she was regularly invited to play for Radio Malaya's Evening Star Programmes [16]. In 1955, Cheung left for London to study in the Royal College of Music, where she managed to obtain several prizes [15], and went on to pursue further studies in Lausanne, Switzerland. After hearing her perform, the renowned Alfred Cortot(one of Wang's former teachers) invited Cheung to join his master classes in the Academia Musicale Chigiana in Sienna, Italy - a great honour received by only the most brilliant students [17]. She later returned to Singapore and gave solo recitals, performed in TV appearances and radio broadcasts, and accompanied famous visiting artistes [18]. Even while living in Singapore, Cheung constantly travelled back to London to perform as an accompanist in master classes [19].

Cheung seemed to maintain a close relationship with Lucien Wang even after her departure to London, sending Wang several letters and photos while studying overseas and affectionately calling her "auntie". Years after having taught her, Wang still continued to attend Cheung's concerts in Singapore, and keep the concerts' programme booklets.

Photos sent by Cheung Mun Chit to Lucien Wang [20]

Chua Kah Pin (???)

Chua was an arts student at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts [16], and a student of Lucien Wang. He eventually became an accomplished music teacher himself, organising several concerts and recitals for his own students. He credits his teacher, Lucien Wang, for launching his music career [48], and dedicated at least one such concert to Wang herself, attributing his accomplishments to the guidance, encouragement and help he received while under her tutelage [49].

Lim Jing Jing (???)

Lim started playing the piano under Lucien Wang's guidance at age 4, and within the same year acquired her first onstage experience at one of the concerts Wang would periodically organise for her students [51]. With Lucien Wang's help, Lim became the prize winner of the National Music Competition in Singapore for three consecutive years - 1980, 1981, and 1982 [21]. After finishing her Primary School Leaving Examination at age 12, Lim left for London in 1984, on a study grant from the Lee Foundation to study music at the famed Purcell School of Music [22] under Dennis Murdoch, a former teacher of Lim's mother [50]. In that year, she won three first prizes from the North London Music Festival [23]. She transferred in early 1985 to Albany College, and began studying piano under Benjamin Kaplan. In April 1986, at the age of 15, Lim took part in and emerged champion in the junior section of the prestigious Maria Canals International Competition, held in Barcelona [50]. In August of the same year, she gave a concert - presented by Wang - at Victoria Concert Hall, followed by one at the National University of Singapore a week later. Following which, she also performed in a concert with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in early 1987 [50][51].

Lim and Wang had a close relationship. Lim referred to Wang as por por, wrote to her frequently, and praised her greatly. Wang accompanied Lim in her first few performances in Singapore as a young child. Wang was also close to Lim's family as Lim's father, Lim Zhen Zhong, was also a former student of Wang [24] and contemporary of Chua Kah Pin, another of Wang's students [48].

In a newspaper interview, Wang described Lim as an innocent, obedient child, with good memory and concentration abilities. She expressed her hope for Lim to continue remaining in a state of innocence, believing that students of the Arts should not harbour desires for personal or material gain. So as to impart this lesson upon the young Lim, Wang would constantly relate to her a real-life incident she had come across, in which a popular Taiwanese singer had gotten beaten up by his managers when he was not able to earn as much money as was required of him [51].

At age 4, Lim Jing Jing became Lucien Wang's student [25]

Lucien Wang accompanies Lim Jing Jing at her recital in NUS (1985) [26]

Ong Lip Tat (???)

The youngest son in the family, Ong Lip Tat was a precocious child who even at a young age expressed a strong interest in following his elder sister to her piano lessons. Listening in on his sister's lessons, he soon developed the desire to learn to play the piano himself. His parents arranged for his sister's teacher, Lucien Wang, to teach him for a few minutes each time, yet Ong would never appear to be satisfied. At six years of age, he commenced his own lessons under Wang, making quick progress and giving his first concert at age 7 [27][44]. At the age of 13, he was awarded the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, London on the strength of his performing diploma. However, he had to defer his departure to the Royal Academy of Music(RAM) until he was 15 because he was considered too young to take up the scholarship then [28]. After completing his studies at the RAM, Ong received a German Academic Exchange Service(DAAD) scholarship awarded by the German government in 1975. With this scholarship, and assistance from the Lee Foundation [28], Ong furthered his studies in piano at the Hochschule in Hamburg, Germany [29]. He won numerous awards during his stay overseas [27], gave recitals in various countries, and performed with many orchestras, including the Hamburg State Orchestra, Luneburg Opera Orchestra, Kleeken Chamber Orchestra, Shanghai and Taipei Orchestras [28].

