Christine Yeo

Born and raised in Singapore, Christine first discovered her passion for playing the piano at the tender age of two. By three years old, she was enrolled in the Junior Music Course at Yamaha Music School, and by age seven, was selected via audition for the Junior Special Advanced Course, a music program crafted for gifted students of the school. During childhood and adolescence, Christine took classes and piano examinations under the tutelage of prominent music teachers Miss Sarah Ann Liang and Mr Samsuddin Tan. By age 18, Christine earned herself a Distinction in Grade 8 Piano Performance as well as a Merit in Grade 6 Music Theory (accredited by the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music, London).

Christine furthered her music education at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore, graduating with a Diploma in Music Composition in 2011. During her time there, she studied Music Composition and Music Arrangement under the tutelage of Head of Composition Studies Dr Zechariah Goh, as well as Mr Eric Watson. She also studied Piano Accompaniment under Mrs Rena Phua, Head of Keyboard Studies at NAFA’s School of Music.

Upon graduating from NAFA in 2011, Christine continued to eagerly pursue her hunger for professional standards in piano playing by undertaking private lessons from American Composer-Pianist Dr John Sharpley (Artistic Director of Art Music Foundation, Nepal, and Former Composer in Residence, Singapore Symphony Orchestra), for a Diploma in Piano Performance awarded by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, London. For two years, she studied a vast range of piano repertoire by J.S. Bach, Mozart, Schubert and even a piece from Sharpley’s own opera, Kannagi: The Story of the Jewelled Anklet. In 2014, Christine sat for the Diploma in Piano Performance exam and passed on first attempt. In 2015, she was awarded the title DipABRSM Yeo-Tan Shi Ying Christine, at the convocation ceremony organised and graced by ABRSM officials at the Singapore Concorde Hotel.

Christine’s public performance engagements include playing the piano part of her own orchestral arrangement of Bette Midler’s “Wind Beneath My Wings”, debuting her music arrangements on the Esplanade Theatre stage with the NAFA Orchestra as well as with the Nanyang Polytechnic Orchestra. In 2012, she was personally tasked by Singaporean Music Icon Iskandar Ismail to produce an orchestral arrangement, inclusive of pop music instruments, of hot traditional favourite oldie “Yeh Lai Xiang”. This arrangement was also debuted at the Esplanade Theatre during a charity concert organised by Mediacorp Singapore.

Christine’s love and passion for ballet accompaniment traces all the way back to when she herself first started ballet lessons at the age of ten, under the tutelage of Miss Ma Yu Meon. Later, she went on to achieve straight distinctions for all her RAD Graded Ballet Examinations – Grade 3 to Grade 8 Award – under the tutelage of Mrs Susan Cheong Sarkies at FORMS Ballet and Dance Centre.

During her secondary school days, she was an active member of the Tanglin Ballet Club founded and helmed by Mrs Jane Chng, performing for numerous significant school events and taking part in dance competitions organised by the Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing (CSTD), having also been a school pianist as well as choir pianist. In 2006, Christine took her RAD Vocational Intermediate Ballet Exam at the Palais Dance Studio, also passing it on her first attempt. Still hungry for more ballet knowledge,  Christine also pursued three years worth of ballet training in the Russian Vaganova Method at Little Dance Academy under the guidance of acclaimed teacher Ms Elena Kanevskaia.

Till date, Christine has served as ballet pianist to numerous notable ballet masters, mistresses and choreographers from around the world – such as Ms Rosanna Seravalli  (American Ballet Theatre), Mr François Klaus and Ms Robyn White (Queensland Ballet), Mr Edmund Stripe (Alberta Ballet), Mr Janek Schergen and Mr Mohammed Noor Sarman (Artistic Director and Ballet Master of Singapore Dance Theatre, respectively), Mr Soren Niewelt (JSLN Dance Company) and Mr Jamaluddin Jalil and Ms Jenny Chien (Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts).

Ballet schools that Christine has accompanied for numerous years of RAD and CSTD ballet examination seasons include Dancepointe Academy, Crestar School of Dance as well as students from Kaki Bukit Community Centre, Joyful Steps and Rhythm, as well as Punggol 21 Community Club.

Christine’s love for ballet accompaniment and experiences in the industry fuels her desire to serve passionately at Dancepointe Academy as a ballet pianist. Hailing from a background rich in both musical and dance experiences, Christine hopes to spend many more years sharing her passion with everyone, students and staff alike.