When Vivien Goh got her bachelor’s degree and a performer’s certificate in violin from the Eastman School of Music in the US in 1969, she could easily have opted to pursue a musical career abroad. But Vivien chose to come home because Singapore was then finding its musical feet and she wanted to be here to help develop future generations of musicians.

In 1980, Viven became the founding resident conductor and music director of the Singapore Youth Orchestra, which was under the purview of the Ministry of Education. The orchestra was formed at the request of Dr Goh Keng Swee, then the First Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore and also the Minister for Education, who wanted it to be a source of musical talent for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

In the 10 years that she was in charge of the Youth Orchestra, Vivien built a strong pipeline of local classical musical talent. She started a training programme that offered free music tuition for young musicians, laying the foundations for what is today known as the Singapore National Youth Orchestra. Regarded as one of the best youth orchestras in Asia, it has some 180 musicians aged 10 to 21 from more than 60 schools in Singapore.

In 1983, Vivien was awarded the Cultural Medallion for her contributions to classical music in Singapore.

Vivien was born in 1948, the second daughter of pioneering violinist, conductor, teacher, and impresario Goh Soon Tioe. He gave her a violin when she was six, but he was too busy to spend more than 15 minutes every now and then to teach her how to play the instrument. Nonetheless, she was able just two years later to perform with the Goh Soon Tioe Orchestra at the Singapore Badminton Hall.

When she was 12, realising he had neglected her musical education, her father started working with Vivien intensively. Three years later, when she was 15, she obtained the Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music. Vivien was one of the first Singaporeans to get the Licentiate in Violin Performance.
Vivien also excelled academically. She was the top Singapore student at the 1964 Senior Cambridge Examinations (or ‘O’ levels). She then won a full scholarship to Eastman School of Music and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music and a Performer’s Certificate in 1969.

At Eastman, Vivien was an exceptional student. She gave student recitals in Rochester, New York and also performed with the Eastman Rochester Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Walter Hedl. She was concertmaster at the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra and the Eastman Philharmonia and was first violinist of the Eastman Honors Quartet for three years. Her performance of the Bruch Concerto was broadcast live on Voice of America.

Vivien could have stayed on in the United States to further her musical studies and build a career there. But she wanted to come home and play a part in the development of classical music in Singapore. On her return to Singapore in 1970, Vivien gave private violin tuition, and, under the Education Ministry’s Instrumental Music Programme, conducted violin classes at various schools.

When her father became ill in 1975, Vivien took over from him as the conductor of the Goh Soon Tioe String Orchestra. Five years later she became the music director of the Singapore Youth Orchestra and the next decade she focussed on growing the pool of musical talent in Singapore.

When free tuition was offered to all young musicians under The Individual Tuition Scheme, the response was overwhelming. Applications came from members of school bands across the island, and the youth admitted to the scheme were from a wide range of backgrounds.

In 1982, the SYO was one of seven orchestras that qualified to perform at the prestigious International Festival of Youth Orchestras and the Performing Arts held in Rome. Its performance was very well-received. It continued to tour regularly to Europe and Australia.

In 1990 Vivien left the SYO. In her 10 years at its helm, she transformed it into a top-notch youth orchestra and a rich pipeline of talent for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.
After the SYO, Vivien became the director of an ensemble programme for young violinists ‘Fiddling for Fun.’ Over the years she undertook several projects in honour of her father and his role in developing classical music in Singapore.

In 1992, she wrote and published Goh Soon Tioe: One Great Symphony. In 2011, to mark what would have been his 100th birthday, she got together the alumni of the Goh Soon Tioe String Orchestra and conducted them in the concert One Great Symphony: Goh Soon Tioe – Celebrating 100 Years. She also launched the Goh Soon Tioe Outstanding Performer Award at the National Piano and Violin Competition, which grants the top violinist in the competition a $10,000 award.

In 2015, Vivien co-authored with Wong Sher Maine and published the book ‘Rehearsal for Life: Singapore Youth Orchestra 1980-1990”. She is currently on the Governing Board of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore.

