NusPARC Grantees

2010 Grantee(s)

  • As a graduate student in the doctoral programme in Dance at the Cultural Centre of the University of Malaya, Indra Utama exhibited his skill and artistry as a performer of West Sumatran silat (martial arts) and silat-derived movements in contemporary dance at the 1st Symposium of the International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM) Study Group on Performing Arts of Southeast Asia. This Symposium was held at the Republic Polytechnic in Singapore in June 2010. Indra performed demonstrations of silat and silat-related dance movements during the Symposium’s panels on silat, and he also taught special workshops on the topic for Singaporean school-going children.

2012 Grantee(s)

  • Wayland Quintero recently embarked on PhD studies at the University of Malaya-Cultural Centre. Born in the Philippines and raised in Hawaii, he brings more than twenty years of theatre and dance experience to his current educational endeavors. In New York City, he performed extensively and earned an MFA from New York University-Tisch School of the Arts. Returning to Hawaii in 2007, he is a founding member of the Mahalohalo Ensemble, a group of artist-scholars performing and researching dances with music of gong chime cultures, and exploring ethnicity, hybridity, gender, and representation. At the 2nd Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Performing Arts of Southeast Asia his paper is entitled "Not Muslim Music and Dance! Filipino American Responses to 'Muslim' and Islamophobia".

  • Desiree A. Quintero is a dancer and co-founder of the Mahalohalo Ensemble, a performance group focusing on the music and dances of the Southern Philippines. She is also a student of Balinese dance, having studied with Ida Ayu Ari Candrawati and I Nyoman Sumandhi, she has performed with Gamelan Dharmaswara (NY) and Gamelan Segara Madu (HI), and is a former board member of the Hawai’i Gamelan Society. Desiree was a graduate student in the Dance Ethnology programme at the University of Hawai’i at the time of the PASEA Symposium and is now a graduate student at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her paper presentation at the 2nd Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Performing Arts of Southeast Asia is "Costuming the Moro: Filipino Americans as Shifters in the Re-Siting of Filipino-ness".

  • Toh Lai Chee obtained her MA in Ethnomusicology and her Ph.D. in Music Education from the Universiti Sains Malaysia with a dissertation entitled Teaching and Learning of Music Through Multiple Intelligences. Lai Chee is currently attached to the Music Department (Penang Campus) of the Malaysian Teachers’ Training Institute. She teaches music, gamelan, and traditional music appreciation to primary school children under the Teaching School programme organised by the Institute. Her research focuses on the teaching and learning of music, using the theory of multiple intelligences. At the 2nd Symposium of the ICTM Performing Arts Study Group, she presents a paper entitled “Transformation in the Teaching and Learning of Boria at Institutes and Schools in Penang.”

2014 Grantee(s)

  • Arhamuddin Ali, from South Sulawesi, Indonesia completed his undergraduate studies at Makassar State University (UNM) in 2011, and in 2012 began MA studies in the Graduate Program of ISI Yogyakarta. He has participated in musical performances since 2000, including the Makassar Art Moment (2008 and 2009), I Lagaligo Forum of Hasanuddin University of Makassar (2010), Solo International Contemporary Ethnic Music (2010), I Lagaligo Dancing Drama in Palopo I (2011), and Unordinary Music Forum in Solo (2012). In his presentation at PASEA 2014, he examines the acculturation of music and instruments when Sultan Hamengku Bowono II, strengthened his military with modern weapons and added European instruments to the ‘kirab’ warrior music, providing inspiration and courage to his warriors. His paper is entitled 'The "Kirab" Warrior of Kraton Jogjakarta Music Acculturation'.

  • Dadang Wahyu Saputra, from Madiun, East Java, Indonesia, completed his undergraduate studies at the faculty of performing arts, Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta in 2012. He has attended seminars at ISI and other campuses and has participated in various musical events as a solo pianist and accompanist pianist as well as arranger and composer. He is a student in the Graduate Program of the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta. Dadang observes that one of the effective strategies to encourage inter-religious dialogue using music today is performances by the music group, Kiai Kanjeng, which acts in constructing reconciliation intensively among people in conflict. Kiai Kanjeng uses music as a tool to build peace among diverse people, and their strategies are examined in this paper presentation at the PASEA Symposium 2014. His paper at the PASEA Symposium is entitled 'Existence of Inter-Religious Dialogue Through Kiai Kanjeng Music Group'.

