Dr. Ang Mei Foong (Cav.) | Soprano
Mei Foong’s voice was described as mellow, dulcet and soothing to the listeners. A multiple awards and scholarships winner, she was trained at the National Taiwan Normal University under Prof. Ren Rong, Conservatorio di Musica Santa Cecilia under Maestro Rebecca Berg, and the University of Melbourne under Merlyn Quaife. She now holds a PhD from University Putra Malaysia.
An award winning soprano, she was a recipient of numerous academic scholarships during her study notably the "Melbourne International Fee Remission Scholarships" (MIFRS) and "Melbourne International Research Scholarships" (MIRS) when she pursued her studies in the University of Melbourne. Other notable awards include the first prize winner of NTNU Vocal Concerto Competition of year 2002; 2nd prize winner of the Taiwan Rotary Club Artists' Awards of year 2002; the 8th prize winner, as well as a young artist award of "Mondial Chinese Vocalists Concours 2003"; and "Silver Medal Winner Award- Outstanding Achievement" in the Global Music Award, Oct 2014; In 2018, she was bestowed with “Ordine della Stella D'Italia, l'onorificenza Cavaliere” (The Order of Star of Italy, with the conferment of Knighthood), a prestigious recognition by the Italian government of her outstanding contribution to programming and performing vocal arts in the regions; followed with the Golden Medal Award from the Berliner International Music Competition in Sep 2018; the Best Solo Performance (Vocal) award in the 16th Boh Cameron Arts Awards 2019, one of the most prestigious performing arts awards in Malaysia; and most recently she received the National Academics Awards (category of Performing Arts) by Ministry of Education Malaysia in which the award was presented by the Prime Minister Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir, on 29 Oct 2019.
As an active recitalist, Mei Foong has given several well received solo recitals in Kuala Lumpur, Taiwan, Macau, Rome and Melbourne, where she performed Robert Schumann’s Frauenliebe und Leben, Gabriel Faure’s La Bonne Chanson, Richard Strauss’s Vier letzte Lieder, Aldo Finzi’s Art Songs, Alban Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder, Joseph Canteloube’s Chants d’auvergne, and appeared as the soprano soloist in Handel's Ode for St. Cecilia's Day, Handel's Messiah, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. She is the founder and artistic director of The Song Weavers, the Malaysian first vocal ensemble that is dedicated to the performance and programming of Art Songs.
She has collaborated with a few major orchestras and ensembles in Malaysia, which include both the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), and the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (MPYO), Kamerata String Ensemble and the Virama Ensemble. She has worked with the conductors such as Lee Kok Leong, David Chin, Juan Montoya, Kevin Field, Ciarán McAuley, Fabio Mechetti, Sergio La Stella, Guillaume Tourniaire and Naohisa Furusawa.
In 2013, Mei Foong made her Malaysia opera debut playing the title role in Bizet's opera Carmen with the EST opera company (now known as KL City Opera, KLCO), which had been received warmly at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her other theatrical performances included “the mother” in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors with KLCO in 2014, and both the roles “Carmen” and “Mercedes” in Bizet’s Carmen with MPO in 2015; In 2016, she performed with KLCO as Mimì in Puccini’s La bohème with KLCO in Aug 2016; The First Lady in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte with MPO in Jan 2017, and the Contessa in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with KLCO in Oct 2017; and most recently Violetta Valéry in Verdi's La Traviata with KLCO 2019.
Mei Foong's love to contemporary music always led her to work closely with the contemporary composers. She actively involved in the Malaysian contemporary music industry and had given world première to the vocal works by the Malaysian composers along with many internationally acclaimed musicians and orchestra, including MPO and the Society of Malaysian Contemporary Composers (SMCC). She has had vocal works composed specifically for her and dedicated to her.
While enjoying her busy performance career, she is also an active researcher in the field of voice rehabilitation, specifically for patients with chronic diseases. Her present research work looks into the effects of singing on people with Parkinson’s Disease. She was also a columnist in the local Chinese press, Sin Chew Daily.
