Asia-Pacifc Improvisers Symposium
21 & 22 February 2025
YST Conservatory of Music
(APIS)
Friday, 21 February 2025
YST Conservatory of Music
Day 1: AM Session
9:00 Coffee Break
9:30 Symposium Opening by Karst de Jong
9:45 Opening Keynote by Timothy O’Dwyer
10:30 Showcase by John Sharpley and Yii Kah Hoe
12:00 Lunch Break (*Meal not provided)
Friday, 21 February 2025
YST Conservatory of Music
Day 1: PM Session
13:30 Showcase by Robert Burke and Jeonghyeon Joo, Jiyun Song & Jisu Han
15:00 Forum: Improvisation Around the Region
16:30 Coffee Break
17:00 Showcase by Bridge Ensemble (Darren Moore, Timothy O’Dwyer, Tony Makarome & Karst de Jong) and Black Zenith (Darren Moore & Brian O’Reily)
18:30 Dinner Break (*Meal not provided)
20:00 Evening Concert: weird aftertaste music and Taceti Ensemble
Saturday, 22 February 2025
YST Conservatory of Music
Day 2: AM Session
9:00 Coffee Break
9:45 Keynote by Franziska Schroeder on the Intersection of AI & Music
10:30 Showcase by Hanoi New Music Ensemble and Synap + Syafq
12:00 Lunch Break (*Meal not provided)
Saturday, 22 February 2025
YST Conservatory of Music
Day 2: PM Session
13:30 Showcase by Churen Li & Roberto Alonso, and Roger Dean
15:00 Roundtable Discussion / Coffee Break
16:30 Showcase by Radar Suara and RedSpills
18:00 Dinner Break (*Meal not provided)
19:30 Closing Concert: Ones to Watch – Sounds of the City
Day 1: AM Session
Symposium Opening
KARST DE JONG (SG/NL)
The Asia-Pacifc Improvisers Symposium brings together a diverse group of artists and practitioners from across the region to engage in a critical exploration of improvisation through performance, dialogue, and collaboration.
Building on recent shifts in European music education over the past decade, where improvisation has gained recognition as both an art form and academic discipline, this inaugural symposium draws on the vibrancy of musical cultures and contemporary developments in the Asia-Pacifc region — which provide a rich foundation for exploring improvisation, not only as a form of artistic expression but also as a useful tool for music education.
Over this week, we can look forward to a series of engaging showcases with artists from across the APAC region and beyond. Each day comprises performance-presentation showcases by artists, framed with an opening keynote as well as collective dialogue. The symposium culminates in a closing concert with the YST Orchestral Institute – featuring a dynamic programme of beloved orchestral works and collaborative creation inspired by the city and its soundscape.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Dutch pianist, improviser, music theorist and educator Karst de Jong (1961) studied Classical Piano with Geoffrey Douglas Madge and Music Theory with Ineke Kien at the Royal Conservatoire of Den Haag, taking secondary subjects of jazz piano and arranging with Frans Elsen and Rob van Kreeveld. He is internationally recognized in the feld of classical improvisation, having transformed his artistic practice from performing classical pieces to bringing improvisation to the stage. He published research on music theory, improvisation and collaborative music creation. With 35 years of
teaching experience in Higher Music Education, he held positions at renowned institutions in the Netherlands such as the Conservatory of Amsterdam and the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, as well as at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya in Barcelona. Since 2023 he is appointed full-time professor at the NUS YST Conservatory in Singapore.
With his focus on promoting the integration of improvisation in the practice and education of classical musicians, he was closely involved in realizing substantial changes in the music theory curriculum of the Royal Conservatoire of Den Haag over the past ten years. This process is strongly linked to his initiating role in two major European strategic partnerships of the Erasmus+ program: The European Improvisation Intensive (2012-2014) and the METRIC project (2016-2018), both focusing on promoting the integration of improvisation in the curricula of Institutes of Higher Music Education in Europe. He was also actively involved in the NAIP program, the European Master of New Audiences and Innovative Practices. He developed many new ways of guiding classical musicians in the process of creating new music together, both in the orientation phase of their study as well as in orchestral projects and improvisation events.
As a pianist and performing improviser, he gave concerts, masterclasses and workshops of improvisation for all combinations of instruments at internationally renowned festivals and institutions. Karst de Jong was co-founder and general director of the Vila-seca Music Festival (Tarragona, Spain) from 2011-2018. Many pianists made their appearances at this festival, among them Paul Badura Skoda, Edith Fischer, Cyprien Katsaris, Boris Berman, Peter Frankl, Luiz de Moura Castro, Mikhail Petukhov, Jean-Marc Luisada, Gülsin Onay, Josep Colom and Pierre Réach. He released two CDs with piano solo improvisations, “Improdisiac I & II”.
As a researcher, he published various articles on improvisation, collaborative music creation and music theory, and appeared at numerous national and international conferences. He was a cofounder and board member of the Dutch Belgian Society of Music Theory, as well as an editor for the Dutch Journal of Music Theory. Since 2012 he has been supervising artistic research projects in the Masters studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Den Haag, and has also been actively involved in the development of the Research Catalogue, an online publishing platform for artistic research.
