“Through my teachers, God has been my mentor and guide”: Cultural Medallion recipient Vivien Goh

Violinist-conductor-teacher Vivien Goh was six when her father Goh Soon Tioe first gave her a violin.

Vivien’s father, who was born in Indonesia, was a pioneering violinist, teacher, conductor and impresario who played a key role in the development of classical music in post-war Singapore.

Goh Soon Tioe’s (standing, left) students included Lee Pan Hon (seated, right), who was spotted at age five on the streets of Chinatown, in a singlet, playing a homemade violin. Pan Hon went on to become the first Asian joint leader of the famous Halle Orchestra based in Manchester, England.

“My father gave me a violin, but he didn’t give me regular lessons except before dinner,” recalled Vivien, the 1983 recipient of Singapore’s highest arts accolade, the Cultural Medallion.

Discouraged, Vivien put the violin under her bed. But at age eight, Vivien started playing the violin in her father’s junior orchestra that comprised his students her age.

Vivien had only just started taking piano lessons the year before.

Vivien’s father only started giving her formal violin lessons when she was 11. But he sent her at the age of 7 for piano classes under Pearl Williams who attended the Tamil Methodist Church. “I loved my piano teacher. She gave me a good foundation in music,” says Vivien.

Vivien, now 77, mused: “Somehow I could play, even though I didn’t take violin lessons, and I didn’t practise much. When I came to learn the pieces, I found that I already knew them because I had already heard them when my father taught students in the next room.”

Could she have learnt to play by osmosis?

“Yes, so music was by osmosis, and Christian values were also by osmosis,” she said with a chuckle.

Vivien, who was inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in March 2025, shared about some of the many teachers who shaped her life of teaching.

Blossoming at MGS

Vivien’s first Christian role model was her mum, Chang Lee Sieng, who came from Sarawak.

“She was a devout Christian, thanks to the influence of missionaries in Sarawak.”

(From left) Sylvia, Patricia and Vivien, with their parents in 1955. Vivien’s mother taught English at Nan Chiau Girls’ High School.

Vivien’s mother had a close relationship with a Mrs Mary Hoover (wife of James Matthew Hoover from America, the first officially appointed Methodist missionary to Sarawak.)

“Mrs Hoover noticed that Mum was quite bright. She made it possible for her to come to Singapore to further her studies at Methodist Girls’ School (MGS).

“Mum’s father was patriarchal at that time – only the boys could have tertiary education,” explains Vivien. “But all 20 of his children were eventually able to pursue higher education on their own steam.”

Vivien started studying at her mother’s alma mater in 1955. She recalled her mum driving her to MGS in an old Morris Minor.

“I loved going to school and was an eager student,” says Vivien, who blossomed academically and spiritually in the nurturing Christian environment.

Vivien, who was no stranger to the stage, having performed in her father’s string orchestra, had a number of musical firsts at MGS.

In Primary Six, Vivien (pictured) gave her first solo violin performance at a school concert, accompanied by a classmate on the piano.

She joined the school choir – “a big thing in MGS” – at a time when CCA (co-curricular activity) choices were few.

“The music teacher, Miss Kwa Geok Lian, gave me my first experience at conducting: It was a percussion band!” recalled Vivien. Miss Kwa subsequently became the principal of Anglo-Chinese School (Junior). 

“Miss Kwa was a wonderful pianist. Before singing class, she would play certain music to indicate if we should sit or stand. The sit-down music was ‘going down the stairs’ to the bottom of the piano, and the stand-up music was very brisk chords going up the piano. So cute!”

Vivien (fourth from right), was Head Prefect in Secondary Four. She had her first taste of leadership in her first year at MGS. “I was selected to be class monitor in Primary One because I was tall,” she quips.

Vivien was the Ellice Handy Medallist for the class of 1964 when she topped the Senior Cambridge School Certificate Examination.

“I enjoyed studying. It wasn’t a struggle for me, except for the science subjects! I still enjoy studying,” she said.

Teachers in the Word

Vivien also enjoyed studying God’s Word, which she did under great teachers.

When she was 14, Vivien put up her hand, along with her friends, during an altar call to accept Jesus as her Lord and Saviour. It was during Religious Emphasis Week at MGS, and Rev Dr Gunnar J Teilmann, then the pastor in charge at Wesley Methodist Church, had come to speak.