  • Firmansah, from South Sulawesi, Indonesia, completed his undergraduate study in the art and design faculty of Makassar State University (UNM) in 2011. His experiences include violin instructor in Violin Pizzicato Mini School of Makassar (2007-2011), Assistant Lecturer in the Art Studio music course at UNM (2010), member of Sara' Tallua Event Organizer in Makassar (2008- present) and traditional arts activist of South Sulawesi. He is currently a student in the Graduate Programme at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta. His paper in the 2014 PASEA symposium looks at the case of the South Sulawesi traditional instrument kacaping and the performer Karsin Hati who is trying to play the kacaping in new ways as a strategy to deal with the influence of popular music in society. The paper presented at the PASEA Symposium is entitled "Kitoka as Cultural Strategy of South Sulawesi People'.

  • Yohannes Don Bosko Bakok, originally from Wangka, Flores, Indonesia, taught liturgical music at the Catholic University of Widya Mandira in Kupang, NTT during 2006-2008. He completed his undergraduate study at the faculty of performing arts at ISI Yogyakarta in 2011 and also participated in the sasando music festival in Kupang, NTT. At present, he assists choirs and is a church organist, participates in art seminars nationwide such as the National Student Seminar of FSP ISI Yogyakarta (2010, functioning as chairman of the committee) and the National Seminar and Workshop of FSP ISI Yogyakarta (2011, as chairman of the committee). In 2014 he was a student in the Graduate Program of ISI Yogyakarta. His paper in the PASEA 2014 symposium explores the situation of East Timorese peoples living in West Timor and their ceremony kore metan, a traditional ceremony to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of family members. His paper is 'Acculturated Music in Kore Metan Ceremony Among the East Timorese'.

2016 Grantee(s)

  • Regina Angelica S. Bautista is a cum laude graduate of the Dance programme at the University of the Philippines. Trained in ballet with accreditations from the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet and the Royal Academy of Dance, she was a company scholar of the Ballet Philippines (BP), and a member of its junior company from 2011-14. She has written dance reviews, served as a research assistant to Basilio Esteban Villanruz for his three-volume book Walking Through, and was a contributor to the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. Regina is currently studying in the Dept. of Dance at York University, Toronto, Canada. Her paper at the PASEA 2016 symposium examined ways in which dance can be an agent of embodied decolonisation, through analysis of modern ballet by Philippine choreographer Agnes Locsin. Regina's paper at PASEA 2016 is ‘Indigeneity as a Means of Decolonizing: Agnes Locsin’s Filipino neo-ethnic ballet, Encantada’.

  • Jose R. Taton, Jr. is an instructor at Oton National High School in Iloilo. He finished his MA degree in Ethnomusicology at the Philippine Women’s University. Currently, he is pursuing doctoral studies in music majoring in Ethnomusicology at PWU. His research interests include festival studies and organology. At present, he is undertaking research on vocal music genres among the Panay Bukidnon people in central Panay Island. In his paper for the 2016 PASEA symposium, Taton focuses on the municipality of Oton, Iloilo, and the annual Katagman Festival which is celebrated as an attempt to situate the town’s history on the contemporary stage through musical, dance, and theatre performances, and in the process re-frame and re-contextualise the music as “indigenous” which involves the creation of instruments, production of musical material, and performance of local musical styles. Taton’s paper at PASEA 2016 is ‘Performing the 'Indigenous': Music-Making in the Katagman Festival in Iloilo, Philippines’.

  • Amiel Kim Quan Capitan is currently a part-time faculty at the Philippine Women’s University—School of Music where he is also doing his Master of Arts degree in ethnomusicology. At the 2016 PASEA symposium, Capitan’s paper concerned one of the largest settlements of the Negrito group called Ayta Magbukun as found in the small town of Abucay located in the province of Bataan, Philippines. Aside from the innate historical significance of Abucay that puts the town on the list of places to visit in the province, it is home to a well-known choir group called “Koro Bangkal Magbikin.” The choir consists of young and talented Ayta Magbukun and is under the management of the local tourism council of the province. His paper at PASEA 2016 is Dis/Re-integration of Traditional Vocal Genres: Cultural Tourism and the Ayta Magbukun “KoroBangkal-Magbikin,” in Bataan, Philippines.