Opening Keynote
TIMOTHY O’DWYER (SG/AU)
The resurgence of improvisation in classical music education has sparked a renewed interest in reimagining traditional pedagogical approaches. This keynote explores the evolving role of improvisation within the Asia-Pacifc region, emphasizing its historical signifcance, contemporary applications, and future potential. Historically, improvisation was a central practice in Western classical music, yet institutional shifts in the 19th century led to its marginalization. However, today’s leading conservatoires and educators are reclaiming improvisation as a vital tool for fostering musical fuency, creativity, and cross-cultural dialogue.
As a global arts hub, Singapore has emerged as a leader in integrating improvisation into classical music training. Institutions like LASALLE College of the Arts and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music are pioneering structured approaches to improvisation, embedding it within core curricula and collaborative performance settings. This keynote will highlight case studies from Singapore and beyond, demonstrating how improvisation reshapes musicianship in the 21st century. The Asia-Pacifc Improvisers Symposium also serves as a platform for practitioners across the region to engage in dialogue, performance, and pedagogical exchange, strengthening a regional network of improvisers.
As we navigate the evolving landscape of classical music education, this presentation will challenge the audience to reconsider the role of improvisation—not as an auxiliary skill but as a core component of artistic expression and musical innovation.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Dr Tim O’Dwyer has been the Head of the School of Contemporary Music at LASALLE | University of the Arts Singapore for the past 15 years. During this time of change and growth, the school has developed a unique ethos and approach to music pedagogy that covers a broad range of disciplines, including Electronic Music, Popular Performance, Contemporary Classical, Jazz Performance, Composition and Audio Production. The impact of these programmes on the Singapore music community has been signifcant and extensive. Dr Tim improvises on the saxophone, composes music, and grapples with the ideas of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guatarri in the context of his practice. Over more than 30 years, he has been a crucial musical instigator in Australia, Asia and Europe with projects including bucketrider, The Make It Up Club, The Tim O’Dwyer Trio, ELISION Ensemble, The Australian Art Orchestra, CHOPPA Festival of Experimental Music, and as a Fellow of the Academy of the Arts of the World in Cologne.
Why I Improvise
JOHN SHARPLEY (SG/US)
I’ve been improvising music since early childhood. Some of my earliest memories as a toddler involve creating sonic landscapes joyfully without inhibition at the piano.
A notable incident occurred during a student piano recital where, upon forgetting the development section of a Mozart piano sonata, I seamlessly improvised before returning to Mozart’s original material. Although my teacher expressed disapproval, I found the experience exhilarating. A few years later, studying at the French National Conservatory in Strasbourg, I collaborated with poets who recited as I improvised in public performances, which felt liberating and magical. This was, nonetheless, completely outside of my conservatory training.
Despite earning a Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition, improvisation was conspicuously absent from my formal training. Instead, outside encouragement came from mentors such as Pauline Oliveros, whose concept of “deep listening” inspired me to trust my instincts and embrace improvisation as a tool for personal freedom and interconnectivity (Oliveros, 1984). Other infuential improvisors and mentors included Malcolm Goldstein, Stewart Dempster, and Anthony Braxton whose practices broadened my understanding of improvisation as both an art form and a means of connection. Even John Cage who considered most improvisation to be unoriginal and trite had a particular infuence on me to be open for any sonic possibility and that silence is not emptiness (Cage, 1961).
Initially, improvisation served as a deeply personal expression rooted in my spiritual and artistic journey. However, this exponentially expanded when I moved to Singapore in 1985 to co-direct a Boston University Music Program. Collaborations with local artists such as Lim Fei Shen, a pioneer dancer, and Kuo Pao Kun, a playwright and director, propelled my improvisatory practices into public spaces. The establishment of The Substation in 1990, along with co-founding the interdisciplinary and improvisation-based ensemble
Muhibbah (Malay for “living in harmony”), further expanded my engagement with diverse art forms and cultures. By the early 1990s, improvisation had become an essential part of my professional life, enabling collaborations with artists across disciplines and cultural backgrounds.
After many decades of experience and research, my sources of inspiration and vocabulary are wide and diversifed. My life’s journey has taken me all around the world. Southeast Asia, specifcally Singapore, has been my home for 39 years (at the time of this writing). I have travelled, researched, worked, and collaborated extensively with many artists of diverse disciplines particularly throughout Asia. This has contributed to my personal collection of over 300 musical instruments, most of which are Asian. For example, the resonances of the Javanese saron, Tibetan singing bowls, and the silences (ma or 間) of the Japanese shakuhachi inspire my work. In fact, my music’s deepest Asian infuences are spiritual and philosophical. A key infuence is the Taoist concept of wu wei ( 無為), which translates from Chinese as “non-action” suggesting effortless action. Quoting from the Tao Te Ching (道德經), a classic of Chinese philosophical literature: “The Tao is always ‘not-doing’ yet there is nothing it doesn’t do” (Lao Tzu, ca. 4th century BCE, Chapter 37). This principle informs my improvisational philosophy, emphasizing presence and spontaneity. There is also a remarkable passage from the Sanskrit Vedic text, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad ( बृहदारण्यकोपनिषद्), that has resonated with me for many decades: “No one can understand the sounds of a drum without understanding both drum and drummer…As clouds of smoke arise from a fre laid with damp fuel even so from the Supreme have issued forth all the Vedas, history, arts, sciences, poetry, aphorisms, and commentaries. All these are the breath of the Supreme” (Anonymous, ca. 7th - 6th century BCE, pages 101 – 102). This passage is a constant reminder to me that all is interconnected.
