ABOUT THE NANYANG COLLECTIVE
The Nanyang Collective is a group of professional local musicians playing instruments originating from a myriad of Asian and western cultures. This unique instrumentation allows for creative and intricate sounds to be produced, bringing a new auditory experience to the audience. Led by Music Director Wong De Li Dedric, the collective does not shy away from experimenting with cross-disciplinary elements such as theatre, whilst seeking out fresh sonance through the performance of new music inspired by Singapore, life and humanity.
PROGRAMME
TIDES
FELIX PHANG
SLEEP WITH YOUR SONG
CHONG KEE YONG
UNDERCURRENTS
FELIX PHANG
DIXTOUR
ROBERT CASTEELS
DEDRIC WONG DE LI
Resident Conductor and One of the founders of the Ding Yi Music Company
Music Director of the Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra and Nanyang Collective.
2014 National Arts Council Arts Scholarship Recipient
2019 Straits Times Scholars’ Choice
2019 Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth Singapore
Youth Action Plan Panelist
2024 Prestige 40 under 40 Artist
Dedric graduated with Masters in Orchestral Conducting at the China Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of Prof Yang You Qing, with the guidance of Maestro Tsung Yeh in 2018.
He graduated from The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in 2007, Diploma in Music, majoring in Suona Performance. After his graduation, he received guidance in conducting from Singapore renown Chinese music Educator, Singapore Cultural Medallion Dr Tay Teow Kiat.
In 2015, he was selected to participate in the Singapore Chinese Orchestra Conducting workshop conducted by Maestro Tsung Yeh, while in 2016-2017 he served as a conducting fellow with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra.
In 2016, Dedric guest-conducted and staged his conducting graduation recital with the China Conservatory of Music Middle School Youth Chinese Orchestra. In 2018, he was invited to be the adjudicator of the Singapore National Chinese Music Competition and since then he has conducted various orchestras and ensemble such as the China Sze Chuan Tian Zi Ensemble, Macao Chinese Orchestra, Suzhou Symphony Orchestra String Ensemble, Hong Kong Windpipe Chinese Music Ensemble, Canada Sound of Dragon Ensemble and the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra etc. He was also invited to conduct the Hong Kong Youth Music Camp Junior Chinese Orchestra in 2024.
Notably in 2019, Dedric led Ding Yi Music Company in recording the music for Disney’s live action movie Mulan. In 2020, Dedric’s efforts in conducting and performance were featured in a 45mins Singaporean TV documentary Be My Guest.
In the recent years, he has been actively performing and representing Singapore in many International Arts Festival and performances, in countries such as China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, London, Berlin, Wales, Australia, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia.
With his keen interest in traditional Chinese music, he received the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Arts and Cultural Bursary twice, in the years 2004 and 2006. Currently, he is serving as the Vice Treasurer of the Singapore Chinese Music Federation, Vice President of the Suona and Guan Society of Singapore and the Conductor of the School of the Arts Chinese Ensemble.
STAGE DIRECTOR JEREMIAH CHOY
Creative Director, Producer, Curator
With over 30 years of experience in Singapore’s arts scene and with international experience that ranges from Asia to South Africa and Europe, Jeremiah Choy is a Creative Director, Producer and Curator. He has directed and produced theatre shows, concerts, arts festivals, Singapore and International events such as Singapore Day (Sydney, Shanghai, San Francisco), Spotlight Singapore (Cape Town, Bratislava and Prague, and Mexico City), ChildAid and Sing50.
For recent shows, he directed Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s Day Break (2022) and Unforgotten, the Musical (2023).
He is now teaching at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music and is part of NAC’s Resource Panel. He is also an advocate for Freelancers in the Creative Industry, having done numerous talks and mentorship programmes.
Jeremiah was awarded the inaugural Outstanding Kent Ridge Hall Alumni award in 2010. He was also recognised by the Law Society’s Pro Bono Service for his contributions to Legal Awareness in 2019. He won the Best Supporting Actor Award at Life! Theatre Award 2019 for his role in Leda and The Rage (which also won the Best Production Award).