When Vivien Goh got her bachelor’s degree and a performer’s certificate in violin from the Eastman School of Music in the US in 1969, she could easily have opted to pursue a musical career abroad. But Vivien chose to come home because Singapore was then finding its musical feet and she wanted to be here to help develop future generations of musicians.

In 1980, Viven became the founding resident conductor and music director of the Singapore Youth Orchestra, which was under the purview of the Ministry of Education. The orchestra was formed at the request of Dr Goh Keng Swee, then the First Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore and also the Minister for Education, who wanted it to be a source of musical talent for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

In the 10 years that she was in charge of the Youth Orchestra, Vivien built a strong pipeline of local classical musical talent. She started a training programme that offered free music tuition for young musicians, laying the foundations for what is today known as the Singapore National Youth Orchestra. Regarded as one of the best youth orchestras in Asia, it has some 180 musicians aged 10 to 21 from more than 60 schools in Singapore.

In 1983, Vivien was awarded the Cultural Medallion for her contributions to classical music in Singapore.

Vivien was born in 1948, the second daughter of pioneering violinist, conductor, teacher, and impresario Goh Soon Tioe. He gave her a violin when she was six, but he was too busy to spend more than 15 minutes every now and then to teach her how to play the instrument. Nonetheless, she was able just two years later to perform with the Goh Soon Tioe Orchestra at the Singapore Badminton Hall.

When she was 12, realising he had neglected her musical education, her father started working with Vivien intensively. Three years later, when she was 15, she obtained the Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music. Vivien was one of the first Singaporeans to get the Licentiate in Violin Performance.
Vivien also excelled academically. She was the top Singapore student at the 1964 Senior Cambridge Examinations (or ‘O’ levels). She then won a full scholarship to Eastman School of Music and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music and a Performer’s Certificate in 1969.

At Eastman, Vivien was an exceptional student. She gave student recitals in Rochester, New York and also performed with the Eastman Rochester Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Walter Hedl. She was concertmaster at the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra and the Eastman Philharmonia and was first violinist of the Eastman Honors Quartet for three years. Her performance of the Bruch Concerto was broadcast live on Voice of America.

Vivien could have stayed on in the United States to further her musical studies and build a career there. But she wanted to come home and play a part in the development of classical music in Singapore. On her return to Singapore in 1970, Vivien gave private violin tuition, and, under the Education Ministry’s Instrumental Music Programme, conducted violin classes at various schools.

When her father became ill in 1975, Vivien took over from him as the conductor of the Goh Soon Tioe String Orchestra. Five years later she became the music director of the Singapore Youth Orchestra and the next decade she focussed on growing the pool of musical talent in Singapore.

When free tuition was offered to all young musicians under The Individual Tuition Scheme, the response was overwhelming. Applications came from members of school bands across the island, and the youth admitted to the scheme were from a wide range of backgrounds.

In 1982, the SYO was one of seven orchestras that qualified to perform at the prestigious International Festival of Youth Orchestras and the Performing Arts held in Rome. Its performance was very well-received. It continued to tour regularly to Europe and Australia.

In 1990 Vivien left the SYO. In her 10 years at its helm, she transformed it into a top-notch youth orchestra and a rich pipeline of talent for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.
After the SYO, Vivien became the director of an ensemble programme for young violinists ‘Fiddling for Fun.’ Over the years she undertook several projects in honour of her father and his role in developing classical music in Singapore.

In 1992, she wrote and published Goh Soon Tioe: One Great Symphony. In 2011, to mark what would have been his 100th birthday, she got together the alumni of the Goh Soon Tioe String Orchestra and conducted them in the concert One Great Symphony: Goh Soon Tioe – Celebrating 100 Years. She also launched the Goh Soon Tioe Outstanding Performer Award at the National Piano and Violin Competition, which grants the top violinist in the competition a $10,000 award.

In 2015, Vivien co-authored with Wong Sher Maine and published the book ‘Rehearsal for Life: Singapore Youth Orchestra 1980-1990”. She is currently on the Governing Board of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore.