Merican family tree

Faridah Merican at 80: still a child of theatre

Datuk Dr Faridah Merican is often referred to as the First Lady of Malaysian Theatre with good reason. Today she may be most visible as the executive producer and co-founder of The Actors Studio, helming the work that goes on Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac). But her legacy in theatre and performing arts in Malaysia is much more extensive than that, and dates back six decades.

Faridah’s early acting credits include such plays as Lela Mayang, Tok Perak, Uda Dan Dara and Alang Rentak Seribu, works that defined Malaysian theatre in the 1960s and 1970s, and determined the direction that theatre would take in the next few decades.

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Lee Kok Leong, Resident Conductor & Music Director, The klpac Orchestra

Kok Leong has over two decades of experience in the local orchestral scene as a violist, conductor and music educator. 

As an in-demand violist, he has performed at the  Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra’s Inaugural Concert in 2007 as well as with the Friends of Strings Chamber, National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), Galaxy Chamber Orchestra, The klpac Orchestra, Penang Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO), Kuala Lumpur City Hall Orchestra, RTM Orchestra as well as, more recently, with Malaysia’s first baroque music ensemble, Wicked Music People

In 2005, he debuted as a conductor with the Galaxy Orchestra and went on to become its Resident Conductor from 2007 to 2011. From 2010 onwards, he was mentored by the late Brian Tan, The klpac Orchestra’s Founder, and later received conducting masterclasses from renowned pianist and conductor Elaine Pao. In 2015, Kok Leong shouldered the responsibility to carry on the legacy and vision of his mentor and assumed the role of Resident Conductor & Music Dir

Faridah Merican

Malaysian actor, director, producer and dramaturge

Faridah Merican

Born (1939-10-25) 25 October 1939 (age 85)

George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • producer
  • dramaturge
SpouseJoe Hasham

Datuk Faridah Merican (known as Faridah Merican), born 25 October 1939, is a Malaysian actor, director, producer and dramaturge. She is the co-founder of the Actors Studio (Malaysia), the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre, and the Performing Arts Centre of Penang (Penangpac).

Early life and education

Merican grew up in George Town, Penang, and has credited her Penang childhood with her understanding of Hokkien and Cantonese.[1] She attended St George Girls' School, where she first discovered an interest in the theatre.[2] Her father, Basha Merican, taught English language and literature at the Penang Free School, and Merican initially trained to be a primary school teacher, specializing in Physical Education. While a student at the Kota Baru Teachers Training College, she appeared as Kate

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