A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
FROM THE AGE OF FIVE..…
CheeWei discovered a connection with the piano and the creation of music that accumulated in becoming a trained classical pianist. By the age of fourteen, the writing of original compositions provided an avenue of expression.
During his compulsory military service, Chee Wei Tay enlisted as a sound technician in the Singaporean Armed Forces Music & Drama Co, later establishing himself as the keyboardist and music arranger for the unit. During this time, he performed in front of uniformed military units to presidents and dignitaries in a diversified range of locations ranging from jungle base camps to presidential palaces.
Post-military service, CheeWei submitted applications for undergraduate music programs at the University of Southern California (USC) and Georgia College and State University (GCSU). He was offered placements at both highly regarded institutions despite being under-qualified. Unable to meet the financial obligations, CheeWei had to decline the offer. Not being deterred by the outcome, the Chair of the Music Department of GSCU, Dr Richard Greene, invited CheeWei to sit in on a lesson while CheeWei was visiting the United States. Dr Richard Greene became CheeWei’s first mentor.
During 1998, De Claffer Music Productions was established and CheeWei worked towards creating a profile that was unique in its diversity and range of contextual music compositions. It soon became apparent that the intimate depth of composition suited both the film and television industries.
The short film ‘Sons’ by Royston Tan was completed in 2000. The film was acknowledged with “Best Film” and “Special Achievement Awards” from the Singapore International Film Festival.
The international documentary ‘Emperor of the Seas: The Voyages of Zheng He’ aired on Discovery Channel with the musical score being awarded “Runner-up” for Best Original Score at the 2006 Asian Television Awards.
Other notable television programs include;
‘Mekong-Soul of a River’ - Animal Planet, ‘Kingdom of the Elephants’ - Animal Planet, ‘Inside: Fish Wars’ - National Geographic Channel and ’NOVA: Ocean Animal Emergency’ which was awarded Top Soundtrack by the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS) in 2010, that also included the recognition of being named the ‘Young Composer of the Year.’
Other notable films include;
‘Bring back the Dead’ - directed by Thean-Jeen Lee & ‘Twisted’ - directed by Yee wei Chai.
The short film ‘Ah Ma’ directed by Anthony Chen received a nomination of the ‘Palm d-Or’ and a Special Mention at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.
Showing a surreal ability to move amongst large-scale creative projects, in 2005, CheeWei was commissioned as the Music Director and Composer for the Singapore’s Pavillion at the World Expo Aichii, Japan.
In 2013, CheeWei received the recognition through COMPASS, the ‘Wings of Excellence: Overseas Achievement Award’ for his ongoing commitment of sharing the essence of being a Singaporean composer on the world stage.
in 2019, One of the documentaries that CheeWei scored for, “Decoding the Weather Machine” received an US Emmy Nomination.
CheeWei is an advocate for Animal Rights and an ardent supporter of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
CheeWei currently resides in Melbourne, Australia and Singapore.
He continues to keep in touch with Dr Richard Greene.