Reviews:
“Encore by The Canticle Singer, 2015” - “The Violetta Mei Foong portrayed was excellent. Her voice was beautiful and powerful, she has brought Violetta to life, and had transported the audiences into the emotional axis of the opera.” ~ Richard Chua, Sin Chew Daily. (originally written in Chinese)
Mei Foong's upcoming major performances and engagements are listed here.
女高音/洪美楓博士
美楓出生於馬來西亞吉隆坡，啟蒙於施昭群老師。後赴台灣升造，畢業於國立台灣師範大學音樂系，主修聲樂，師從任蓉教授，副修鋼琴，師從李娓娓教授。大學畢業後赴義大利升造，就讀於國立羅馬音樂院，隨 Rebecca Berg學習聲樂，另隨 Sergio Coniglio學習鋼琴。後獲取澳洲墨爾本大學頒發之獎學金，並跟隨聲樂家Merlyn Quaife 學習，最後考取墨爾本大學音樂表演碩士；后考取國立馬來西亞博特拉大學音乐博士。
美楓在大學期間曾獲師大音樂系聲樂協奏曲比賽冠軍。2003年，她在世界華人聲樂大賽中從逾百名參賽者中脫穎而出，獲得第八名並獲頒新秀獎。2014年10月，美楓獲頒“全球音樂大獎”之銀獎-卓越成就獎。2018年初，美楓獲得意大利政府總統頒贈的騎士勳章，作為表揚她對聲樂藝術的成就與貢獻；同年9月，美楓獲得了柏林國際音樂大賽聲樂組金獎，評審委員會一致認同，美楓的音樂表現了精緻的音樂性、具有深度的音樂演繹並且具備了國際水平的聲樂技巧。2019年，美枫获得第16届马来西亚艺术大奖（Boh Cameronian Arts Awards）颁发年度最佳独唱者大奖。同年，美枫获得由首相马哈迪医生颁赠的马来西亚教育部高等教育局颁发最高学术奖（表演艺术组）。
美楓是活躍的音樂工作者，演唱足跡包括了馬來西亞吉隆坡丶檳城丶新山，台灣丶羅馬丶墨爾本丶香港以及澳門等地。她所演唱的曲目廣泛，室內樂作品則包括舒曼的《女人的愛情與生活》丶佛瑞的《美好的歌》丶理查·史特勞斯的《最後四首歌》、貝爾格的《最初的七首歌曲》等等；她也曾擔任韓德爾的Ode for St. Cecilia's Day 以及《彌賽亞》的女高音獨唱。除此之外，美楓也愛好演唱當代作曲家之作品，她曾在澳洲墨爾本首演近代意大利作曲家 Aldo Finzi之聲樂作品集，也曾受邀參與多場馬來西亞當代聲樂作品之世界首演音樂會，其中有一些作品是特別獻給她，為她而作。
美楓曾多次與吉隆坡城市歌劇公司 (KL City Opera, KLCO) 合作。從2013年開始，美楓參與KLCO製作的歌劇《卡門》，擔任女主角，備受矚目並獲得好評；2014年她再度受邀參演KLCO製作的梅諾弟的歌劇《阿瑪爾與夜訪者》，擔任女主角“母親” 一角；2015年初，她在馬來西亞愛樂交響樂團(MPO)制作的歌劇《卡門》中，在不同的演出場次中飾演“卡門”以及“梅爾塞迪”兩個角色；2016年美楓再次與KLCO合作，擔任普契尼的歌劇《波西米亞人》的女主角 “咪咪” 一角。2017年1月，她擔任 MPO製作的莫扎特歌劇《魔笛》的演出，擔任第一侍女；2017年，美楓担任KLCO製作的莫札特歌劇《費加洛的婚禮》中伯爵夫人一角。2019年6月，美枫担任KLCO制作的威尔第歌剧《茶花女》中的女主角维奥莉塔。
美楓曾經跟許多樂團與國際知名指揮家合作，其中包括李國良（馬來西亞），陳子虔（馬來西亞），Juan Montoya（哥倫比亞），Kevin Field (英國)，Ciarán McAuley（英國），Fabio Mechetti（巴西/美國），和Guillaume Tourniaire（法國/瑞士）、Sergio La Stella （義大利）、Naohisa Furusawa（马来西亚） 等。
美楓是現代馬來西亞最受矚目的女高音之一，常受邀擔任各大型音樂會獨唱領唱者和各大型歌劇女主角，也常受邀到各地大師班當指導。她目前擔任國立博特拉大學音樂系之專任講師，專門負責統籌大學的聲樂獨唱與合唱課程。除演出與教學之外, 美楓也積極從事聲音的研究工作，目前的研究方向為人聲的復健。她曾是《星洲日報》音樂專欄「聽彈琴」的作者，同時也是董總課程局藝術科目的委員之一。
樂評：
"Ang Mei Foong's voice is simply powerful, incredible and mind blowing. Everyone was mesmerized by her voice... She is a true inspiration."