  • Firmansah, from South Sulawesi, Indonesia, completed his undergraduate study in the art and design faculty of Makassar State University (UNM) in 2011. His background includes violin instructor at Violin Pizzicato Mini School of Makassar (2007-2011), Assistant Lecturer in the Art Studio music course at UNM (2010), member of Sara' Tallua Event Organizer in Makassar (2008- present), and traditional arts activist of South Sulawesi. In 2015 he completed graduate school studies at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. For the 2016 PASEA Symposium, Firmansah focuses on the many efforts of nobility in Sulawesi to preserve and legitimise their power domination through arts and religiosity. His paper at PASEA is entitled ‘The Performance Of Gendrang La Bobo In South Sulawesi As Symbolic Violence In Arts and Religiosity’.

  • Deeba Eleena Mohammad Aslom is a postgraduate student at the Faculty of Humanities, Arts, and Heritage of Universiti Malaysia Sabah. During her undergraduate years, she conducted research for her thesis regarding change and continuity in the traditional marriage of the Kadazan from Maang Village, Penampang, Sabah. Currently, she is continuing her research on the topic for her Master of Arts degree. Continuing her studies of cultural aspects of the Brunei people, Eleena’s paper focused on the continuity of the gambus musical instrument as a form of material culture and intangible cultural heritage among Brunei communities living in Kampung Seri Serbang Bongawan in Papar, Sabah. At PASEA 2016 Deeba’s paper is entitled ‘The Continuity of ‘Gambus’ as Material Culture.’

  • Wayland Quintero was born in Sagada, Mountain Province, northern Philippines, and raised in Hawaii. As a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Malaya Cultural Centre, his research focused on performative traditions in Sagada where he conducted fieldwork from 2013 to 2015. He earned his MFA degree in Dance from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. As a multidisciplinary artist, he has over twenty-five years of theatre and dance experience as well as arts administrative work background in New York City and Hawaii and editing projects in Malaysia. In the PASEA 2016 symposium, his paper focused on highland Sagada in the northern Philippines where the Dap-ay is a physical structure made of stone and concrete material, and where the performance of rites and communal gatherings take place. The title of his paper is ‘Performing mengangsa in the Dap-ay: connoting religiosity in highland Sagada’.

  • Desiree A. Quintero, 2016 a Ph.D. candidate in Ethnochoreology at the University of Malaya Cultural Centre, also served as a Research Assistant in the Department of Southeast Asian Studies/Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences from 2011 to 2015. Her background in dance encompasses ballet, tap, and jazz, followed by Philippine folk dance and Balinese dance. Desiree’s interest in pangalay as a dance form is the current focus of her research as it is practiced among the Suluk people in Sabah, Malaysia with fieldwork carried out from 2013 to 2015. Pangalay, a dancing of conventional hand and arm motifs that are individually nuanced, is simultaneously part of and separate from religious celebrations, and is seen as maglami-lami or “merry-making”. Desiree’s paper at PASEA 2016 is entitled ‘Maglami-lami: Punctuating Religious Festivity Among the Suluk in Sabah’.

  • Bryan Levina Viray teaches at the Department of Speech Communication and Theater Arts at the University of the Philippines Diliman. Through an Erasmus Mundus full scholarship (2013-2015), he earned an International MA in Dance Knowledge, Practice, and Heritage - Choreomundus from the Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet (Norwegian University of Science and Technology), Trondheim, Norway, and with coordinating institutions. His research on Tubong/Putong was presented at local and international conferences in 2015, and in the 2016 PASEA Symposium, his paper focused on the Putong group known as Juniors in Gasan Marinduque, Philippines, the barangay Bangbang. The title of his paper is ‘Novelty and Pakana as Logic of Practice in a Coronation Ritual?’.

  • Yustina Devi Ardhiani is a student at the Graduate School of the Indonesian Institute of Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta and works as a lecturer in the Religious and Cultural Studies Programme, the University of Sanata Dharma in Yogkykarta. In 2014 she served as a member of an editorial team (with Barbara Hatley and G. Budi Subanar SJ) on the book "Seni Pertunjukan Indonesia Pasca Orde Baru", which was published by Sanata Dharma University. As part of her dissertation research on the performing arts group known as Sahita, Yustina's research observes that performing artists on stage, whether consciously or unconsciously, tend to promote pubic images of an ideal and attractive female body. Sahita, however, as a group of performers from Surakarta, Indonesia, satirically features images of elderly women as their strength in art. Yustina's paper at PASEA 2016 is 'Sahita: The Female Body as Satire in Performing Arts'.

2017 Grantee(s)

  • Nur Izzati Jamalludin is a postgraduate student in ethnomusicology at Kings College London under the Universiti Teknologi MARA Young Lecturer Scheme. In 2014 she presented a paper titled “The Transformation of the Wang Tepus, Kedah Mek Mulung Performance Structure: From a Village Bangsal to Urban Concert Halls” at the 3rd Symposium of the ICTM Study Group for PASEA in Bali based on her Master’s thesis entitled "Concertising Mek Mulung: Ensuring the continuity of a Kedah dance-drama." Nur Izzati obtained her Bachelor's degree in music majoring in performance and pedagogy from Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang in 2009.

  • Hamdan Adnan is a clarinetist, educator, performer, and music producer and has taught at the Garden International School, MARA Institute of Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage of Malaysia (ASWARA) and Management and Science University. Has performed in the United States, Europe, and China and various performances locally in both the classical, popular, and fusion music genres and has written music for radio and television broadcasts. He sits on the Department of Skills Development ‘Skills Program Accreditation’ panel. His research focuses on the sustainability of wayang kulit music through the use of digital technology. He is currently doing research on the digital restoration of wayang kulit music for use in future syllabi for teaching composition using digital technology and for use in his studies for the MA in music composition at the Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang.

  • Premalatha Thiagarajan is a Senior Lecturer and the Head of the Dance Department at the Cultural Centre at the University of Malaya. She received her Ph.D. in Critical Dance Studies from the University of California Riverside, USA, in 2012. Through her doctoral research, she pioneered the research in Indian dance practices in Malaysia. She published her research as book chapters and journal articles. Her recent research interest crosses national boundaries and focuses on the circulation of Indian classical dances regionally between India, Malaysia, and Singapore. Last year, she received a two-year grant from the University of Malaya, which centres on dance therapy for breast cancer survivors. Besides, being a dance scholar and an academician, she is also a vivid dance practitioner. She is the founder of Premalayaa Performing Arts, a company that specialises in Indian classical dance and music. She is also the artistic director of KESUMA, Traditional Dance Ensemble, and UMa Contemporary Dance performance wing of the Dance Department, University of Malaya.

2019 Grantee(s)

All grantees for the Nusparc ‘small grant’ in 2019 were given their award for attendance and presentation of a paper at the  International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM) 45th World Conference held at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok Thailand, 11-17 July 2019.

  • Yohannes Don Basko Bakok, originally from Wangka, Flores, Indonesia, taught liturgical music at the Catholic University of Widya Mandira in Kupang, NTT during 2006-2008. He completed his undergraduate study at the faculty of performing arts at ISI Yogyakarta in 2011. He is currently a doctoral student at the University of the Philippines Diliman, College of Music. He presented his paper at the 45th ICTM World Conference in July 2019 entitled “Mr. Djoli Aray and his Effort in Developing Minahasa KolintangMusic Instrument”. As a presentation at the world conference in a session on transforming musical instruments, the focus of his paper was on the development and dissemination of the wooden kulintang, a typical musical instrument from Minahasa, Northern Sulawesi, Indonesia.

  • Eva Rapoport is a Ph.D. candidate at the College of Religious Studies, Mahidol University (Thailand), she is researching the role and place of jathilan trance performances in the present-day Javanese culture, specifically focusing her attention on the Special Region of Yogyakarta. Along with her current academic research, Eva is working on photography projects depicting traditional performing arts and celebratory activities in Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia. A selection of her works entitled Facing Trance in Indonesia was exhibited at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre in February 2017. Eva’s paper presented at the 45th ICTM World Conference was ‘Spirits in the Age of Digital Reproduction: Online Representation of Traditional Javanese Trance Dance.’ This paper focused on the form ‘jathilan’ in the Special Region of Yogyakarta in which the performance of this trance dance is meant to entertain the public by demonstrating altered states of consciousness, and to look at the means performing groups use to establish their online presence and to achieve interconnectedness among the enthusiasts of this dance form.

  • Rachel Ong Shu Ying recently completed the MA in Performing Arts (Music) at the University of Malaya (Cultural Centre), Malaysia in the field of Ethnomusicology. Her MA thesis detailed the musical culture of a minority ethnic group, the Peranakan Chinese community of Melaka concerning the construction of their ethnic identity in the plural society of Malaysia. Currently, she is still conducting research with the Peranakan community in Melaka, exploring the social history of the performing groups. At the 45th World Conference of the ICTM (2019) Rachel discussed the dance and dance music of the Peranakan community in Malacca and how it reflects the gendered socio-cultural pattern of the community in which elder women tend to predominate. Her paper was entitled “Expressing Matriarchy: A Reading of Peranakan Dance in Melaka, Malaysia”.