SHERMAN LEE LE XUAN
Sherman is an orchestra librarian, composer and musician from Singapore. At first doing so out of passion, he started taking formal lessons in composition from Eric Watson in 2017. Sherman enjoys taking inspiration from traditional elements in his compositions, juxtaposing them against his modern sound world. His piece A Night along Clarke Quay was premiered by the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra alumni in May 2022.
As a dizi musician since young, Sherman auditioned into the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra (SNYCO) in 2013, where he was appointed as the Dizi Principal from 2015 to 2017 and 2019 to 2020. In 2016, he performed the dizi concerto 信天游 composed by Phoon Yew Tien, accompanied by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra.
Sherman currently holds the position of Composer-in-Residence in Dicapella. He graduated with a Diploma in Music in 2017 majoring in Dizi under the tutelage of Yin Zhi Yang, before making the switch to studying Composition under Dr Zechariah Goh. After graduating with a Bachelor of Music (Honours), Sherman puts his musical knowledge to good use as the Orchestra Librarian at the Singapore Chinese Orchestra and finds passion in advancing the skills and techniques of this little-known career path.
DEBRA CHUA
Debra is a Production and Stage Manager since 2009. She graduated from Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) in 2012 with an Honors Degree in Arts, Events and Stage Management (First Class Honors), and a recipient of NAC Arts Overseas Scholarship. Upon graduation, she was working full time as a Production Coordinator with The Esplanade Co Ltd. She also has been freelancing as a Production/ Stage Manager in various productions with Siong Leng Musical Association, Ding Yi Music Company, MySuperFuture Theatrical Productions and many more. Despite her experiences as a Production/ Stage Manager, she has also ventured into producing in these recent years.
CHONG WEI SIONG (SHAWN)
Wei Siong stepped into the world of lighting as a church volunteer. Being taught by his seniors, he has done multiple church services and events. Since then, he has been working as a freelancer and has done various kinds of shows in the MICE and the Art & Entertainment industries. He graduated from Kaplan with a Diploma in Events Management. His recent project is an inclusive concert: An Extraordinary Celebration 2024 held at UCC Auditorium. Wei Siong started Black Ops Lighting, and he continues to illuminate shows with his capturing, vibrant, and atmospheric styles of lighting.
CHONG KEE YONG
Dr. CHONG Kee Yong, is one of the leading contemporary music composers, possesses one of the most exciting voices in new music today. The uniqueness of his music stems not only from a rich palette of sounds, but his experimentation into traditions, infusing his own Chinese and multi-cultural heritage into his work.
Dr. Chong's distinctive style has won him many awards and commissions. His list of prizes at various competitions is remarkable, as the Prix Marcel Hastir, the Andrzej Panufnik prize, the Grand Prix of Seoul International Competition for Composers, the Max-Reger-Tage award, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra International Composers' Award, prestigious commission grant award by the Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation and Giga-Hertz-Award.
He has been awarded the composer-in-residency with Akademie der Künste, Herrenhaus Edenkoben, Asian Cultural Council, Center Henri Pousseur, SWR EXPERIMENTALSTUDIO, Civitella Ranieri Foundation Fellowship, National Gugak Center Fellowship, ignm-vs_forum Wallis, Spring Workshop, CulturalSummit Abu Dhabi and Villa Ruffieux.
Dr. Chong is the creative director of Studio C, He was the artistic director of the 2009 Kuala Lumpur Contemporary Music Festival and Biennial SMCC “SoundBridge” Contemporary Music Festival 2013-2021. He was visiting professor of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and visiting professor of Danish Royal Academy of Music.
DR ROBERT CASTEELS
Dr Robert Casteels is a versatile artist, composer, researcher, conductor, pianist and educator based in Singapore. He is noted for his pedagogical work in piano, analysis, composition and conducting.
