Donald Moore is well-known as Singapore's first impresario. The presenter, publisher, writer and gallery owner came to Singapore in his twenties and remained here for three decades contributing to the early development of arts and culture on the island. During his time here, the arts aficionado established several publishing houses⁠—Donald Moore Ltd (Singapore), Eastern Universities Press, Asia Pacific Press and also published under the Donald Moore Galleries imprint⁠—as well as Donald Moore Productions and the Singapore Arts Theatre.

He also established Design Singapura at Tudor Court on Tanglin Road and due to his and wife Joanna Moore’s efforts, Tudor Court was saved from planned demolition. Design Singapura produced Singapore silk⁠—which was named Khersonese Silk – and the shops and showrooms were located there.

A passionate arts personality who wanted nothing more than to share his love of the arts, Moore organised and presented many musical and theatrical presentations of overseas arts groups on his own expense.

Born in 1923 in Leicestershire, UK, Donald Moore received his education in the UK and went on to work in a bank. At the outbreak of World War II, the youth enlisted in the Royal Navy, which brought him on overseas postings to Russia and the Far East.

In 1947, he came to Singapore and took on the job finding distribution avenues for British publishing houses. Here, he began his career in literature and publishing, giving talks on British literature and literature in general. Soon, he established his own publishing company, Donald Moore Ltd (Singapore) and later on Eastern Universities Press and Asia Pacific Press. In a close reflection of the times, he published many books on the history and goings-on in Southeast Asia, especially with regard to Singapore and Malaya.

Expanding beyond his role as publisher, Moore began writing as well, authoring books that also featured Southeast Asia heavily in their themes and settings. His books included Far Eastern Agent (1953), We Live in Singapore (1955), Where Monsoons Meet (1956), The Sumatra (1959), Far Eastern Journal (1960), The Magic Dragon: The Story of Singapore (1975), and his joint work with his wife Joanna Moore, The First 150 Years of Singapore (1969). He also wrote All of One Company (1959) and The Judgement of Oleron (1960)⁠—novels about the sea, which were drawn on his own experiences in the British navy during the Second World War, as well as thriller Highway of Fear.

In 1966, the National Book Development Council of Singapore was established by the Ministry of Culture to encourage book development in Singapore. Two years later in May 1968, the Singapore Book Publishers' Association was established with 12 members including Moore, who was selected to head the association.

At the same time, Moore began producing and presenting arts shows. He steadily built a reputation for being the first ever impresario in Singapore, and brought in several overseas arts groups for musical and theatrical presentations. Singlehandedly, he introduced the arts and culture to a young Singapore that did not have a large audience for these things then. In a country still focused on economic and infrastructural development, Moore contributed to the early development of the island’s artistic and cultural tastes and appetites.

He established the Singapore Arts Theatre and Donald Moore Productions, serving as chairman of the Singapore Arts Theatre and presenting a countless number of shows under Donald Moore Productions. To encourage attendance of his shows—particularly attendance by the Asian community that had not embraced the arts—he also established the Singapore First Night Club⁠—later Friends of the Arts⁠—which allowed arts lovers to attend concerts and plays presented by Donald Moore Productions at a 25 per cent discount. Membership to the club was free and within a month, he had attracted more than 800 members, a large proportion of whom were Asians.

Moore intended to grow the membership such that he would be able to offer subscription concerts for club members, and an annual fee that would allow club members to attend all Donald Moore Productions concerts in a year.

His promotion of the arts went far beyond his efforts with the Singapore First Night Club. Understanding the need to build an interest in the arts amongst the young, Moore frequently presented free plays in schools, and went so far as to give away unsold seats at concerts—which were often presented at a loss to himself—to schools for their students to come and enjoy the arts for free.

Moore's passionate belief in the arts and financial magnanimity came to benefit many, but proved detrimental in the long term. In 1967, he sold off his publishing business, which became incorporated into United Publishers' Services. Four years later, his failing financial health meant that he had to close down Donald Moore Galleries, which sold artifacts and luxury lifestyle products. The gallery was first located on Clemenceau Avenue and then moved to Liat Towers in the ‘60s.

A few years after the closure of Donald Moore Galleries, Moore was ultimately forced to close all his remaining businesses. In 1976, he returned to the UK with his family. After three decades in Singapore promoting the arts, he became a businessman and established several thriving businesses in the UK including the Oxford Piano Workshop. He even wrote and published a monthly newsletter titled Entrepreneur to share his thoughts on self-employment with readers.

Moore spent some of the most exciting years of his life in a foreign land, developing an arts and cultural scene from nothing in a time when no other person or organisation had thought it important to do so. Moore passed away in 2000 at age 76 after battling colon cancer for four years. His indelible contribution secures his place in Singapore arts and cultural history.

Images of Mr Donald Moore and his wife Joanna Moore courtesy of Mr Sumio Saito.