2026 Grantee(s)

  • Onny Nur Pratama, from Pangkalpinang, Bangka, Belitung Islands, Indonesia, is a researcher and practitioner of dambus (a plucked lute) on the island of Bangka. His research on the dambus musical instrument started in 2011 and continues to the present, writing a thesis in 2015 with research on the intramusical study of the dambus and the differences between dambus and gambus (oud) about playing technique, song, musical style, musical instrument organology, and history. Currently, his research focus is on the extramusical studies of the dambus related to cultural aspects of the Bangka community. Onny completed his Master's at the Department of Music Studies at the Yogyakarta Postgraduate Institute of Indonesian Arts in 2019 and presented his paper on the dambus musical instrument at the 45th ICTM world conference in July 2019. His paper was entitled “DAMBUS: A Study of Phenomenology Examining the Meaning of Deer Animal Representation on Dambus Musical Instruments on Bangka Island.”

  • Raudhatul Jannah is a researcher, writer, and ethnomusicologist who is interested in popular and traditional music. She is a student from Aceh who lives in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Ethnomusicology at the University of North Sumatra and now is continuing her Master's in Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta. In her thesis, she will research Gayo regional pop music and its relation to gender. At the 45th ICTM World Conference 2019, she presented a paper titled "Space Contest and Nostalgic Memory of Peddler Music." Focusing on street peddlers and the use of their own choice of music to attract customers as found in the Klebengan area of Yogyakarta, this paper analysed the differences in social classes and space struggle among the peddlers according to the kind of music used by the peddlers and how it influenced the sales and the marketing culture of the peddlers.

  • Wong Hei Ting is a Ph.D. student in the Cultural Studies in Asia programme of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore. Her dissertation focuses on the relationship between Cantonese popular music (Cantopop) and identity constructions in contemporary Hong Kong, regarding Cantopop as the voice of Hong Kong. In addition, she has been studying Thai classical music education for some years; her co-authored article on interpersonal relationships in Thai classical music teaching and learning will be published in Rian Thai. Her research interests also include sound technology and media development; sound and cultural policies in Southeast Asia; and music-related educational issues. Wong presented her paper entitled “(Re-)Constructing Traditions and Identities: A Case Study of the Department of Thai Music of Chulalongkorn University” at the 45th ICTM World Conference session on recreating traditions. Her paper noted the way Thai classical music has been revived through the (re-)construction of certain practices through institutionalized education and the establishment of life-long teacher-student relationships.

2024 Grantee(s)

  • Andrew Igai Jamu is a choreographer and researcher. Currently, he is pursuing his PhD at the Faculty of Creative Arts, Universiti Malaya. His current research focuses on indigenous dance and tourism in Sarawak, Malaysia. Previously, he has published and presented his research on the intersections of dance, and politics in Dayak-Iban dance practice. As a choreographer, Andrew is known for utilizing Sarawak traditions and cultural materials in his choreographic works. His works have premiered in Malaysia and abroad including Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand.  At the 7th PASEA Symposium in Iloilo City, Philippines his presentation was " Alter’Natives’: Performing Indigeneity in Sarawak Cultural Village, Malaysia".

  • Mohd. Hafzal bin Aziz is a Sarawakian Malaysian  and holds a Master of Performing Arts (Dance) from the Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. He teaches at the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage of Malaysia (ASWARA) and conducts dance classes and workshops on Malay traditional and classical dances, Borneo ethnic dances and contemporary dance. He has performed and choreographed for dance showcases and festivals in Malaysia and overseas. Hafzal has been to the Taipei National University of the Arts for Dance in Proximity: International Dance Conference in 2017, and Isabella (2017), Dumaguete (2018), and Roxas City (2019) in the Philippines for Dance Exchange: The Philippines International Dance Workshop and Festival.  At the 7th PASEA Symposium in Iloilo City, Philippines his paper presentation was "The Revitalized Zapin Sebat by Majlis Seni Sarawak (MSS): An Alternative Representation of the Melayu Sarawak in Sarawak.”

