Syafiqah 'Adha Sallehin obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Music (with Honours) and her Masters of Music from Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM), at the National University of Singapore in 2013 and 2016 respectively. There, she studied classical contemporary music composition with Professor Ho Chee Kong. A recipient of the “Goh Chok Tong Youth Promise Award” by MENDAKI in 2010, Syafiqah is the first and by far the only Malay-Muslim Singaporean student of the conservatory.

Syafiqah’s works often incorporate elements of her national identity, cultural heritage and themes of myths and fantasy. In 2016, she was featured as the composer-in-residence for the 2nd Singapore International Festival of Music and premiered “Ikan Girl”, a music and theatrical dance collaborative work with arts company Bhumi Collective. In 2015, she was a Singaporean composer representative in a new music festival organized by the Society of Malaysian Contemporary Composers (SMCC) called SoundBridge, presenting her work “Of Mood and Motion”. In 2013, she was awarded the second prize for her composition “Dance of the Merlions” at the 31st Asian Composers’ League Festival (Singapore). Also a music arranger, Syafiqah has arranged for various performing ensembles in Singapore, such as the T’ang Quartet, the Singapore Wind Symphony and the Orchestra of the Music Makers.

Syafiqah is also a self-taught accordionist in the Malay traditional music genre. She is the music director of Gendang Akustika, a Malay traditional-contemporary music ensemble in Singapore, and she actively performs on the accordion with the ensemble. Besides traditional Malay music, Syafiqah has also performed on the accordion in various concerts, such as the “OMMProm Presents: Jazz!” with the Orchestra of the Music Makers (2015), “Lord of the Rings In Concert: Fellowship of the Ring” with the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra (2013) and “Take a Bet on T’ang” with the T’ang Quartet (2013).