business magnates | leadership icons | sportingheroes | science pioneers | cultural figures | philan thropic champions
“I’ll always be a student. I learn by doing. ”
- Joey Alexander
69
Japan
Namie Amuro (b.1977)
Singer
Constantly compared with leading
Western artists like Madonna, she sees
album sales in Japan alone exceeding that
of American pop idols. hroughout her
long music career, Amuro popularised
mixing foreign sounds with traditional
Japanese pop. Amuro oicially retires in
September 2018 with a inal tour.72
Indonesia
Joey Alexander (b.2003)
Jazz pianist
he self-taught child prodigy was
the irst Indonesian to chart on
Billboard 200 with his debut album,
My Favorite hings, in 2 0 15, when he
was 11 years old. At age 9, he won the
Grand Prix in the 2013 Master-Jam
Fest, an all-ages jazz competition
in Ukraine. He has also played for
luminaries like Herbie Hancock and
Barack Obama.70
China
Lang Lang(b.1982)
Concert pianist
He has performed with leading
orchestras in China, the United
States, Europe and Canada. He
was the irst Chinese pianist to be
engaged by top American orchestras
and successfully embraces the two
worlds of classical prodigy and rock-
like “superstar”.73
Singapore
Margaret Leng Tan (b.1945)
Musical artist
he famed toy pianist performs
around the world on toy pianos.
he irst woman to earn a doctorate
from the Julliard School in New
York City in 1971, Tan also plays on
unconventional items, including
cat-food tins and teapots. Her CD
album, he Art of the Toy Piano,
has elevated the toy piano to a
“real” instrument.71
Malaysia
Yu na (b.1986)
Singer-songwriter
Known for her collaboration with
theUS artist Usher for her single,
Crush, which reached no. 3 on the
US Billboard Adult R&B chart,
Yuna (Yunalis binti Mat Zara’ai)
made her initial breakthrough via
Myspace, an online platform to
which she uploaded her music.74
South Korea
“Psy” (b.1977)
Singer
His “Gangnam Style” became the
irst music video to cross 1 billion
views on YouTube in 2012. On New
Year’s Eve 2012, “Psy” (Park Jae-sang)
peformed with American rapper MC
Hammer in front of a live audience
in Times Square, New York City, an
event that was globally televised. He
is credited for bringing K-Pop to the
international stage.SOURCE © SHUTTERSTOCKSOURCE © MICHAEL COGHLANSOURCE © SHUTTERSTOCK SOURCE © SHUTTERSTOCKSOURCE © MCCARTER.ORG SOURCE © SHUTTERSTOCK