Ultimately, music is not just sound or vibration. Rather, music emanates from consciousness of both music-maker/giver and music-recipient. As consciousness resides in a body, music is equally corporeal in nature. We listen and make music with the whole self, the whole mind, the whole body with a whole instrument. Master improvisor, guitarist, and writer Derek Bailey wrote: “It is the attitude of the player to this tactile element, to the physical experience of
playing an instrument, to the ‘instrumental impulse’ which establishes much of the way he plays. One of the basic characteristics of his improvising, detectable in everything he plays, will be how he harnesses the instrumental impulse. Or how he reacts against it. And this makes the stimulus and the recipient of this impulse, the instrument, the most of his musical resources” (Bailey, 1993, page 97). Music is perception, which is multi-levelled, multi-sensorial, infnitely variable, and both personal and collective. Without the perceiver or listener plus imagination there is no music, no dance of vibration between observer and observed (Sharpley, 2024).
Why improvise, practice, or teach it?
Derek Bailey, also aptly elucidated the signifcance of improvisation: “…improvisation has no need of argument and justifcation. It exists because it meets the creative appetite that is a natural part of being a performing musician and because it invites complete involvement, to a degree otherwise unobtainable, in the act of musicmaking” (Bailey, 1993, page 142). Improvisation offers boundless possibilities for connection, expression, and discovery. At the simplest level, it involves choices of articulations, dynamics, tempo, timbre, creating a unique interpretation of pre-existing works. More advanced improvisation allows for ornamentation, accompaniment patterns, variation, and even the creation of cadenzas. An even more advanced level would allow for extemporization of entire pieces based on particular genres and styles. However, at its highest level, improvisation becomes fully intuitive where nothing is predetermined, and one operates with a clear and empty mind, embodying the Taoist concept of wu wei and experiencing the Japanese concept of ma.
For audiences, live improvisation offers a one-of-a-kind experience that can never be replicated. Those present may, on occasion, experience freedom and exhilaration unparalleled. My teaching aims to guide students toward this freedom and exhilaration, encouraging curiosity, risk-taking, and joy. Initially, students are often hesitant and lack confdence to improvise but over time they discover it as a source of personal fulflment. Improvisation transcends music; it is a window to the self and beyond. It has the potential to transform not only artistic practices but also educational and societal frameworks. Imagine a world where improvisation informs all aspects of education—awakening deeper connections, compassion, and creativity in individuals and communities alike.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
JOHN SHARPLEY possesses a unique and multi-faceted career spanning geographic and cultural borders. He is a composer, performer and teacher, and writer with a Doctorate in Music Composition from Boston University; a Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Houston; and music diplomas from the National Conservatory of Music in Strasbourg, France. He is often featured in concerts, conferences, festivals, articles, and documentaries: including Kyoto City University of the Arts, the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Symposium (Melbourne), Illinois Wesleyan University, Texas Music Teachers Association Conventions, the New York Film Festival, Across Oceans International Festival (Toronto), the Hong Kong Asian Arts Festival, Soundbridge Malaysia, multiple Asian Composers League Festivals, Our Music Foundation Nepal (Kathmandu), and most recently the Puente Festival in Viña del Mar, Chile. Honors include the Texas Music Teachers Association Composition Prize, an American Cine-Eagle Award and a New York Film Festival Award, a citation from Stanford University (USA), and a composer-in-residency with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Compositions include orchestral works, operas, chamber music, songs, and solo piano works plus music for theatre, flm, and dance. Formerly Assistant Professor of Music at Boston University, Sharpley currently lectures at LaSalle College of the Arts (Singapore) where he has developed a three-year improvisation course. His recent book, We Are Music: An Existential Journey Toward Infnity (World Scientifc) is internationally acclaimed.
Showcase
YII KAH HOE (MY)
I was born in Marudi, Baram, in the midst of a rainforest in Borneo. I majored in composition and came from a Western classical music background, but I was drawn to the Borneo folk musicians’ improvisational style by my inner voice. In my performance, I’m going to use different kinds of sulings and nose fute.
A performance of improvisational music that combineS modern extended techniques with traditional music from the indigenous people of Baram, Sarawak.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Yii Kah Hoe is a Malaysian composer and Chinese dizi and xiao improviser. Yii has been recognized as one of the major voices among Southeast Asian composers of his generation. His music has been widely performed in Asia, America, and Europe.
As a music improviser, he has performed at the Asian Meeting Festival in Japan, KLEX Festival in Malaysia, Oh Art Festival in Vietnam, PlayFreely in Singapore and etc. Yii won the National Outstanding Educator Award 2018 presented by the Private Education Cooperative of Malaysia. In the fall of 2015, and in the spring of 2023, Yii was the Scripps College Erma Taylor O’Brien Distinguished Visiting Professor at Scripps College in Claremont.