Alice Lee Myles, "Amahl and the Night Visitors", 2014
"演唱茶花女的女高音洪美楓音質卓越，並強有力，她把主人翁要求自由之心境唱入觀眾心扉中。一首歌，美麗的獻唱，將觀眾帶入了歌劇《茶花女》的軸心意境。"
蔡兩俊，星洲日報<藝文周刊, 2015>.
"Ang Mei Foong, a Lirico soprano, delivered euphonious melodies with lovely poignant qualities which were mellow, dulcet and soothing to the listener. Her rendition of "Tacea la notte" from Verdi's "Il Trovatore" was well controlled and even though sung in Italian immediately conveyed the mood of the aria through her heartfelt interpretation."
Phillip Chai, 2016
"KLCO's production of La bohème tonight 27 August 2016 featuring Mei Foong Ang as Mimi was a showcase for Mei Foong's beautiful lyrico soprano voice. Her "Mi chiamano Mimi“ was dramatic and made and electrifying impact. Her voice was silky and had a beautiful timbre in most parts of the performance. Not only that, her performance established firmly that Mei Foong is not just a singer but an opera performer as well. Bravissimo for a superb performance!!"
Phillip Chai, “La bohème” 2016
美楓出生於馬來西亞吉隆坡，啟蒙於施昭群老師。後赴台灣升造，畢業於國立台灣師範大學音樂系，主修聲樂，師從任蓉教授，副修鋼琴，師從李娓娓教授。大學畢業後赴義大利升造，就讀於國立羅馬音樂院，隨 Rebecca Berg學習聲樂，另隨 Sergio Coniglio學習鋼琴。後獲取澳洲墨爾本大學頒發之獎學金，並跟隨聲樂家Merlyn Quaife 學習，最後考取墨爾本大學音樂表演碩士；后考取國立馬來西亞博特拉大學音乐博士。
美楓在大學期間曾獲師大音樂系聲樂協奏曲比賽冠軍。2003年，她在世界華人聲樂大賽中從逾百名參賽者中脫穎而出，獲得第八名並獲頒新秀獎。2014年10月，美楓獲頒“全球音樂大獎”之銀獎-卓越成就獎。2018年初，美楓獲得意大利政府總統頒贈的騎士勳章，作為表揚她對聲樂藝術的成就與貢獻；同年9月，美楓獲得了柏林國際音樂大賽聲樂組金獎，評審委員會一致認同，美楓的音樂表現了精緻的音樂性、具有深度的音樂演繹並且具備了國際水平的聲樂技巧。2019年，美枫获得第16届马来西亚艺术大奖（Boh Cameronian Arts Awards）颁发年度最佳独唱者大奖。同年，美枫获得由首相马哈迪医生颁赠的马来西亚教育部高等教育局颁发最高学术奖（表演艺术组）。
美楓是活躍的音樂工作者，演唱足跡包括了馬來西亞吉隆坡丶檳城丶新山，台灣丶羅馬丶墨爾本丶香港以及澳門等地。她所演唱的曲目廣泛，室內樂作品則包括舒曼的《女人的愛情與生活》丶佛瑞的《美好的歌》丶理查·史特勞斯的《最後四首歌》、貝爾格的《最初的七首歌曲》等等；她也曾擔任韓德爾的Ode for St. Cecilia's Day 以及《彌賽亞》的女高音獨唱。除此之外，美楓也愛好演唱當代作曲家之作品，她曾在澳洲墨爾本首演近代意大利作曲家 Aldo Finzi之聲樂作品集，也曾受邀參與多場馬來西亞當代聲樂作品之世界首演音樂會，其中有一些作品是特別獻給她，為她而作。
