The Development Of Guzheng Performing Art In Singapore

Guzheng played the role of accompaniment in folk music during the40s and only begun to flourish in the late80s when the government started to place emphasis on the development of Arts. Music ensembles such as Yangqin, Guzheng, Erhu, Dizi etc. ensembles were introduced to schools as a extracurricular activity in the early days to promote the arts and Guzheng ensembles were so popular amongst students that it still exist to date despite the gradual elimination of the other ensembles. There were an increasing number of schools with Guzheng Ensemble in the2000s and there are105Guzheng Ensembles in schools till date, with an approximate number of at least5000students learning the Guzheng. The Singapore Youth Festival plays a heavy role in promoting Guzheng music as it provides an opportunity for the various Guzheng Ensembles to demonstrate their music to a panel of professional judges and a platform for learning between the other Guzheng Ensembles. There are many new works for the Guzheng Ensemble as a result of this event. A data study on the impact of the Singapore Youth Festival on Guzheng learning is carried out to examine the pros and cons of it.This paper looks into the history, development and current state of Guzheng music in Singapore, the four main developmental factors are professional training in academy, basic mass education in schools, identify talented youths and learning opportunity for the people. The author concludes the paper with suggestions for further improvements with regards to the prospect of Guzheng playing in Singapore.