Liang Wern Fook

6

CULTURAL MEDALLION

ARTS AWARDS 2010

► ◄• .. ..,

MUSIC

:

,,. ,,. ""• ....... ,,....►,,..,. ►

►

,,. �

"-

Liang Wern Fook "'

A pioneer of the xinyao music movement of the 1980s and 1990s, Liang Wern Fook has released five solo albums ranging thematically from sentimental expression to social commentary. He has published over 200 original songs to date - many of which have been sung by local and overseas pop singers such as Stefanie Sun, Kit Chan, Jacky Cheung and Andy Lau. Many of Wern Fook's compositions have become evergreen classics - most notably �¥f.:.ilit (Always Friends), which has often been performed at national events such as Sing Singapore and the National Day Parade, and (Negotiations and Love) which was made popular by Taiwanese singer Wen Zhang in Singapore, Taiwan and China. --ffe--ffe;ij(:. (One Step at a Time) reigned at the top of the charts for six weeks in 1987, while :7!;.Z� (Love's Refuge) stayed on the charts for a record total of29 weeks in 1986.

+t1.lf

A PhD graduate in Chinese Studies from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Wern Fook was among the first Young Artist Award recipients in 1992. In 1994, he was presented the Highest Honour Award at the Singapore Hit Awards for his contributions to xinyao and the Chinese music industry.

Singapore's late dramatist Kuo Pao Kun once commented that Wern Fook's work "bridges literature and music in Singapore's art scene". In 2003, Wern Fook was voted in a public poll administered

by COMPASS (Composers and Authors Society of Singapore) as the person "most representative of the xinyao spirit". The same poll placed seven of his songs among the 10 greatest xinyao songs.

In March 2010, he received the Outstanding Achievement Award (Music) at the Singapore Entertainment Awards.

In August, Toy Factory restaged December Rains, a Mandarin musical which he wrote in 1996. This followed the successful 2007 and 2009 sold-out runs of If There're Seasons, another Mandarin musical featuring his songs.

Aside frqm his illustrious musical career, he has also been involved in cultural and educational projects. Among these include a book chronicling the history of xinyao, which he spent two years researching and compiling. In 2000, he initiated an undergraduate course at NTU, where he guides his students in understanding the different thematic genres, narrative forms, expressive styles and creative methods of lyric writing, as well as the social and cultural contexts of song lyrics.

7

6

CULTURAL MEDALLION

ARTS AWARDS 2010

► ◄• .. ..,

MUSIC

:

,,. ,,. ""• ....... ,,....►,,..,. ►

►

,,. �

"-

Liang Wern Fook "'

A pioneer of the xinyao music movement of the 1980s and 1990s, Liang Wern Fook has released five solo albums ranging thematically from sentimental expression to social commentary. He has published over 200 original songs to date - many of which have been sung by local and overseas pop singers such as Stefanie Sun, Kit Chan, Jacky Cheung and Andy Lau. Many of Wern Fook's compositions have become evergreen classics - most notably �¥f.:.ilit (Always Friends), which has often been performed at national events such as Sing Singapore and the National Day Parade, and (Negotiations and Love) which was made popular by Taiwanese singer Wen Zhang in Singapore, Taiwan and China. --ffe--ffe;ij(:. (One Step at a Time) reigned at the top of the charts for six weeks in 1987, while :7!;.Z� (Love's Refuge) stayed on the charts for a record total of29 weeks in 1986.

+t1.lf

A PhD graduate in Chinese Studies from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Wern Fook was among the first Young Artist Award recipients in 1992. In 1994, he was presented the Highest Honour Award at the Singapore Hit Awards for his contributions to xinyao and the Chinese music industry.

Singapore's late dramatist Kuo Pao Kun once commented that Wern Fook's work "bridges literature and music in Singapore's art scene". In 2003, Wern Fook was voted in a public poll administered

by COMPASS (Composers and Authors Society of Singapore) as the person "most representative of the xinyao spirit". The same poll placed seven of his songs among the 10 greatest xinyao songs.

In March 2010, he received the Outstanding Achievement Award (Music) at the Singapore Entertainment Awards.

In August, Toy Factory restaged December Rains, a Mandarin musical which he wrote in 1996. This followed the successful 2007 and 2009 sold-out runs of If There're Seasons, another Mandarin musical featuring his songs.

Aside frqm his illustrious musical career, he has also been involved in cultural and educational projects. Among these include a book chronicling the history of xinyao, which he spent two years researching and compiling. In 2000, he initiated an undergraduate course at NTU, where he guides his students in understanding the different thematic genres, narrative forms, expressive styles and creative methods of lyric writing, as well as the social and cultural contexts of song lyrics.

7