Dino Akira Decena studied the violin at an early age and was granted scholarship by the Philippine Research for Developing Instrumental Soloists (PREDIS). He trained under the world-renowned violinist Professor Basilio Manalo. He became the featured soloist for the PREDIS orchestra and has also participated and won twice in the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA). Mr. Decena became part of almost all major Philippine orchestras including the Philippine Youth Orchestra, and Manila Symphony Orchestra II, Festival Orchestra, Manila Youth Symphony Orchestra. He was also the former concertmaster of the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Mr. Decena is also a consummate solo artist. He premiered “Talitha Kum”, a work for Solo Violin and String Orchestra by Alejandro Consolacion in 2012.

The following year, he premiered the first violin concerto of Mr. Ryan Cayabyab. He was also the associate concertmaster for the the Phantom of the Opera in Manila (2012), and Les Miserables (2016). Under the guidance of Professor Gina Medina, Mr. Decena finished his Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Sto. Tomas and is currently finishing his Masters in Chamber Music at St. Paul University of Manila.  Mr. Decena was a former teacher in the Philippine Research for Developing Instrumental Soloists (PREDIS), Ryan Cayabyab School of Music, and Chinese International School Manila. Currently, he is a violin professor at St. Paul University, Sta. Isabel College of Manila, St. Scholastica’s College of Manila, and Orchestra of the Filipino Youth. He is also a violin teacher for the children of pastors at the Maranatha Christian Academy in Manila. He is currently the concertmaster of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.

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Steve Retallick studied Cello at the Guildhall School of Music in London. He was a prize winner in many competitions for Chamber music repertoire and finish his complete his studies in 1986 with a certificate of Advanced Solo Studies. His orchestra experience where the BBC Symphony Orchestra and London Sinfonia. In SEA at the Hong Kong Philharmonic and the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra. Steve Retallick has been serving as a principal cellist at the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and is a regular member of the MPO Chamber Music Series at the Kuala Lumpur Philharmonic Hall.

Lee Jae Phang is a Malaysian concert pianist and teacher. During his formative years in the UK, he attended both the Wells Cathedral School and the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) on full scholarships, graduating from the latter with a Master of Music in Performance (Distinction). Shortly after, he was also admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Schools of Music with Distinction.

During his years as a student, Lee Jae performed in masterclasses for Kathryn Stott (duo partner of Yo-Yo Ma), Gábor Takács-Nagy (founding member of the Takács Quartet), Sir Stephen Hough CBE, faculty members of The Julliard School Jerome Lowethal and Matti Raekallio among others. Lee Jae also won competitions such as the Mark Ray Solo Piano Recital Prize, the Helen Porthouse Paganini Prize for Duo Performance, and the Concerto Auditions at the RNCM. A pivotal point in his career came when he won the BPSE & Beethoven-in-Altaussee Festival’s “1st Beethoven Performance Award” in 2016, where the audience also voted to award him the Audience Prize at the festival competition. Now, Lee Jae is presenting all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas in a series of recitals around Malaysia with the support of Yamaha Music Malaysia – the first such undertaking by a single performer in the country.

Lee Jae’s skill as a performer has led him to perform around the UK, in Germany, Austria, Italy, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Music festivals he has appeared in include MusicFest Perugia, the Northern Aldborough Festival, and the Church Stretton Arts Festival. Today, apart from his Beethoven recitals, Lee Jae performs regularly in concert series for music societies such as the prestigious German-Cambodian Cultural Society in Phnom Penh.

Notwithstanding his performing commitments, Lee Jae allocates time to his role as a skilled and dedicated teacher. His students regularly gain outstanding marks in music exams and win prizes in both local and international piano competitions, such as the Euroasia Malaysian Piano Competition and the Hong Kong International Piano Open Competition. His educational role is further extended by serving on competition juries (most recently at the Chopin Society of Malaysia’s International Music Competition Malaysia 2022 at Sunway University) and giving lectures and masterclasses in Penang and Johor, where his most recent lecture on “The Art of Phrasing” drew a full attendance.