  • Pokpong Khamprasert is a Ph.D. candidate at the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. His thesis topic involved the creation of musical melodies inspired by the Spoon-billed Sandpiper. The research process involved analyzing the bird's vocalizations using a spectrogram, which was employed for the first time in the composition of Thai music. Pokpong's academic paper presentation at the 7th Symposium of PASEA in the Philippines was titled "From musical memory on analog gongs to a digital music learning content platform: Tamnonglak Pleng Thai" which described the phenomena over the 6 years following the release of his project producing learning media on the Principle of Thai traditional Music. This project sparked continuous exchange of knowledge about Thai music within online communities.

  • Yuhui Lu, originally from China, notes her academic background from Henan University’s Conservatory of Music, where she obtained both Bachelor and Master degrees in Musicology. After completing the Master degree, Yuhui furthered her studies at Sapienza University of Rome, focusing on Ethnomusicology. She is currently pursuing her PhD. at the University of Malaya, specifically within the Faculty of Creative Arts, where her research concentrates on the music of Chinese immigrants in Malaysia and traditional Chinese music. An active member of the International Council for Traditional Music and Dance (ICTMD), Yuhui regularly participates in ICTMD conferences, continuously engaging with the latest advancements in her field. At the 7th PASEA Symposium in Iloilo City, Philippines her paper presentation was  "Chinese Ethnicity, Festivals, and Folklore Memories: The Sino Soundscape of the Johor Bahru Deity Procession."

  • Zainadance Zidane Ijau Anak Lanyun is a recent graduate from UPSI’s Faculty of Music and Performing Arts and  plans to pursue graduate studies (MA Dance) at Roehampton University, London in 2025. His employment at NusPARC as a Research Assistant enabled him to acquire fundamental research trajectories on Dayak-Iban Ethnochoreology. His field of research is on “Conventional and Creative Choreographies of Ngajat Repertoire”. His attendance at the 7th Symposium of the ICTMD Study Group on Performing Arts of Southeast Asia (PASEA) in Iloilo City, Philippines as a participant observer enabled him to observe and understand the specialized topics of discussion related to his research trajectories in preparation for his graduate studies in dance.

  • Chang Yujen is a Ph.D. candidate in Applied Musicology at Tainan National University of the Arts, Taiwan, and is currently undertaking academic exchange study at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. Her research explores Buddhist and ritual music in Taiwan and Thailand, focusing on how musical practices shape cross-cultural exchange, religious modernity, and community identity. Combining ethnographic fieldwork and theoretical inquiry, she has presented her research at international conferences and aims to contribute to the global discourse on ethnomusicology and transnational religious soundscapes.

    She will participate as a paper presenter in the ICTMD Study Groups 2026 Joint Symposium on Performing Arts of Southeast Asia (8th), Applied Ethnomusicology (10th), and Indigenous Music & Dance (3rd). Her paper, titled “Negotiating Soundscapes: Fo Guang Shan’s Buddhist Music in Thailand’s Theravāda Context,” examines how Buddhist music functions as a medium of localization, cultural negotiation, and religious participation within Thailand’s predominantly Theravāda Buddhist environment.

  • Song Qiwen is a PhD candidate in Ethnomusicology at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia. Her research interests include Malaysian Chinese music, Southeast Asian musical cultures, diaspora studies, choral singing, and the relationship between music, aging, and well-being. Her work focuses on music as a form of cultural expression and identity within contemporary multicultural societies. She is a member of the International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance (ICTMD) and will present her research at the ICTMD-PASEA Conference 2026 at Chiang Mai University, Thailand.


  • I have been pursuing a PhD in Ethnomusicology at Universiti Putra Malaysia since 2024, . My research focuses on Malaysian Mandarin original pop music communities and the cultural practices of Gen Z music creators. My academic interests include Chinese popular music, youth culture, music identity, and local music creation within the context of globalization.

  • Zhang Xin is a student in Ethnomusicology at the Master's level at the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). His research interests lie in Malaysian Chinese music and cultural studies. He is currently conducting fieldwork on Orang Orang Drum Theatre, a Malaysian contemporary percussion ensemble known for blending Chinese drumming with theatrical and cross-cultural elements.

  • Andrew Igai Jamu is a choreographer and researcher. Currently, he is pursuing his PhD at the Faculty of Creative Arts, Universiti Malaya. His current research focuses on indigenous dance and tourism in Sarawak, Malaysia. Previously, he has published and presented his research on the intersections of dance, and politics in Dayak-Iban dance practice. As a choreographer, Andrew is known for utilizing Sarawak traditions and cultural materials in his choreographic works. His works have premiered in Malaysia and abroad such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand.