Background
Mrs. Woo was born in Xiamen, Fujian, China, in 1894.
Mrs. Woo was born in Xiamen, Fujian, China, in 1894.
She graduated from the Amoy (Xiamen) Normal School for Girls in 1911. Mrs. Woo taught in Xiamen for one year. Then she studied in McTyeire School, Shanghai, from 1912 to 1914. Woo S.M. succeeded in the first Tsinghua scholarship examination for girls in 1914. She graduated from Bradford Academy, U.S.A. in 1915 and Radcliffe College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1919.
Mrs. Woo studied voice and piano at the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, between 1915 and 1919. She studied choral conducting at the Music School for Teachers, Cornell University, the summers of 1917, 1918, and 1919. Also, she studied social work in the New York School of Social Work and music in the New York College of Music in 1919-1920. Woo S.M. studied voice under a French Professor in Strassbourg, France, the summer of 1920.
Woo S.M. engaged in various social work activities in Shanghai during 1922-1924. She taught singing in McTyeire School (predecessor of the Shanghai No. 3 Girls' High School), Shanghai, in 1925. Mrs. Woo was known as a research fellow in Chinese Music at the Xiamen University and teacher at Xiamen Normal School for Girls from 1926 to 1927.
Mrs. Woo made second trip to America with family, and studied voice under Professor Minetti, head of Vocal Department of Peabody Conservatory of Music, Baltimore, between 1927 and 1928. She taught singing in McTyeire School from 1928 till January 1930, and led the McTyeire Junior Choir to win the first prize in the International Contest of Schubert's songs at the Schubert Festival in Shanghai in 1928.
Woo S.M. served as the head of the vocal department of the National College of Music, Shanghai from 1929. She was a member of the Committee on Music Education of the Ministry of Education, member of the Music Committee on the Preparation of a Union Church Hymnal for China. Mrs. Woo held the post of a contributing editor of the "Child Education Monthly". She acted as a composer of "A Song Book for Children"