Casteels has written a growing corpus of 130 musical works that defy classification because they cross cultures, genres and disciplines. His compositional output was at first atonal, then -coinciding with his arrival in South-East Asia- microtonal (gamelan). Currently it is mostly electro-acoustic and modal. His compositions have been premiered or performed in Australia, Belgium, China, England, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the Philippines and Singapore. For four years in a row, his compositions were selected by the Asia Composers League for their festivals in Singapore, Tokyo, Manilla and Hanoi.
Casteels has conducted more than 50 professional orchestras in a repertoire of 600 works ranging from the early classics to contemporary music, from symphonic to vocal and dance repertoire. He has conducted first performances of symphonic works, ballets and operas in festivals such as: Spoleto Festival, Ars Musica, Brisbane Biennale, Focus, Wien Modern, Donaueschingen and Berlin Biennale. He has premiered significant masterpieces in Singapore, including works by Boulez, Ligeti, Takemitsu, Stockhausen and Varèse.
Casteels holds music degrees from both Royal Music Conservatories of Brussels, the Guildhall (London) and Juilliard (NY) Schools and The University of Melbourne. He is the recipient of several awards, including the Bruno Walter Scholarship for Orchestral Conducting awarded by the Juilliard School for two consecutive years, as well as the First Prize for contemporary music at the International Conducting Competition of the Hungarian Radio and Television. In 2001, Casteels became the youngest recipient and the second musician ever to receive the prestigious Christoffel Plantin Prize, the Flemish Government’s highest award for cultural achievements, in recognition of his contribution to cross-cultural research.
Born in Belgium, he took up permanent residency in Singapore in 1996 and citizenship in 2007.
FELIX PHANG
An independent artist navigating tradition, change and a confluence of cultures, he seeks to make sense of his environment by exploring the cultural musical landscape of Singapore with a suite of music composed around the themes of ‘diversity’ and ‘relationships’ for ensembles comprising various folk instruments.
Felix has performed and presented his works at international music festivals and both the 2017 & 2019 International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers Symposium clinics facilitated by Grammy winner and nominees, Billy Childs, Bill Frisell, and Ron Miles. His intercultural composition, Pasat Merdu, was featured at the Temasek Foundation Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) National Day Concert in 2023, captivating audiences through performances by the SSO and his diverse ensemble, The Straits Ensemble. In 2024, Felix produced a 4-day intercultural music symposium that featured 26 workshops, as well as performances and dialogue sessions.
Currently leading Pasat Merdu, a non-profit arts organisation dedicated to promoting intercultural arts, Felix is driven to share culture through education, commissioning, presentation, and promotion. He holds an adjunct position at LASALLE College of the Arts, and mentors young composers in his own time.
REUBEN LAI
Reuben Lai is a graduate of Alexander Gibson Opera School at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD). He was a recipient of the Chevron Texaco scholarship as well as the first Singaporean who is a Samling Scholar. He has performed extensively in the UK, where he was previously based, and was also a member of the renowned Glyndebourne Festival Opera. In the UK, he was described by Opera magazine as a “first-rate tenor…” for his role in Prokofieff’s L’amour des trios oranges, and received praise for his role as Lenski and in the Chevalier de la Force in Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites
Since returning to Singapore, Reuben has sung with the major classical music companies including Singapore Lyric Opera, Opera Viva, New Opera Singapore, The Opera People, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Braddell Heights Orchestra, Red Dot Baroque amongst others.
In 2015 he co-founded L’arietta Productions with Akiko Otao and is also an adjunct at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), Lasalle College of the Arts and the School of the Arts (SOTA). He is also the Director of non-profit choir collective, Schola Cantorum Singapore Ltd.
ZULKIFLI MOHAMED AMIN
Zulkifli Mohamed Amin is a trailblazing force in Singapore's arts landscape, renowned for his groundbreaking contributions to music and youth empowerment. With a Master's degree in Arts Pedagogy and Practice from Goldsmiths, University of London, he stands as a conductor, music director, composer, and educator of exceptional calibre. His visionary impact was recognized with the prestigious Young Artist Award from the National Arts Council in 2018.