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YiLing Chang holds her bachelor degree from Birmingham Conservatoire (UK) as vocal and operatic performance singer and completed master degree at the Kodály Institute of Franz Liszt Academy of Music (Hungary) as Kodály expert in music education. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Malaysia in Universiti Putra Malaysia as a graduate research assistant. During her studies in England, YiLing won gold medals for opera and lieder category in North London Music and Drama Festival (UK), Ella Cheshire Soprano Scholarship (UK), Margaret Pascoe Singing Award (UK), 1st Prize for Alpin Triglav International Competition(Slovenia), 2nd Prize for ISCART International Competition (Switzerland), 1st Prize Joseph Weingarten Competition (Hungary & UK) for full scholarship in her Kodály education in Hungary. She also passed with the highest marks record of recent year for the entrance examination tothe Kodály Institute. YiLing also scored three consecutive top marks (Grade 8, ATCL, and LTCL) in Trinity College of London performance examinations andwas given Awards of Excellence. For her outstanding career path and development, she will be receiving Malaysia Outstanding Teacher Award 2021 and Malaysia International Gold Award 2021 in China International Awards Ceremony and The Malaysia Gold Award Ceremony, Outstanding Achiever Award in Women Icon, Asia Pacific International Book of Records 2022.

YiLing’s international operatic performance career and as Kodaly Expert brought her to many cities for concert as well as international workshops as speaker.

She has been invited to major cities of the United Kingdom, Hungary, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, China, Myanmar, Thailand & Malaysia. She sang in many prestigious venues as soloist/opera singer,

Notably as youngest engaged Malaysian soloist at age of 25 with Filharmonik Petronas of MPO, and with OperaSiam. She was also invited by Princess Galyani Foundation to sing a concert in Bangkok with the royal presence of H.R.H Princess Soamsawali of Thailand.

In year 2016 to 2019, she represents Malaysia as Cultural & Goodwill ambassador to Myanmar for cultural exchange development programme and had performed for the 60th anniversary of the founding treaty of the European Union, Embassy of America, Embassy of Malaysia, Embassy of Czech, and Embassy of Russia.

She also sang for Daw Khin Kyi Foundation (late mother of Aung San Su Kyi) International Cultural and Charity Group (ICCG) events. In year 2019, she performed and conducted Myanmar National Choir for State Counsellor of Myanmar Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s birthday celebration with her presence.

YiLing is currently an adjunct music lecturer at University College Fairview, Universiti Teknologi MARA, SunwayUniversity and UCSI University, Malaysia. Her students are blooming as prize winners of competitions in UK, Italy, Spain, Austria, Romania, Slovenia,China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Malaysia; as well as passing graded and diploma in ABRSM and Trinity College London examinations with outstanding results. Her studio’s high-flyers brought her Best Teacher’s Award from Hong Kong, Austria, Romania and Slovenia in recognizing of her high pedagogical skill and professional teaching.

YiLing is a vocal director to Myanmar Music Festival who is also a founder to Myanmar Music Festival national choir that bring about singers from 9 states of Myanmar to promote social harmony and music appreciation skills among the youths. The national choir was selected to perform virtually in International Choir Festival 2020 (Greece).

YiLing is also appointed as one of the judges for the reputable Hong Kong International Youth Performing Arts Festival 2019, Hong Kong International Vocal Open Competition 2020, Asia Pacific International Arts Festival 2021, OperaKUL Operatic Singing Competition 2021 and various singing competitions.

YiLing is also occasionally invited as speaker to International Christian Chorale Conducting Society (ICCCS) and World Association of Chinese Christian Music (WACCM).Her contribution to the society has recently being confirmed and acknowledged with Malaysian Service Medal (Pingat Jasa Masyarakat) by Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Dato’ Seri Utama Ahmad Fuzi Haji Abdul Razak, Yang Di-Pertua of Penang State, Malaysia.

Sakano Issei

 Born from parents who love music, he started piano at the age of three. He had been studying piano, music theory and composition under Japanese teachers for 15 years. After coming to Cambodia in 1992, he had been away from music for years, but has resumed musical activities recently. He is currently working for legal and judicial reform in Cambodia as Japanese expert to Cambodian Ministry of Justice and at the same time, making performance occasionally in Phnom Penh mainly as a piano accompanist as well as some Piano Four-Hands projects.

Christoph Stadtler
Pre Concert Talk

Christoph Stadtler, born in Germany in 1961, studied both classical and modern guitar under Werner Pöhlert, amongst others. Working as a freelance musician and teacher, he performs regularly  in chamber-music and symphonic-ensembles, and theater events.