美楓曾多次與吉隆坡城市歌劇公司 (KL City Opera, KLCO) 合作。從2013年開始，美楓參與KLCO製作的歌劇《卡門》，擔任女主角，備受矚目並獲得好評；2014年她再度受邀參演KLCO製作的梅諾弟的歌劇《阿瑪爾與夜訪者》，擔任女主角“母親” 一角；2015年初，她在馬來西亞愛樂交響樂團(MPO)制作的歌劇《卡門》中，在不同的演出場次中飾演“卡門”以及“梅爾塞迪”兩個角色；2016年美楓再次與KLCO合作，擔任普契尼的歌劇《波西米亞人》的女主角 “咪咪” 一角。2017年1月，她擔任 MPO製作的莫扎特歌劇《魔笛》的演出，擔任第一侍女；2017年，美楓担任KLCO製作的莫札特歌劇《費加洛的婚禮》中伯爵夫人一角。2019年6月，美枫担任KLCO制作的威尔第歌剧《茶花女》中的女主角维奥莉塔。
美楓曾經跟許多樂團與國際知名指揮家合作，其中包括李國良（馬來西亞），陳子虔（馬來西亞），Juan Montoya（哥倫比亞），Kevin Field (英國)，Ciarán McAuley（英國），Fabio Mechetti（巴西/美國），和Guillaume Tourniaire（法國/瑞士）、Sergio La Stella （義大利）、Naohisa Furusawa（马来西亚） 等。
美楓是現代馬來西亞最受矚目的女高音之一，常受邀擔任各大型音樂會獨唱領唱者和各大型歌劇女主角，也常受邀到各地大師班當指導。她目前擔任國立博特拉大學音樂系之專任講師，專門負責統籌大學的聲樂獨唱與合唱課程。除演出與教學之外, 美楓也積極從事聲音的研究工作，目前的研究方向為人聲的復健。她曾是《星洲日報》音樂專欄「聽彈琴」的作者，同時也是董總課程局藝術科目的委員之一。
樂評：
"Ang Mei Foong's voice is simply powerful, incredible and mind blowing. Everyone was mesmerized by her voice... She is a true inspiration."
Alice Lee Myles, "Amahl and the Night Visitors", 2014
"演唱茶花女的女高音洪美楓音質卓越，並強有力，她把主人翁要求自由之心境唱入觀眾心扉中。一首歌，美麗的獻唱，將觀眾帶入了歌劇《茶花女》的軸心意境。"
蔡兩俊，星洲日報<藝文周刊, 2015>.
"Ang Mei Foong, a Lirico soprano, delivered euphonious melodies with lovely poignant qualities which were mellow, dulcet and soothing to the listener. Her rendition of "Tacea la notte" from Verdi's "Il Trovatore" was well controlled and even though sung in Italian immediately conveyed the mood of the aria through her heartfelt interpretation."
Phillip Chai, 2016
"KLCO's production of La bohème tonight 27 August 2016 featuring Mei Foong Ang as Mimi was a showcase for Mei Foong's beautiful lyrico soprano voice. Her "Mi chiamano Mimi“ was dramatic and made and electrifying impact. Her voice was silky and had a beautiful timbre in most parts of the performance. Not only that, her performance established firmly that Mei Foong is not just a singer but an opera performer as well. Bravissimo for a superb performance!!"
Phillip Chai, “La bohème” 2016