Yii was a Fullbright Scholar in Residence from August 2022 to June 2023 while working as a composition professor at Washington State University.
Yii was the festival director of Kuala Lumpur Contemporary Music Festival 2009, the festival director of SoundBridge festival (2013, 2015), the president of Society of Malaysian Contemporary Composers (2014 – 2016) and a senior lecturer at SEGi College Subang Jaya, Malaysia since 2000.
Day 1: PM Session
Improvising Encounters
ROBERT BURKE (AU)
The aim of this performance (Encounters) is to include participants attending the symposium to join in a collective improvisation. ‘Encounters’ focuses on building social and interpersonal relationships through active listening, trust, and collaborative engagement. This approach contributes to the reconceptualising of traditional notions of virtuosity. Instead of focusing on technical expertise, encounters focus on tactical skills, intuition and the ability to manage complex social dynamics during improvisation. Encounters in improvisation are dynamic and constantly evolving. The improvisation is shaped by when the performers arrive and leave. Their disruptions, silences and agency to adapt shape the direction of improvisations as they respond to shifting conditions. This adaptability allows the performers to navigate uncertainties, transforming challenges into new opportunities for creative expression. The contribution to new knowledge lies in a greater understanding of how improvisations start and fnish. It will also serve as a place and space for new understandings of social and identity work, ideas, and approaches to collaborative creativity. It will allow players to have agency and focus on the experience to arrive, leave, start, stop, etc. It also contributes new aesthetic discoveries and developments that lead to an enhanced and broadened concept of what improvisation is and can become.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Robert Burke (Associate Professor, Monash University) is an internationally acclaimed improvising performer, composer, and academic. His research explores jazz and improvisational processes, investigating “what happens when we improvise?” This includes studies in the phenomenology of musical interaction, experimentation, identity, agency, and gender studies. He has authored several books, including Perspectives on Artistic Research in Music and Experimentation in Jazz: Idea Chasing. As a recording artist, Robert has released 17 CDs under his own name and has contributed as a composer and performer to over 300 recordings. He has collaborated extensively both in Australia and internationally, working with renowned artists and academics such as Professor George Lewis (Columbia University, NYC), Professor Raymond MacDonald (UK), Dave Douglas (USA), Enrico Rava (Italy), Hermeto Pascoal (Brazil), Kenny Werner (USA), Mark Helias (USA), Ben Monder (USA), Tom Rainey (USA), Tony Malaby (USA), Nasheet Waits (USA), George Garzone (USA), Paul Grabowsky (Aus), Tony Gould (Aus) Kris Davis (Can), Debasis Chakraborty (India), Paulo Angeli (Italy), Tia Denora (UK), Maria Sappho (UK) and Andrys Onsman (Aus). Robert is also the President of AJIRN (Australasian Jazz and Improvisation Research Network).
Showcase
JEONGHYEON JOO, JIYUN SONG & JISU HAN (KR)
Jiyun Song, Jeonghyeon Joo, and Jisu Han perform two sets of improvised music under loosely-constructed guidelines. Guidelines include musical and non-musical gestures such as specifc elements from Korean traditional folk music, physical movements, and dynamic indications.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
JEONGHYEON JOO, haegeum
Jeonghyeon Joo is a haegeum performer/composer based in Los Angeles and Seoul. Her practice includes performance, composition, improvisation, artistic research, collaboration, writing, and teaching. She explores the physical, social, cultural, and political relationship between the performer and instrument, frequently collaborating with flmmakers, visual artists, composers, and performance artists.
She has received the Emerging Artist Award from the National Academy of Arts of the Republic of Korea (2024) and the Presidential Award of Korea (2012), and her recent projects have been supported by the Arts Council Korea, the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, and the California Institute of the Arts, among others.
In addition to performing and composing, she has frequently given lectures and presented her works at institutions across North America and Asia, such as UCLA, UC Berkeley, CalArts, UC Riverside, San Francisco State University, San Diego State University, Seoul National University, Jakarta Institute of Arts, Philosophical Research Center, and Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles as well as international conferences including International Computer Music Conference, New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, and Composition in Asia International Symposium.
She received a Doctor of Musical Arts from the California Institute of the Arts (CA, United States) and earned a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Music from Seoul National University (Seoul, South Korea). She is currently an Assistant Professor at the School of Performing Arts at the Seoul Institute of the Arts and serves as a Program Director at CultureHub. | joowork.com
JIYUN SONG , daegeum
Jiyun Song is a daegeum performer, composer, and improviser. Her musical infuence spans from Korean traditional music to European free improvisation, contemporary music, and experimental art. She continues the process of exploration and experimentation with sounds and instruments.
After earning a Master in Korean Music at the Seoul National University, she received a Master’s degree in Improvisation at the Pôle Supérieur Paris and studied with Philippe Pannier and Vincent Lê Quang. She has received grants from the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture and has been selected as a New Wave Artist by the Soorim Cultural Foundation (2022). She collaborates and creates works with artists from different backgrounds such as composers, performance artists, sound and visual artists, and installation artists. Currently, she serves as a leader of a Seoul-based improvisation music community MoIM (Meeting of Improvising Musicians), and a member of Liquid Sound.