His wife, Mrs Teilmann, came specially to MGS to nurture the girls spiritually through Bible studies.

These recess time lessons, held once a week, were also run by “godly teachers” like Miss Wong Hee Hua, who taught Vivien mathematics and history – Vivien’s favourite subject. Miss Wong was also her beloved conductor of the school choir.

“Miss Wong was so patient, a sweet person. I remember a lot of the things she taught me; when you like a teacher, you remember more,” says Vivien.

Obituary of Miss Wong Hee Hua.

At Wesley Methodist Church, Vivien’s Sunday School teacher in her secondary school years, Dr Aw Swee Eng, also made an impact on her. 

“Dr Aw (dubbed the father of Nuclear Medicine in Singapore) was a scientist and researched things he was passionate about. He was so knowledgeable and presented lessons from the Bible so clearly,” says Vivien.

“My mind became more open to knowing about God.”

After MGS, Vivien went to the US to attend the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, on a full scholarship.

Influenced by her choir conductor

Vivien joined Sunday School at Wesley Methodist Church when she was in Primary One. She started serving musically by singing with the girls’ choir formed by Roberta Ho.

At the age of 15, in 1963, Vivien started playing the organ at the 10am service. “In my younger days I was full of energy, and could play at the 7.30am, 10am and 5pm services – all in one day – if I was called upon to,” she says.

This year, Vivien celebrates her 62nd year of playing the organ at Wesley. At the time of writing, she is rostered to play twice a month at the evening service. Photo courtesy of Wesley Methodist Church.

She was “deeply influenced by the Christian life and musical leadership” of choir mistress Mrs Koh Geok Kheng, with whom she collaborated on numerous concerts.

(Mrs Koh was trained as a church musician in the Westminster Choir College in the US. “At Trinity Theological College where she was the music department head, she gave vocal training to all the pastors to lead singing. They include Wesley’s Rev Dr Isaac Lim and Rev Dr Tony Chi, and Bishop Ho Chee Sin.)

Vivien (second row, extreme left) with the Evening Choir, circa 1979. Over the decades, Vivien has served in some form of music ministry – as pianist, organist, choir conductor – across the three Sunday services in the Sanctuary.

“She had a deep faith and was a great role model as a church musician,” shares Vivien.

Keeping to her calling through the storms

In 1971, Vivien became the string coach of the Singapore Youth Orchestra (SYO) – her father was the orchestra’s conductor.

In February 1980, Vivien, then 32, took on the national role as musical director and conductor of SYO. That very same month, her beloved mother passed away suddenly. Caring for her father who had dementia fell to Vivien, adding to numerous other responsibilities that included teaching private students at the studio he had started. 

Under her leadership, the SYO became one of the seven qualifying orchestras in the world to perform at the prestigious International Festival of Youth Orchestras and the Performing Arts held in Rome in 1982. That same year, her father was called home to the Lord.

Vivien made such an impact on young musicians and the national orchestra that in 1983, she was awarded the Cultural Medallion for her contribution to music. That year, her sister passed away suddenly.

Though each of her greatest triumphs were tempered with tragedy, Vivien kept working “by God’s grace”.

Vivien (pictured with the Singapore Youth Orchestra) kept working “by God’s grace” in the 1980s, as “wave upon wave of loss” came upon the family.

In 1989, The Straits Times dubbed Vivien “the woman who made the Singapore Youth Orchestra what it is today”.

“I’ve been seeing the fruits of my labour for many years – in going to Singapore Symphony Orchestra concerts where the ex-SYO members play, and in seeing so many students having successful students and ensembles of their own. It’s very rewarding indeed!” said Vivien, who has been nurturing young Singapore musicians in various capacities since returning from New York in 1969.

“Music and education transformed my life,” said Vivien who is leaving a legacy for music students through the newly-launched NUS Gift Annuity programme. “Continuing to support music students long after I’m gone feels like a natural extension of my values.” Screenshot from NUS Giving.

“Looking back on my life, I can see that God has been my mentor and guide through the role models of my parents, my teachers and my choir conductors.

“Through His gift of music, He paved the way for me to leave a legacy for future musicians in Singapore.” 

Additional reporting by Gemma Koh

Parts of this story have been adapted with permission from Our Stories, His Glory 2 by Wesley Methodist Church; read the full story here.

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