Ong remained close to Lucien Wang throughout his life. In 1976, he had a concert at the National Museum in Singapore, and sent a personal invitation to Lucien Wang [30]. He moved back to Singapore permanently in 1979 to look after his parents [29], and performed regularly at the Nanyang Technological University(NTU) with the support of Dr. Cham Tao Soon, former NTU president [29]. It was then that he felt it his calling to nurture outstanding local pianists in Singapore [28], as his teacher Wang did in her day. When one of his students, Chong Ten Wee, gave a farewell performance before leaving to further her studies in London, Ong wrote the following on her concert programme [31]:

Just before I left for further studies, at the age of sixteen, I gave a farewell performance and in the programme foreword my beloved teacher Madam Lucien Wang made three important points which created a lasting impression in my mind. These maxims served as a source of tremendous comfort and inspiration during difficult times which sometimes caused despair and depression... 1) It is a great joy to succeed but it is a greater joy to share one's knowledge and experience. This applies not only to sharing one's joy at a musical performance but more importantly one should rejoice at passing on one's knowledge and skill to the new generation... 2) We must be single-minded in our pursuit of excellence... Sooner or later our mind may be bugged by problems of human relation, love, fame, finances[,] and such problems so very often cause people with talents and great potentials to give up their high ideals. How true is Madam Wang's teaching: no matter how difficult life is we must persist in our love for the art, and while we practice on the piano we should cast aside all our problems. This is of utmost importance as success can never come without concentration. 3) We should be our own competitor! This valuable saying from my teacher saved me from troubles many times... In this way we shall never be defeated and shall always be happy. 

Lucien Wang kept this photo of a young Ong Lip Tat on the piano [32]

Ong Lip Tat and Lucien Wang after one of his performances [33]

Lucien Wang had a close relationship with Ong Lip Tat even into her old age [34]

While Ong’s was still a child, he had 2 very close rivals who competed with him [58]. They were Seow Yit Kin and Melvyn Tan [58]. Together, the three boys were called the 3Bs by Mrs Wang others in the music field [58]. The 3Bs were just an allusion to Bach, Brahms and Beethoven. 3Bs in their case stood for the three boys [58]. Mrs Wang always told Ong that as a musician, he should always compete with himself [58].

According to Ong, Mrs Wang had a method of exposing her students to other piano pedagogue to further their studies [58]. She regularly had experts coming to visit her from all over the world [58]. They would dine at the New Shanghai Restaurant below her apartment and her students (Ong) would have to play the piano to entertain the guest [58].

Seow Yit Kin

Having started learning the piano at a tender age of 5, Seow later won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, London, where he received numerous prizes [35]. He won the Greater London Arts Association's “Young Musician of the Year”, Piano Manufacturer’s prize for “Most Promising Pianist of 1974”, and was the winner of the BBC Piano Competition although he was the youngest contestant at age 19 [36]. In 1975, he received the Leverhulme Scholarship to enable him to study in Paris, and was also awarded a grant from the English Speaking Union to attend the Berkshire Music Centre in the US in 1976 [35]. Seow received the Special Rubinstein prize at the 1977 Rubinstein Competition; Rubinstein said that his rendition of Brahm’s Paganini Variations was the most wonderful he had heard. He continued on to make records in England, America, and Japan[36] and was well-appraised by many professionals in the music arena [37]. At age 20, Seow received the honour to perform in one of the world’s most prestigious festivals, the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts [36]. However, despite his artistic successes, he seems to have remained a simple and unaffected person [35].

Toh Chee Hung (???)

Born in  Singapore in 1948 [46], Toh began her piano lessons at the age of 5 [38]; however, it was not until she was 13 that Lucien Wang became her instructor [39]. Under Wang's tutelage, Toh passed the Grade 8 theory examination administered by the Royal Schools of Music in 1961, and two years later at the age of sixteen, was awarded the Licentiate diploma (performing) of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM) [39][40][46]. Giving up her pre-university studies at Raffles Institution, she left Singapore in 1965 to study music in the Royal Academy of Music, London, where she would receive numerous awards [46]. Before Toh's departure, Wang organised a solo recital for her at the Victoria theatre [46], and in the foreword written for the programme booklet described Toh as a multi-talented individual who not only had a natural gift and keen interest in music, but also possessed the intellectual curiosity of a girl scout, wishing her well in her future endeavours [45].