From a young age, Zulkifli's passion for the arts ignited a journey that has seen him emerge as a leader in the fusion of arts, culture, and music, all with a distinctive Singaporean flavour. As the founding conductor and music director of OMS Belia (Orkestra Melayu Singapura's youth orchestra) since 2005, he has consistently pushed the boundaries of artistic expression, steering the ensemble towards dynamic and innovative performances. His co-founding of Nusantara Arts further underscores his commitment to cultural integration, where he has masterminded groundbreaking works like 'The Archipelago Crossroads' and 'Traditionally Avant-Garde,' which challenge and expand the horizons of Malay music.
A dedicated advocate for youth development, Zulkifli has been instrumental in creating transformative programs such as the Music Discovery Programme, offering youths an immersive experience in Malay music. His creative prowess extends beyond music, as his multidisciplinary approach also embraces the visual arts, enriching his already diverse artistic expression.
Recently, Zulkifli ascended to the role of President and Artistic Director of Orkestra Melayu Singapura, cementing his leadership in the Malay music community. His influence also reaches into the governance of the arts in Singapore, where he serves on the board of Arts House Limited, shaping the strategic direction of one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions. Zulkifli Mohamed Amin is not just an artist but a visionary, continuously redefining the possibilities of Singapore’s cultural and artistic identity.
THEOPHILUS TAN
Theophilus started learning the cello at the age of 15 under Mrs Herminia A Ilano. He then studied at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music from 2011-2015 under Ng Pei Sian. He won the Goh Soon Tioe Award in 2015 and went on to pursue a Masters of Music in Cello Performance at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, Switzerland supported by Trailblazer Foundation and individual donorship.
He has participated in masterclasses with cellists such as Frans Helmerson, Gustav Rivinius, Arto Noras and etc. He was featured in the local Dutch Newspaper article, “The stars of tomorrow” in Bergen during the International Holland Music Sessions in 2014. He also performed with the Michelangelo String Quartet
Theophillus has been featured with various groups, performing Haydn’s Cello Concerto in D Major with the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra in 2014 as well as Vivaldi’s Concerto in D minor RV565 with Resound Collective and Enrico d’Onofrio in 2019, the Dvorak cello concerto in 2023 and Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations with Musicians Initiative in 2024
He was the founding cellist of the Concordia Quartet from 2020-2021 and continues to devote his time to teaching and performing with various groups such as Resound Collective, Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, Musicians Initiative, Asian Cultural Symphony, Orchestra of the Music Makers, as well as The Philharmonic Orchestra.
NIRANJAN PANDIAN
Niranjan Pandian is a leading exponent of Indian bamboo flutes in South East Asia, having performed at prominent festivals such as the Shanghai International Spring Music Festival 2017, the 34th ASEAN Summit in 2019, the Rainforest World Music Festival 2022, and the Guangxi Arts Festival in 2017 and 2023. With initial training under Dr. Ghanavenothan Retnam, he now receives mentorship from Vidwan Amith Nadig and Pundit Deepak Ram, supported by the Capability Development Grant from the National Arts Council (Singapore).
With the prestigious NAC Arts Scholarship, Niranjan graduated from LASALLE College of the Arts with a BA (Hons) in Music. In 2022, he was awarded the Mandolin U. Shrinivas International Award by the Shrinivas Institute of World Musique (SIOWM). A multi-award winning composer, he has created music for singles, EPs, dance dramas, and short films.
He music directs four ensembles—Brahmastra Ensemble, Brahmastra Multi-Ethnic Ensemble, The Vamshika Quintet, and The NP Collective—and is the creative head of Brahmastra Arts House. Collaborating with various organizations, Niranjan also serves as a music consultant for festivals and media productions like Chingay 2023 and 2024 and Raagangal Palavitham. He guest lectures at LASALLE College of the Arts, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Nanyang Academy of Music, and the Ministry of Education.