JISU HAN , sheng (saenghwang)
Jisu Han is a performer, composer, and improviser from South Korea, specializing in the traditional wind instruments sheng (saenghwang) and piri. Through these instruments and her musical practice, she explores the relationship between sound and existence, expanding the boundaries of perception and sensation while pushing the artistic possibilities of sound.
Since 2019, Han has led the performance and workshop series Saenghwang Bang-at-gan and has organized performances, documentaries, and exhibitions with support from the Arts Council Korea (ARKO) and the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture (SFAC). She studied at the Korea National University of Arts and the China Conservatory of Music and completed coursework for a Master’s degree in Korean Music Composition at Seoul National University. She was awarded the Gold Prize at the 21st Century Korean Music Project. In addition to her artistic work, she has given special lectures at Seoul National University and the Korea National University of Arts.
Forum: Improvisational Practices in the APAC Region
YII KAH HOE (MY), SIRAVITH (TH), ROBERT BURKE (AU), ROGER DEAN (AU), THEIN MINH (VN), JEONGHYEON JOO (KR) & ROBERTO ALONSO (HK)
In this session we will get short 10 minute reports from various artistst in the Symposium, talking about the status of musical improvisation in their countries. Through this session we want to give the audience and the fellow participants an idea of the practice of improvisation in our region. We are also interested to hear about the place of improvisation in the curricula of various intitutions of Higher Music Education (HMEs). Considering the exceptional fact that improvisation has all but disappeared from the Western music tradition, it is interesting to see how it is making a comeback in the West. Is this comeback also visible in the institutions that follow a Western music education model, such as YST? And what about the improvisational practices in the Asian music cultures? Do they connect in any way to our music education?
The session aims to raise awareness and inspire questions that hopefully will be addressed in a future collaborative network.
Showcase
BRIDGE ENSEMBLE (SG)
The Bridge Ensemble, featuring Karst de Jong on piano, Tim O’Dywer on saxophone, Darren Moore on drums, and Tony Makarome on acoustic bass, is a dynamic collective that exemplifes the strength of diverse musical infuences and high-level musicianship. Each member brings a rich background in jazz, classical, free improvisation, and experimental music, enhancing their collaborative improvisations. De Jong, with his deep roots in classical and jazz piano, integrates intricate improvisational techniques, while Moore infuses complex Carnatic rhythms into his drumming, drawing from his extensive research and performance experience. O’Dywer’s versatile saxophone playing bridges the realms of traditional jazz and avant-garde music, supported by his expertise in contemporary classical and improvisational genres. Makarome’s adeptness in jazz, orchestral conducting and mridangam playing enriches the ensemble’s harmonic and rhythmic interplay. Together, the Bridge Ensemble creates innovative performances that merge jazz, classical, free improvisation, Indian rhythms, and experimental soundscapes, embodying a coalescence of musical traditions.
Showcase
BLACK ZENITH (SG)
BLACK ZENITH is a collaborative project between Brian O’Reilly and Darren Moore, blending infuences from electroacoustic composition, noise and dub music. Their sound is marked by a gestural, textured, and rhythmic quality, employing modular synthesizers, electronic effects, and percussion to craft an evolving improvised dialogue. In their latest work, INFLUENCE FIELD Black Zenith delves into rhythm as a fractal link between acoustically and electronically generated elements. The duo constructs an ecosystem of polyrhythmic artifacts using drums, modular synthesizers, and electronic effects to shape intricate layers of time that expand into diverse musical pathways.
Brian O’Reilly works within the felds of electroacoustic composition, graphic notation, mixed media drawings, video art, and noise music. As a contrabassist, he concentrates on uncovering inaudible textures and hidden acoustic microsounds of his instrument by integrating electronic treatments and extended playing techniques. In addition to his work with abstract moving images and visual art, O’Reilly plays modular analog synthesizers and electronics for the duo Black Zenith, contributes contrabass and electronics to the noisejazz group Game of Patience, and creates live visuals for the music of Curtis Roads. He currently is artistic director of the CHOPPA Experimental Music Festival and is a Senior Lecturer at LASALLE College of the Arts, where he teaches electronic music composition, visual music, and creative music-making techniques through improvisation.
Darren Moore is a drummer, electronic artist and researcher working in the felds of jazz, improvisation, experimental music and multimedia throughout South East Asia, Australia, Japan and Europe. Driven by his passion for artistic expression, Darren is continually challenging himself to explore new territory. He believes life itself is an improvisation, weaving this spirit into everything he does. He lives in Singapore with his family and works at LASALLE College of the Arts as a Senior Lecturer in Popular Music.
Evening Concert
WEIRD AFTERTASTE (SG)
SAMUEL D LOVELESS
The Joy of Letting Go
AKIKO YAMANE
Kawaii ;)
JAMES SAUNDERS
all the things you make us do
LOUIS D’HEUDIERES
For Bertram, Lynette, Jinhong and Michellina on 210225
WESTON OLENCKI for melodicas
weird aftertaste presents a set that explores the intricate and evolving relationships between composers, performers, and listeners. Through approaches to music-making that interrogate normative conventions in concert music and question notions of artistic authority, the performance foregrounds the tensions and synergies that shape art music today. Central to this exploration are the fuidity of roles, open-ended musical structures, the vulnerability of live performance, and the audience’s role in the concert experience. Embracing uncertainty and redefning creative agency, weird aftertaste invites listeners into a dynamic space of experimentation and dialogue.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
weird aftertaste is an artist-driven new music collective, operating with the mission of growing an inclusive, enthusiastic community of new-music lovers in Singapore. They take a no-holds-barred approach to programming, presenting work not just by genre-defning stalwarts of new concert music, but also the lesser explored music of young innovators and quiet visionaries both local and from abroad.