In 1967, she gave her first broadcast over the British Broadcasting Corporation Network, followed by three others later in the year [39]. She did her postgraduate studies on scholarship in Milan [41][47], performed in several countries and worked with renowned professional musicians [42]; among her destinations were London, USA, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Belgium and the Middle East [43][47]. She has also appeared in television and radio programmes for Singapore, Hong Kong, Swiss and English broadcasting companies [47]. She was a professor of piano and solfege at the Conservatoire Cantonale de Musique in Sion and at the Ecole Willems, Switzerland [43].

Other Students

Lucien Wang taught many students, some of whom have high achievements in many different careers such as doctors, teachers, engineers and etc. Although they did not continue to develop in the music field, Wang’s rigorous and dedicated education makes music a life-long hobby for all of her students[57]. 

Throughout decades of instruction, Lucien Wang has produced a great number of students - while some became professionals in the music field, others went on to have their own careers. Below is a non-exhaustive list of some of her prominent students, apart from those already mentioned:

• Aisha Ghows - Became a music teacher, migrated to England
• Chang, Mary (???)
• Cheong Kun Khai (???)
• Chou Heng Pin (???)
• Gao Yan Si (???)
• Goh Peck San
• Guo Zhi Zhen 
• Ha Siew Ying (???) - Became a music teacher 
• He Jing Shu
• Lau Wai Cheung (???) - Became a music teacher 
• Lau Wai Har (???) - Became a vice-principal of the National Institute of Education (then Teachers' Training College)
• Lau Wai Ping (???) - Became a doctor
• Lau Yun Leng (???) - Became the principal of Raffles Girls' School (Primary)
• Lee, Irene (???)
• Lee, Lillian (???)
• Lee Pauline (???) - Migrated to America 
• Lee Wai Kit (???) - Became a doctor
• Li Yi Wen (???)
• Lie Oon Na
• Lim Chong Keat
• Lim Soon Nooi
• Lim Zhen Zhong (???) - Lim Jing Jing's father
• Ma Shun Chuen (???)
• Ng Koh Cheow
• Ning Shun Qun (???), Jennifer - Began taking lessons from Wang at age 8 and furthered her studies at the Royal College of Music, London [14]
• Patricia Minjoot - Became a teacher
• Peter Lee
• Roberta Ho
• Teo Cheng Kim, Winnie
• Teo Kian Seng
• Wang Chong Wah (???)
• Wong Shi Chieh
• Wu Li Zhu (???)
• Yeo Bee Choo
• Yeo Yat-soon
• Zheng Nian Zu (???)
• Zhou Nan Xing (???)
• Zhou Xing Ping/Chou Heng-Pin (???)

Lucien Wang's Resilience in her Pedagogy

Nevertheless, while Lucien Wang had an illustrious pedagogical career, it is important to recognize how the process was not a struggle-free one. While we know how hard work and great teaching paid off, Lucien Wang often had to deal with hard issues in a resilient, often strict manner. Students' laxity and non-committal attitudes were held very seriously by her, and she once remarked that she would not give beyond the "three bowls of rice" a student was asking for if the latter were not serious in learning [54]. Her strictness was not neutered by her amiability, as she would expel students if their attitudes were not found up to mark [55]. Also, Lucien Wang had to ensure fairness and equality in teaching her students, regardless of ability. 

Other Lessons that Lucien Wang taught

When talking about her private legacy being her students, it’s often easy to focus only on the piano skills that she has passed on to her students. While important, the things that her students most remember her fondly for are the life lessons that often went along with the piano lessons.

?ne student Benjamin Log, mentioned 'But she was more than a music teacher. She would say things like, 'Be content with what you have'. She related music to life - that's what made her lessons so inspiring.'

Mr Yeoh Cheng Kung, in his 60s, executive director of Copthorne King's Hotel, was another one of them. He took piano lessons from her in the 1970s.

