Sylvia Khoo

Born in Penang, Sylvia Khoo, a much sought after violin teacher, who won her first National piano competition (Malaysia) when she was 15. She subsequently earned her Master of Music in performance and teaching with the internationally acclaimed Suzuki string pedagogue, Mr John Kendall, at the Southern Illinois University, under the Singapore PSC-SSO Scholarship.

Upon her return, she played with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra before embarking on a 40-year teaching career with the Ministry of Education, Singapore. After her stance as a Music Elective Programme (MEP) teacher in Raffles Junior College, Sylvia proceeded to pioneer MEP, covering a wide curriculum of music history, analysis and composition, practical and ensemble playing, ethnic music, etc, in Raffles Girls Secondary School. In addition, her passion in music teaching is evident through her many creative music learning initiatives: establishing a strings ensemble, including dance, handbells, and computer music (which was a breakthrough those days!) Into her music curriculum, raising the joy of music-making to a new level of vibrancy!

With 45 years of violin teaching and thousands of students passing through her hands, Sylvia maintained her passion in teaching and produced outstanding string players, many of whom served as concert masters/mistresses, and principal chair of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, winners of local and international music competition, high distinctions/scorers in the ABRSM final grade exams. Her advanced

students have been accepted into highly regarded conservatories like Peabody, Curtis, Juilliard, Eastman, Northwestern, Berklee, Manhattan and Mannes.

Her violin teaching experiences span internationally, serving as adjudicator for international and local competitions, and as teaching faculty in the Intermountain Suzuki String Institute in Utah. Locally, she is more than a violin teacher, she mentors her students from toddlers to adulthood, imparting the beauty of music while building character in them.