In abstaining from aesthetic dogmatism and embracing the stylistic variety that defnes our time, weird has presented the wildly diverse work of almost 50 different composers, with the bulk of these being Singaporean premieres. Through the WA# series, weird presents regular performances of contemporary art music in intimate spaces, among them tattoo parlours and pole dance studios and most recently, at their new studio (lovingly called weird afterspace), at the Aliwal Arts Centre.
Democratic in conception, the group eschews the vision of a single artistic director for the unbridled collective energies of its component artists.
Evening Concert
TACET(I) ENSEMBLE x PYO (TH)
LAURA CETILIA as metal as air
MALCOLM GOLDSTEIN
Jade Mountain Soundings
KEN UENO
Timbral Studies
PIYAWAT LOUILARPPRASERT
Have Your Shrimp
TACET(I) PERFORMERS
NOPPAKORN AUESIRINUCROCH, electric guitar
PISOL MANATCHINAPISIT, saxophone
SAKSILPA SRISUKSON, violin
KERKSAKUL JAREE, keyboard
SIRAVITH KONGBANDALSUK, trombone
GUNTIGA COMENAPHATT, cello
GUEST PERFORMERS
Supported by Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music
FASAI BURANASIRI, strings
CHANTHAPHAT CHANSIRI (BANK), tuba
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Established in 2014, Tacet(i) is Southeast Asia’s leading new music ensemble, dedicated to creating new compositions by both local and international composers and artists. Tacet(i) explores innovative works that integrate elements of music technology, improvisation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Each year, the ensemble premieres and collaborates on over 50 new pieces, showcasing its repertoire in Thailand, across Asia, Europe, and the United States.
The ensemble has participated in renowned festivals such as the IntAct Festival (Thailand), Thailand New Music and Arts Festival (TNMAS), China-ASEAN New Music Festival (China), Tesselat Collective Collaboration Project (Japan), Cornell Council for the Arts (CCA, New York), Crossover Contemporary Music (Netherlands), Diffused Portrait (United Kingdom), International Computer Music Conference – ICMC (China), Spectrum New York (USA), ThailandEuropean Composers (Netherlands), and many more.
Tacet(i) has received prestigious awards and funding from organizations such as the Siam Cement Group Foundation (Thailand), the British Council Grants – Connection through Cultures (United Kingdom), the Japan Foundation Grants (Japan), the Offce of Contemporary Art And Culture (Thailand), Pro Helvetia, Swiss Arts Council (Switzerland), the Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music (Thailand), the Cornell Council for the Arts (USA), and
Vasinee Food Corp (USA). Recently, the ensemble was featured in a series produced by CNN World as part of Piyawat Louilarpprasert’s interview, “Young and Gifted.”
Tacet(i) has conducted residencies and creative projects at esteemed institutions across Asia, Europe, and the USA, including the Amsterdam Conservatory (Netherlands), Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University (Thailand), Chiang Mai University (Thailand), College of Music – Mahidol University (Thailand), the Chinese University of Hong Kong in Shenzhen (China), Cornell University (USA), Graduate Center CUNY (USA), Guangxi Arts University (China), Ithaca College (USA), Royal College of Music (UK), Royal Academy of Music (UK), Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University (USA), Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music (Thailand), Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (Singapore), and Zurich University of the Arts (Switzerland).
Since 2017, Tacet(i) has partnered with the Thailand Music and Art Organisation (TMAO) to articulate the conception of new collaborative music and art. Tacet(i) and TMAO have curated several creative projects, offering a variety of events such as educational workshops, collaborative performances, and diverse concerts from Thailand to the global stage. Since 2019, Tacet(i) has served as the ensemble-in-residence for the IntAct Festival (Thailand) at the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre, which has become a center for new music in Southeast Asia.
In 2024, Tacet(i) celebrates its 10th anniversary. Recently, Tacet(i) was awarded the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Ensemble Prize (2024-25), recognizing it as the leading contemporary music ensemble of the year. With this recognition, Tacet(i) strengthens its place on the global music stage, pushing creative boundaries and serving as an inspiring ambassador for cultural exchange and creativity. The ensemble remains committed to enriching the contemporary music scene in Southeast Asia and globally. Tacet(i) pursues this mission through dedicated research in sound studies, technology, and interdisciplinary exploration, fostering collaborations with diverse artists, composers, and performers. For more information about our artists, performances, and events, visit: www.tacetiensemble.com.
Day 2: AM Session
Keynote: Intersection of AI & Music
FRANZISKA SCHROEDER (IE)
This keynote presentation explores some of the impacts of Artifcial Intelligence (AI) on the musical landscape. It begins with an introduction to AI and examines how AI technologies invite us to redefne creative processes and decision making.
