Profile of Yap Ling

Yap Ling is a versatile musician who performs, teaches, conducts and arranges music.  Upgrading and performances has taken him to many countries including USA, Australia, New Zealand, Asian and European countries. 

In 1990, he participated in the 1st World Youth Music Camp in KL and the 1st Pacific Music Festival in Japan (under the baton of Maestro Leonard Bernstein). He represented Malaysia as a violin tutor in the 1991 ASEAN Youth Music Workshop in Jakarta, Indonesia. He was a string tutor at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) where he conducted their orchestras. He was the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for the 1st and the 2nd Sarawak Music Camp in Kuching and Sibu respectively for 1999 and 2001. In June 2009, he organized the 1st Sabah State Music Camp at University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) where he was also the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor.

Yap Ling is the conductor and co-founder of Jesselton Philharmonic Orchestra (JPO), which is featured at the annual Music Fest at the Tip of Borneo. He is also the conductor for Kian Kok Youth Orchestra (KKYO), the Tshung Tsin String Orchestra and Guest Conductor for the Miri Orchestra and Choir (MOC). As a chamber musician, his Duos partnership with Singaporean violinist Foo Say Ming has him performing on the viola too. Yap Ling is also the violinist for the MP3rio (Piano Trio), the Jesselton Trio (Oboe-Violin-Piano), Re:mix (Singaporean String Ensemble), the Malaysian Ars Nova Ensemble (String Quintet with Piano), the L’espressivo Trio (Vocal-Violin-Piano) and the Fuegokoori Trio (Violin-Cello-Guitar) which has performed regularly in various parts of Malaysia and abroad.

In 1997 he was conferred an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) in recognition for his contribution towards developing the music standard and promoting music in this part of the world.

Besides giving regular recitals with his wife Grace Lee, Yap Ling has also appeared as soloist with the Monash Sinfonia in Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, the Penang Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra (Malaysia). Apart from classical music, he was invited to perform with Jackfruit (Jazz Band) at the 10th Nanjing International Jazz & World Music Festival, China in 2011.

He has conducted Violin Masterclasses for ABRSM in Malaysia and regularly gives violin masterclasses and orchestra workshops throughout the country. Presently he is the assistant conductor and violin tutor for the Permata Seni Muzik (PSM) program initiated by Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor for musically gifted children below the age of 14 and conducted them for the 12th Asia-Pacific Conference on Giftedness in Dubai, UAE in 2012.

Yap Ling is also one of the soloist for "Evening with Bach" Concert on the 19 July, Saturday at 7.30pm at the Sabah Art Gallery.