Goh Tong Keat
Malaysian violinist Goh Tong Keat studied with Dr. Andrea Dawson and graduated with a Master of Arts degree from Middle Tennessee State University. He also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from UCSI University and a Licentiate Diploma from Trinity College of London (LTCL), which he passed with distinction. Following his achievement, he was invited to perform at the Trinity Guildhall Diploma Conferment Ceremony.
Tong Keat studied both modern and Baroque violin with Prof. Karen Clarke. In the summer of 2014, he received intensive training from renowned professors James Buswell and Bayla Keyes at the ARIA International Summer Music Academy.
During his time at Middle Tennessee State University, Tong Keat received an Outstanding Achievement Award and was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda, an honor society recognizing outstanding achievement in music among students and faculty.
In Malaysia, he was a founding member of the Kuala Lumpur Performing Art Centre (KLPAC) Orchestra. Under the direction of Dr. Takahisa Ota and the late Brian Tan, he served as the concertmaster from 2010 to 2012. Apart from performing regularly with the orchestra, he participated actively in various events, such as musical theatres, music festivals and studio recordings.
Tong Keat has a strong passion for music education and has studied various pedagogical approaches during his graduate studies. He received Suzuki pedagogy training from Edward Kreitman at the Memphis Suzuki Institute and an endorsement in Paul Rolland String Pedagogy from the University of Illinois. His teaching experience includes the MTSU Community Music School (2014–2015), University Malaya (2018), and Tenby Schools (2019–2020).
In 2017, Tong Keat established The Hammers String Ensemble (THSE) together with a group of music teachers and students. The ensemble has participated in a variety of performances and community events, including the Piano Festival in 2019, a charity performance for JingSi Bookstore (Tzu Chi Foundation) in 2023, and a fundraising dinner performance for St. John Ambulance in 2024.
Today, in addition to teaching violin privately, Tong Keat is a member of the Selangor Symphony Orchestra. He is also the founder and editor of JustViolin.org, a website dedicated to providing resources and information for violin students, teachers, and enthusiasts.
