Ms Syafiqah ’Adha Sallehin wins National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award
Ms Syafiqah ’Adha Sallehin, a faculty member and alumna of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YST), received the Young Artist Award from the National Arts Council (NAC) for her achievements in music and contributions to growing and shaping Singapore’s arts scene. The 2025 edition of the award spotlighted five artists aged 35 years and below who have shown promise of artistic excellence and leadership in the fields of literary arts, performing arts, visual arts and film.
Ms Syafiqah was recognised for her advocacy of Malay traditional music, introducing it to new audiences through her compositions that blend it with Western and contemporary practices, and her co-founding of the Open Score Project, a cross-cultural ensemble that celebrates Singapore’s rich cultural diversity through the composition and performance of music fusing traditional ethnic instruments from different cultures.
Her compositions reflect a distinctive voice shaped by a dual grounding in Western classical training and traditional Malay music practice, exploring diverse themes and encouraging intra- and intercultural dialogue, NAC said.
NAC also highlighted her work in music education and developing notation for traditional Malay music to preserve heritage and deepen understanding of Malay music, noting that her efforts enable the arts to flourish by developing emerging areas and inspiring the next generation of artists.
At YST, Ms Syafiqah coordinates the World Music Ensemble, a course that introduces students to traditional music from different cultures, and teaches the Malay kompang as part of this course. In addition, she instructs the Malay Fusion Ensemble at School of the Arts and conducts angklung music in schools.
Sharing that she is deeply honoured to receive the award, Ms Syafiqah said: “Learning and engaging with the traditional arts of a culture different from one’s own can help to broaden one’s humanity and perspective of the world.”
“With this honour, I hope to make a greater impact in Singapore's arts landscape by creating more significant musical works, strengthening the ecosystem of traditional Malay music through formalised education, and contributing to the creation and research of intercultural music that is both genuine and cohesive.”
