Mr Choo Thiam Siew is the Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, which aims to develop and promote local Chinese arts and cultural activities, to enhance and strengthen social cohesion. He was the President of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) from 2003 to March 2014, dedicating his efforts to improving NAFA’s quality of arts education and contributing substantially to the development of arts education in Singapore.
During his tenure as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Arts Council from 1996 to 2003, he focused on promoting and developing the local arts scene by further expanding the demographics of the local arts-going population and providing local arts group with financial assistance. He also gave support to the local design and creative industries. His work had help lay the foundation in building up Singapore as an international arts hub.
In 1976, he entered public service with the Parks & Recreation Department, after graduating with a Bachelor with Honours degree in horticultural science from Lincoln College of University of Canterbury in 1973. He went on to obtain his Master’s degree at the Australian National University in 1981. He was one of the pioneers who helped shape Singapore into the well-known garden city of the world. He was the Deputy Chief Executive Officer when he left National Parks Board in 1996.
Mr Choo has a passion for both Chinese and Western classical music, and is also well-versed in Chinese calligraphy, Chinese classical poetry and Chinese opera. He is actively involved with the arts and cultural community and occasionally writes for the local press. He published his first Chinese classical poetry collection in 2001.
He is a member on the board of many local arts organisations and holds appointments in numerous arts and cultural committees, such as the Tote Board Arts Fund Committee, Singapore Chinese Orchestra Company Ltd; Ding Yi Music Company Ltd, Singapore Centre for Chinese Language Ltd, Singapore Chinese Music Federation, Musicians Society of Singapore, Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Cultural Committee and Singapore Press Holdings Ltd Chinese Newspaper Division Advisory Panel. He is also an Honorary Member of the Asia Theatre Education Centre, Beijing.
朱先生的本科是园艺科学。获纽西兰林肯大学本科和澳洲国立大学硕士学位。於1976年任职新加坡公园与游乐署（后改组为国家公园局），1996年卸职时为园林局副局长。1996-2003年任新加坡国家艺术理事会总裁，2003-2014年任南洋艺术学院院长，自2014年4月至今，是新加坡华族文化中心总裁。
历年来，他也在许多文艺机构担任委员及董事。现任新加坡赛马博彩管理局艺术基金主席，新加坡华乐团董事，周星衢基金董事，新加坡词曲版权协会独立董事，鼎艺团董事，新加坡华乐总会顾问，全球汉诗总会会长，新加坡报业控股华文报集团咨询团团员，艺术理事会全国华乐比赛筹委会主席等。
朱先生是一位艺术爱好者，热爱东西方古典音乐、书法、中国诗词文学，地方戏曲，也喜欢收集古玩。他自小学时就爱好书法，自学临帖乐毅论，黄庭经，灵飞经，兰亭序，玄秘塔，麻姑仙坛记。中学时转临福神观记，洛神赋，张黑女墓志铭，石门铭。80年代，拜师曾守荫老师门下，学习欧阳询，谭恒甫笔法。曾老师强调笔笔中锋，回锋收笔，以古为法，打下严谨的运笔基础。近二十年涉猎苏轼，文征明，董其昌，吴昌硕，邓散木（硬笔书法）等。
他於2001年出版了他的第一本旧体诗集《洒落人间尽粉妆》，也在论坛及座谈会发布有关园艺和文化专题演讲和在杂志，报刊发表文章。
NB: This talk will be conducted in Mandarin.
此讲座将以华语进行。