Niranjan was featured as one of seven human libraries in the “What is Your Passion?” series by the National Library Board (Singapore).
KANG CHUN MENG
Born in 1996, Kang Chun Meng has been hailed as one of the most exciting brass soloists in Singapore. Currently, he serves as Principal Euphonium with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Central Band and the Lion City Brass Band. He is also the Adjunct Principal Study Lecturer of Euphonium at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).
A graduate of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Chun Meng first began learning the euphonium at the age of nine under the guidance of Singaporean euphonium player, Ng Kok Hin, before moving on to British euphonium soloist Mark Glover from 2013 to 2016. He had also been tutored by renowned soloists such as Shoichiro Hokazono, Adam Frey and Steven Mead.
As a soloist, he has performed both overseas and locally with several ensembles including the Benefiz - Musik und Kultur für andere, Singapore Sounds Orchestra, Singapore Wind Symphony, Philharmonic Winds and Philharmonic Youth Winds. In 2017, he made his debut with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, with a local premiere of Philip Wilby’s Euphonium Concerto, being the first brass soloist in history to be featured in the Orchestra’s annual President’s Young Performer Concert. Aside from solo performance, Chun Meng is also one of the founding members of TEH Trio, a first-of-its-kind ensemble that is revolutionising brass playing in Singapore.
With his undying passion for music, Chun Meng strives to push the limits of his instrument and continues to be recognised as a world class virtuoso, concurrently bringing the euphonium into its deserved recognition locally and abroad.
Chun Meng is currently a Besson artist in Singapore, and performs on a Besson Prestige BE2052 Euphonium.
TOH KAI SIANG EUGENE
Eugene currently serves as a percussionist in the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band. He has been active in the local percussion performance as well as the education scene. He has performed under the baton of Tsung Yeh, Lan Shui, Lim Yau, Tan Dun, Chan Tze Law, Quek Ling Kiong, among others. Some highlights of his concert appearances include the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, Ding Yi Music Company, and The Nanyang Collective.
Eugene first studied Chinese percussion with Mr Quek Ling Kiong when he joined the Dunman High School Chinese Orchestra at the age of 13. Since then, he had actively explored various fields of percussion under the guidance of teachers such as Ngoh Kheng Seng, Tan Loke Chuah.
Eugene holds a Bachelor of Music(Hons) degree conferred by the Royal College of Music, under the tutelage of Mark Suter. From 2015 to 2017, he was a full-time chamber musician with Ding Yi Music Company. He teaches at School of the Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, and currently studies South Indian percussion under the tutelage of Sri D Rajagopal at the Temple of Fine Arts. He has also studied Middle Eastern percussion with Yshai Afterman.
CHUA YEW KOK
A National Arts Council Young Artist Award Recipient, Chua Yew Kok has forged an impressive career as a pipa instrumentalist and as an educator.
Born in Singapore, Chua began his musical pursuits with the pipa at the age of 14. Within six years, Chua clinched his first major award, winning 1st prize at the 1998 National Chinese Music Competition, Pipa Open Category. Since his graduation from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 2006, he has pursued his passion avidly. Chua’s endeavours were not in vain, for he was awarded the National Arts Council Young Artist Award in 2013 for him to pursue his studies at the China Conservatory of Music.
As a soloist, Chua’s artistry has been recognised through a diverse myriad of performance and competition platforms. In 2002, Chua was awarded the Outstanding Performer Prize in the First Youth Artistry Chinese Traditional Instrument Solo Competition for Youths held in Beijing. Thereafter in 2005, he achieved 2nd Prize in the Dun Huang (Yun) Cup Pipa Competition in Hong Kong. Chua has also been selected as a soloist for various works and premieres, including the Ong Teng Cheong Concert (2004) and Spotlight Singapore in Tokyo (2006). Concert tour with Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne (2015).
