Master Musician Fellowship, 1997

Yinn Ponn was one of the few artists to survive the genocide of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia during the 1970s. Mr. Yinn fled Cambodia in 1978, having worked in and survived the labor camps. With the help of the National Council for the Traditional Arts and other organizations, he worked to rebuild the traditions of the Cambodian arts. Mr. Yinn formed his Long Beach-based Pin Peat orchestra “to strengthen and expand this orchestra and ensure the survival of Cambodia’s musical heritage.” Mr. Yinn passed away in 2001.

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