I will cover some key developments in AI and music applications and highlight certain pioneering projects and musical works that illustrate the dynamic interplay between human creativity and computational intelligence.
Drawing on my own improvisation practice, I will share insights on how I have been integrating AI into live music improvisation. This personal perspective aims to cover some emerging research and innovation trends, bridging theoretical advancements with practical applications. Finally, I will provide a few forward-looking ideas on the future of AI in music, inviting refection on the role of AI as a cocreator in musical practices.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Franziska Schroeder, Professor of Music and Cultures
Queen’s University Belfast, SARC (Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Sound and Music)
Franziska is a Berlin-born saxophonist and improviser with a distinguished career spanning performance and academic research. She began studying saxophone at the age of 9 and received formative instruction at the Berlin Young Conservatorium. Her early dedication to contemporary saxophone repertoire was recognised with a 2nd prize at the Berlin Jeunesse Musicale Music Competition at 16, followed by a 1st prize two years later.
In her 20s, Franziska relocated to Australia, where she pursued further study at the Tasmanian Conservatorium. There she was honoured with the Rotary Prize for Outstanding Musicians and the Dean’s Roll of Excellence, culminating in a First Class Honours degree in Saxophone Performance and the conferment of the prestigious University Medal for outstanding achievement.
Since returning to Europe in the early 2000s, Professor Schroeder has focused on expanding the saxophone’s contemporary repertoire, commissioning many new works. Her notable recordings include a 2007 free improvisation project featuring Steve Davis (drums) and Pedro Rebelo (piano/electronics), released on the Creative Sources label. She has collaborated with prominent fgures such as Evan Parker and deep listening pioneer Pauline Oliveros, among others.
In 2006 she obtained her PhD from the University of Edinburgh, followed by an academic career at Queen’s University Belfast, where she is now a full professor and leads the “Performance without Barriers” research team, dedicated to designing accessible music technologies for disabled musicians. Franziska has published widely on topics including improvisation, music and the body, digital media and AI.
Evolving Echoes
HANOI NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE (VN)
This piece explores identity and change, refecting the journey from tradition to modernity. It captures the spirit of Vietnam, honoring its deep-rooted cultural heritage while embracing the dynamic, often chaotic infuences of a rapidly evolving world, through experimental improvisation and the interplay of contemporary soundscapes.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
The Hanoi New Music Ensemble is the frst professional contemporary music ensemble in Vietnam. Its mission is to present the fnest Vietnamese new music throughout Vietnam and represent Vietnam to international audiences. The ensemble also performs rarely heard works by older Vietnamese composers and enjoys collaborations with other ensembles and organizations to present important music that is new to Vietnamese audiences.
Composer and artistic director Vu Nhat Tan, and Pham Truong Son, violinist and executive director, founded the Ensemble in 2015 after Tan’s participation in the 2010 Ascending Dragon Cultural Exchange and Music Festival, the largest cultural exchange in history between the United States and Vietnam. Southwest Chamber Music (Los Angeles) produced the exchange with the support of the U.S. Department of State. In 2015, Southwest Chamber Music’s artistic director and conductor Jeff von der Schmidt, and executive director Jan Karlin, were appointed by Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture to become the frst American artistic advisors to Vietnam and the Hanoi New Music Ensemble.
The Hanoi New Music Ensemble performs in Hanoi at the Vietnam National Academy of Music, Manzi Art Space, Institut Français de Hanoi – L’Espace, and the Goethe Institute. The members of the ensemble are amongst the nation’s fnest professional musicians and teachers, serving as professors at the Vietnam National Academy of Music and also performing with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra.
Showcase
SYNAP + SYAFIQ (SG)
Electronic Artists from Singapore and Thailand join forces in this collaborative improvisation to showcase the multifaceted approaches of the electronic media. Audiences will be treated to an array of soundscapes, noise and rhythm, coupled with visual improvisation using the Hydra video synthesis coding programme. The ensemble will also feature a variety of control systems, ranging from analogue systems, to DIY gyroscope gloves, as well as live coding to highlight the versatility of technology. The concept of constructing and deconstructing sound forms the backbone of the whole performance – synthesised tones are formed and broken down into microsounds, while feld recordings get processed to unrecognisable forms.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Chua Zi Tao is a Singaporean composer who explores his musical identity through various modes of duality, such as the divergence and convergence between science and culture.
Engineer by day, artist by night, Koh Qin Ruo collaborates with other artists to explore the use of electronics and video synthesis in avantgarde audiovisual performances.
Syafq Halid is a manipulator of sound, electronic artist and experimental percussionist based in Singapore who has worked in several traditional and contemporary performing arts projects regionally with various collaborators and companies at platforms like the Esplanade and National Gallery Singapore.
SKYKYS examines all states, shapes and forms of sound by harnessing the power of cold, aliasing-infested digital systems.