'She was a philosophical person, extremely kind and knowledgeable,' he said. 'She taught me a lot about living with other people. She had a long and fulfilling life.'

From all this, and many more, we can really see that she invested a lot of time in building up her students and preparing them for entering the real worl.

In addition to the life skills, another thing that can be counted towards her legacy are the students of her own students. One of them, Ong Lip Tat frequently holds concerts for his students in the same vein of Lucien Wang. 

Sources

1. Programme booklet: A Piano Recital by Miss Toh Chee Hung, 4 June 1965: B171
2. Programme booklet: A Piano Recital by Miss Mary Chang and Miss Chou Heng Pin, 31 May 1966: B180
3. Programme booklet: A Christmas Piano Recital, 7 December 1975: B165
4. Programme booklet: A Vocal and Piano Recital by Miss Tan Joo Eng and Mr. Ong Lip Tat, 2 May 1976: B183
5. Programme booklet: Piano Recitals by the Pupils of Mrs. Lucien Wang, 18 December 1951: B162
6. Letter: Unknown sender to Lucien Wang, Unknown date: E.3015
7. Programme booklet: Popular Classics Presented by Pupils of Mrs. Lucien Wang, 16 March 1946: B161
8. Programme booklet: The Singapore Music Teachers' Association Students' Workshop, 22 May 1967: B146
9. Citation needed
10. Citation needed
11. Letter: Lim Jing Jing to Lucien Wang, Unknown date: E 3.064
12. Letter: Ong Lip Tat to Lucien Wang, Unknown date: E 3.106
13. Photo courtesy of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Archives
14. Programme booklet: B172
15. Programme booklet: The Seven Musicians, (no date): B177
16. Programme booklet: Piano Recitals by the Pupils of Mrs. Lucien Wang: B162
17. Programme booklet: B190
18. Programme booklet: B144
19. Programme booklet: B153
20. Photos courtesy of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Archives
21. Programme booklet: B178
22. Programme booklet: B191
23. Programme booklet: B178
24. Citation needed
25. Photo courtesy of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Archives
26. Photo courtesy of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Archives
27. Programme booklet: B175
28. Programme booklet: Piano Recital by Ong Lip Tat, 23 September 1992: B174
29. Newspaper article: "I need to perform," Straits Times 22 September 1992, page unknown
30. Programme booklet: B176
31. Programme booklet: Chong Ten Wee Piano Recital, 31 March 1989: B154
32. Photo courtesy of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Archives
33. Photo courtesy of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Archives
34. Photo courtesy of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Archives
35. Programme booklet: Victor Doggett Presents Yitkin Seow, 24 April 1978: B145
36. Programme booklet: Piano Recital by Seow Yit Kin, 4 January 1984: B150
37. Programme booklet: Victor Doggett Presents a 12-year-old Pianist Master Seow Yit Kin, 26 July 1967: B158
38. Programme booklet: B182
39. Programme booklet: B173
40. Programme booklet: B171
41. Programme booklet: B181
42. Programme booklet: B187
43. Programme booklet: Chee Hung Toh Pianist, No date: B167
44. Newspaper article: Chinese article on Ong Lip Tat: C168
45. Programme booklet: B171
46. Programme booklet: B173
47. Newspaper article: Ma, Xiao. "SSO Yan Zhou Hui Ren Wu." Xing Zhou Ri Bao 12 July 1980: C080
48. Programme booklet: B149
49. Programme booklet: B160
50. Newspaper article: Chong, Wing Hong. "A young pianist scales the heights." Bilingual 18 August 1986.
51. Newspaper article: Zheng, Li Ming. "Zhong yi tan chu yi ge chun tian lai." Lianhe Xuesheng 15 August 1986
52. The Straits Times: E1-103 "Her Day's Good Deed." Monday 20 June 1949
53. The Sunday Tribune: E1-103 "School Girl is Now Radio Star." 12 June 1949
54. Newspaper article: "Evening of song to remember," Straits Times 28 December 1982: English E1.020.
55. Nanyang Arts 2007: Issue 2
56.  Chia, Adeline. “Memorial set up for Aunty Wong”. The Straits Times 8 June 2007. Web. 15 Apr. 2012.
57. Newspaper article: "?????,???--?????????," Nan Yang Arts, 2001, Issue 6: Chinese.
58. 58. Interview: Ong Lip Tat, 6 April 2012