ABOUT KLSINGS!
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KLSings! was founded in 2011 by Cheryl Teh with the following objectives:
a) promote the joy of group singing through formation of community singing groups / choirs in Kuala Lumpur / Petaling Jaya and beyond b) build communities through song c) encourage singing and musical activities d) heighten the awareness of benefits of singing through workshops and events However, KLSings! was "quiet" until 2019 as Cheryl focused on building her corporate career as well as served as voluntary Chairperson and Choir Director of The Philharmonic Society of Selangor. |
ABOUT CHERYl TEH
Cheryl can’t recall a time when music wasn’t part of her life. At the age of three, after quietly observing her mother teach piano to neighborhood children, she began playing the same tunes when no one was around. By four, she had asked her parents for a violin. They obliged—driving 2½ hours from their hometown of Temerloh, Pahang to Kuala Lumpur for lessons, a significant commitment at the time.
In the mid-1980s, Cheryl's family moved to Kuala Lumpur, where she joined the then Kuala Lumpur Symphony Orchestra (KLSO) as a violinist. It was through KLSO that she first encountered The Philharmonic Society of Selangor, performing as a violinist in their 1987 production of Guys & Dolls. This experience left a lasting impression and sparked a lifelong passion for musical theatre.
In 1988, Cheryl was awarded a Rotary scholarship to represent Malaysia at the Rotary International Music Exchange (PRIME) program in Sydney, Australia. Following that, she chose to continue her secondary education in Melbourne.
In Melbourne, Cheryl fully immersed herself in music. At Elwood Secondary College, she actively participated in the school’s music program and joined numerous community ensembles, including the Victorian Youth Symphony Orchestra, St Kilda Chamber Ensemble, Monash Theatre Group, Camberwell Theatre Company, and the Dandenong Light Opera Company—performing as a violinist, violist, and occasional rehearsal pianist. At university, she became a founding violinist of the New Monash Orchestra.
Returning to Malaysia in the mid-1990s, Cheryl rejoined The Phil, singing with both the Choir and the Chamber Choir. She also studied voice briefly under Cha Seng Tiang. In 2002, she was persuaded to prepare The Phil’s Choir for their Christmas performances, eventually conducting their 2003 season, which featured four major productions. Afterward, she took a step back to focus on her career, though she remained musically active, performing in productions such as the opera Turandot and the operetta The Merry Widow.
In 2008, Cheryl returned to The Phil in a dual volunteer role as Chairperson and Choir Director. Under her leadership, both the choir and the society flourished—in membership and financial sustainability. Cheryl brought her corporate expertise to the society’s operations while infusing her musical leadership with a deep passion for community building.
Her commitment to community choir leadership deepened in 2010, when she attended the Community Choir Leadership Training Program in Victoria, Canada. Inspired by the work of Shivon Robinsong and Denis Donnelly, Cheryl emerged with a renewed mission: to build communities in harmony through singing.
In 2015, Cheryl was selected for the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship Program in the United States. Over six weeks, she visited community choirs and programs in 15 cities, further expanding her insights and connections in the world of choral leadership.
In 2019, Cheryl retired from both corporate life and The Phil to embark on a new chapter with KLSings and VoxPop Choirs. In 2020, she joined the Australia Council for the Arts’ (now Creative Australia) International Leadership Program cohort. Two years later, in 2022, she was named a recipient of the Arts for Good Fellowship, supported by the Singapore International Foundation.
In the mid-1980s, Cheryl's family moved to Kuala Lumpur, where she joined the then Kuala Lumpur Symphony Orchestra (KLSO) as a violinist. It was through KLSO that she first encountered The Philharmonic Society of Selangor, performing as a violinist in their 1987 production of Guys & Dolls. This experience left a lasting impression and sparked a lifelong passion for musical theatre.
In 1988, Cheryl was awarded a Rotary scholarship to represent Malaysia at the Rotary International Music Exchange (PRIME) program in Sydney, Australia. Following that, she chose to continue her secondary education in Melbourne.
In Melbourne, Cheryl fully immersed herself in music. At Elwood Secondary College, she actively participated in the school’s music program and joined numerous community ensembles, including the Victorian Youth Symphony Orchestra, St Kilda Chamber Ensemble, Monash Theatre Group, Camberwell Theatre Company, and the Dandenong Light Opera Company—performing as a violinist, violist, and occasional rehearsal pianist. At university, she became a founding violinist of the New Monash Orchestra.
Returning to Malaysia in the mid-1990s, Cheryl rejoined The Phil, singing with both the Choir and the Chamber Choir. She also studied voice briefly under Cha Seng Tiang. In 2002, she was persuaded to prepare The Phil’s Choir for their Christmas performances, eventually conducting their 2003 season, which featured four major productions. Afterward, she took a step back to focus on her career, though she remained musically active, performing in productions such as the opera Turandot and the operetta The Merry Widow.
In 2008, Cheryl returned to The Phil in a dual volunteer role as Chairperson and Choir Director. Under her leadership, both the choir and the society flourished—in membership and financial sustainability. Cheryl brought her corporate expertise to the society’s operations while infusing her musical leadership with a deep passion for community building.
Her commitment to community choir leadership deepened in 2010, when she attended the Community Choir Leadership Training Program in Victoria, Canada. Inspired by the work of Shivon Robinsong and Denis Donnelly, Cheryl emerged with a renewed mission: to build communities in harmony through singing.
In 2015, Cheryl was selected for the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship Program in the United States. Over six weeks, she visited community choirs and programs in 15 cities, further expanding her insights and connections in the world of choral leadership.
In 2019, Cheryl retired from both corporate life and The Phil to embark on a new chapter with KLSings and VoxPop Choirs. In 2020, she joined the Australia Council for the Arts’ (now Creative Australia) International Leadership Program cohort. Two years later, in 2022, she was named a recipient of the Arts for Good Fellowship, supported by the Singapore International Foundation.