A highly versatile performer, Chua has performed works by world renowned contemporary composers Chen Yi (The Points, Chinese Fables) ,Tan Dun (Ghost Opera, concerto for pipa and strings) , Law Wing Fai (Ink Spirit, Anecdotic drawing) has been exploring new works by cooperating with local young composers in hope to promote and the expand the art of pipa playing. In the recent years, he has been actively performing in many international Arts Festival, such as China, Taiwan, Hongkong, Australia, Wales, Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia and various cities in France.
Chua has also been involved with several notable ensembles and orchestras, including the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. In 2007, he co-founded Ding Yi Music Company, one of Singapore’s most distinctive Chinese chamber music ensembles, which he has led to excellence in local and international competitions. In 2008, the Ding Yi Company Ensemble was awarded 1st prize at the National Chinese Music Competition (Ensemble Open Category). The ensemble has also received 1st prize in the prestigious Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod held in Wales, UK, and the Silver Award at the 28th Shanghai Spring International Music Festival.
Contributing to the development of Singapore’s Chinese orchestral scene, Chua currently serves as the pipa soloist of Ding Yi Music Company and the Secretariat of Singapore Pipa Society. He is also a dedicated mentor, doing his part in inspiring the future generation of the Chinese music scene.
BRIAN LIM
Brian Lim is a multi-instrumentalist with the clarinet and traditional Indonesian Gamelan instruments as his primary instruments. He is a Middle School Band and Popular Music teacher at Singapore American School, and the Assistant Conductor at Damai Secondary School. Brian also tutors clarinet/woodwind sections in local Singaporean school bands and teaches private clarinet lessons to both youths and adults.
Brian founded and directs Not A Clarinet Choir (est. 2022), a collective of clarinet players from various backgrounds, and he also serves as the Resident Conductor of the Saints Alumni Band, comprising alumni band members from St. Andrew’s Secondary School and Junior College.
Brian plays multiple traditional instruments in Indonesian Gamelan music (since 2014), primarily with Singa Nglaras Gamelan Ensemble (National University of Singapore). He has performed in various cross-culture/fusion performances, with ensembles such as Nanyang Collective, Siong Leng Musical Association, Bhaskar Arts Academy, Marsiling Malay Orkestra, and the Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra. With his various groups, he has performed locally and internationally.
Brian also has experience in choral singing as a Baritone (since 2014), and has performed locally and internationally with the SYC Ensemble Singers, as well as with Symphonia Choralis and the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra.
JACKY NG YONG HOE
Jacky Ng Yong Hoe is one of the most sought-after, award-winning multi-instrumentalist specializing in Suona, Guanzi and Saxophone. He is known for his versatility in utilizing his instruments in cross-cultural, cross-genre collaborations and Chinese classical music. He started his music journey at the age of 13, under the tutelage of Singapore Chinese Orchestra Suona musician, Liu Jiang. In 2012, Jacky joined the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra (SNYCO) and was later appointed as the principal Suona and Guan musician. Graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) – University of the Arts (UAS) in music performance, Jacky emerged into the local music scene as one of the most successful Suona soloist, featured in numerous music concerts and artistic productions. Apart from his extensive involvement locally, he was also often invited to perform overseas with local esteemed ensembles and orchestras. Jacky also teaches in several schools as a Chinese Orchestra woodwinds instructor and a full-time Suona and Guan musician with Ding Yi Music Company.
NG WEI PING
Ng Wei Ping is the concertmaster of Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra since 2018, championing Asian cultural symphonic music and has produced many live performances and video recordings with Adrian Chiang and Dedric Wong under the support of National Arts Council during this pandemic. He is also a regular member of re:Sound Collective, a local professional Chamber Orchestra which collaborated with many reknowned artist from around the world. In 2022, he worked with many excellent local musicians in Nanyang Collective to deliver a very successful inaugural concert at the Esplanade recital studio. Ng Wei Ping has been appointed the principal violinist and concertmaster of Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, and has performed with Cologne New Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra for more than fifty concerts throughout Germany and Australia.
Ng Wei ping received his BA (First-Class Honors) in Music at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), validated by University of Wales, and was presented the best graduate award and the Embassy of Peru Award for his outstanding achievement in various music disciplines. He was under the tutelage of Foo Say Ming and Alexander Souptel, while serving as the leader of NAFA Symphony Orchestra. He was also the concertmaster when the orchestra performed at the Bötersheim Music Festival in Germany organized by Professor Prosper C. Otto, Music Director of Hamburg Arts Festival. Professor Ulf Schneider and Professor Oliver Wille from Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover has great influence on his style of playing as well.
Wei Ping plays on a 1881 Justin Poirson violin, generously on loan from Mr and Mrs Rin Kei Mei.
PROGRAMME NOTES TIDES
FELIX PHANG
"Tides" is a lyrical journey that explores the cyclical and powerful nature of the ocean's tides as a metaphor for enduring love and connection. The song begins with the imagery of a growing swell crashing on the shore, symbolising the sudden and overwhelming presence of emotions. This is paired with the idea of an irresistible call hidden in the stillness, representing a deep, persistent feeling that is always present, even when not immediately visible.
The chorus celebrates the boundless and true nature of the tides, suggesting that no matter the distance or challenges, they will always bring the narrator back to their loved one. This is reinforced by the repetition of the theme that the tides stay ever true, underscoring the reliability and consistency of this connection.
As the song progresses, the gentle, ceaseless motion of the waves becomes a comforting rhythm, guiding the narrator through the uncertainty of time and space. The moonlight and the sun's warm embrace symbolize guidance and warmth, leading the way even in moments of doubt.
"Tides" conveys a message of hope and resilience, with the assurance that the tides will always bring the narrator back to their beloved, no matter the circumstances. The interplay between the moonlight and the sun's rise reflects the continuous cycle of day and night, mirroring the enduring nature of love that persists through all phases of life.
SLEEP WITH YOUR SONG
CHONG KEE YONG
This work is inspired by many endless lullabies full of love, sung by mothers and loved ones….
The song below is sung in Hakka.
月光光
月光光, 秀才郎, Ngiad gong gong, siu zang long
骑白马, 过莲塘, Ki pag ma, guo lien tong
莲塘背, 种韭菜, Lien tong poi, cung giu coi
韭菜花, 结亲家, Giu coi fa, giad cin ka
亲家门前一肚塘, Cin ka mun cien id du tong
放的鲤鱼八尺长, Fong li ng bad cag cong
长的拿来炒酒吃, Zong ge na loi cau ziu sii
短的拿来给姑娘.
Don ge na loi bun gu ngiong
FELIX PHANG
PROGRAMME NOTES UNDERCURRENTS
Exploring the hidden dimensions of conflict in relationships, this piece illustrates the journey from latent unease to painful discord, and finally, to resolution. Through musical devices, performers are invited to delve deep within and express themselves through improvisation. My hope is that this work, through the transformative essence of music, offers a space for deep reflection for both those who play and those who listen.
DIXTOUR ROBERT CASTEELS
Dixtuor is a composition for ten performers, who in this case play 29 instruments.
The dixtuor opus 140 composed by Robert Casteels for Nanyang Collective in 2024 comprises five parts, each announced by the tenor in one of Singapore’s four official languages.
The suona and the euphonium emphasize each announcement. Section 1 is a binary battle with pyrrhic winners.
This futile struggle leads to section 2, a peaceful and gently ironic pseudo-waltz during which each melodic lines evolves according to its special needs.
Section 3 is based on extracts of poet Cyril Wong’s colloquy of three entitled The Architects from his book This Side of Heaven.
The three-in-one voice observes the earth from afar and reflects on human relationships.
The conclusion on the meaning of true love organically leads to section 4, in which Casteels attempts to express compassion, the feeling of empathy for the suffering of others.
The final section 5 plays the same role as an envoi in a poem.
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