Chum Ngek
“Learning and teaching Khmer music has always been a part of my family from generation to generation. Being a Taproot artist will help me continue my love of Khmer music by preserving and educating, not only through my legacy, but through my community, which will pass my musical knowledge to future generations and foster opportunities to build on that knowledge.”
Chum Ngek
Chum Ngek blesses a dancer at a sompeah kru ritual requesting blessings from performing arts spirits and ancestors in California in 2024. Photo by Dara Sam
Photo courtesy Chum Ngek
Photo courtesy Chum Ngek
Chum Ngek performs with his ensemble at a wedding in Maryland in 2023.
Photo courtesy Chum Ngek
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A vast repertoire of instruments across genres
Chum Ngek is one of the few Khmer musicians worldwide who possesses a vast repertoire and command of multiple instruments across various genres. He is the 2004 recipient of the Bess Lomax Hawes NEA the NEA National Heritage Fellowship conferred upon one artist who has significantly benefited his or her tradition through teaching and preserving important repertoires. Chum has also received honors from The Maryland State Arts Council and the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County.
Chum first studied music at the age of 10 and was leading ensembles, serving as an official provincial musician, and touring the country for out-of-province engagements by the age of 18. In 1974, Chum represented his region in a national music contest held at the Royal University of Fine Arts. After surviving four years of life under the Khmer Rouge, Chum relocated with his family to Thai and Indonesian refugee camps where he taught and performed until he emigrated to the U.S. in 1982.
Chum’s move to the United States was facilitated by a request for his services by the Khmer Classical Dance Troupe, with which he worked during his stay in Khao I Dang camp. The company, which resettled together in the United States, was committed to touring the country, yet it could not do so without a skilled music director. In response to this dilemma, the troupe’s sponsoring organizations expedited Chum’s journey from Indonesia. Chum has been active advising, teaching, and performing across the country ever since.
What does the Taproot Fellowship mean to you and how will it affect your practice?
Learning and teaching Khmer music has always been a part of my family from generation to generation. Being a Taproot artist will help me continue my love of Khmer music by preserving and educating, not only through my legacy, but through my community, which will pass my musical knowledge to future generations and foster opportunities to build on that knowledge.
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