CRSRCRSRRR; algorithmic shifts; Exploring interlinked formations; Linking instructions with unstable intakes
Day 2: PM Session
ARCHON
CHUREN LI (SG/HK) & ROBERTO ALONSO (HK)
Archon is an open-source behavioural interface developed for the Demiurge generative performance ecosystem. Designed for lossless audio databases, it provides a nonlinear, dynamic approach to navigating extensive sonic libraries. Written in Python and Supercollider, Archon enables intuitive and adaptive sound exploration, bridging human interaction with vast datasets. Completed at the Orpheus Institute in Ghent in 2022, it has been showcased internationally in Italy, Spain, China, and Hong Kong across diverse artistic and research contexts. Leveraging GPU acceleration and advanced responsiveness, Archon seamlessly adapts to real-time performance conditions, redefning how performers engage with audio databases and offering a fuid alternative to traditional concatenative synthesis.
Archon functions as an abyssal engine, slicing through the anthropocentric constraints of traditional music-making with the precision of a machinic intelligence. In its fusion of human intention and algorithmic excess, Archon embodies the post-human condition of music, where style, genre, and authorship dissolve into a swirling feedback loop of recursive data fows. It does not merely perform music; it extrudes soundscapes from the ruins of human creativity, guided by a cybernetic logic that reconfgures the future of auditory experience. Here, AI is not an assistant but an invasive force, accelerating the collapse of artisanal nostalgia into a fractal churn of infnite possibilities. Archon is the cybernetic progeny of a vanishing humanism, heralding a future where music is not played but unleashed.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Churen’s work stands as a testament to a strong artistic vision that transcends conventional boundaries, blending classical music with contemporary elements to create immersive and transformative experiences. With a relentless commitment to musical excellence and innovation, Churen’s performances and collaborations showcase a unique ability to bridge diverse ideologies and communities. Hailed as “the closest thing I know to be the ‘complete’ pianist” in Singapore by the Straits Times, she tours internationally as a classical recitalist and orchestral soloist, playing her own compositions and improvisations in concert, in addition to an eclectic repertoire from ranging from Chopin and Debussy, to Michael Jackson, John Williams, and George Crumb.
Praised for her “poise, expressiveness and keyboard abilities”, she opened the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s 2022/23 season in July ‘22 with Grieg’s Piano Concerto conducted by Han-Na Chang. Churen has also been featured at notable international festivals including the Charleston Festival, Singapore International Festival of Arts, Singapore International Piano Festival, Darmstadt International Music Festival, Aspen, Norfolk, Four Seasons, and others. In the same year, her debut album Ephemory revealed a composer-pianist of contemporary and post-modern sensibilities adept in a variety of musical languages, delivering original takes on well-known classical themes as well as her own original compositions. In 2018, Churen
produced and performed in a concert at Singapore’s well known Zouk nightclub, juxtaposing the Western art songs within a pop culture setting.
Graduating at the age of 19 with a Bachelor’s Degree from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (National University of Singapore) as the youngest in her cohort, Churen subsequently studied with wellknown pianist Peter Frankl and Hung-Kuan Chen at the Yale School of Music where she obtained a Master’s Degree. She later went on to obtain a Master of Philosophy in Music from Cambridge University with a dissertation on George Crumb. Since then, Churen continues to be active in the performance and production of new music, working in inter-disciplinary collaborations and across genres.
A prize winner at numerous international piano competitions, Churen has also been invited to perform at music festivals and recital halls all over the world, often appearing in partnership with luxury brands such as Cartier, Chanel and Richard Mille. She was also honoured in Singapore Tatler’s Generation-T List in 2018. In 2015, she performed as soloist in a tour of Macau and Hong Kong with the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music Orchestra, at the invitation of Singapore’s High Consulate in Hong Kong as part of Singapore’s 50th jubilee celebrations of independence. Other concerto engagements include performances with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Cambridge University Orchestra, Ding Yi Music Company, Klassische Budapest Philharmonic, Metropolitan Festival Orchestra Singapore, Mikhail Jora Philharmonic of Bacau and National University of Singapore Symphony Orchestra.
She is also the recipient of prestigious grants, including the Tan Kah Kee Postgraduate Scholarship (2015), the FJ Benjamin-Singapore Symphony Orchestra Bursary (2013) and the National Arts Council Arts Scholarship (2011-15).
Churen currently teaches at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music as an Artist Faculty and previously taught at YaleNUS College from 2020-2022. She is deeply passionate about community engagement, which led her to initiate the “Classical Music Adventures,” a series of interactive classical music shows in community venues. Additionally, she established the “CHUREN Prize” as part of the Singapore Music Teachers’ Association
annual Performers’ Festival to foster young musical talents and promote newly-commissioned Singaporean compositions, ensuring a sustainable impact on the local music scene through a 7-year endowment.
Her past teachers include Albert Tiu, Bernard Lanskey, Paul Liang, Peter Frankl and Hung-Kuan Chen.
Roberto Alonso Trillo is a Hong Kong-based musician, theorist, and artist whose interdisciplinary practice bridges music, dance, video art, and interactive sound installations. In collaboration with his primary research partner, Marek Poliks, Roberto explores topics ranging from the examination of deep learning tools as endosymbiotic reproductive infrastructure to political theory. Following the publication of Choreomata: Performance and Performativity After AI in 2024, they are completing two forthcoming books on algorithmic capital, AI agents, and interfaces. Their podcast, Disintegrator, is recognized as a leading trend-forecasting platform at the intersection of algorithms and media. Additionally, Roberto is a founding and active member of various chamber music groups, maintaining an intensive international career in both performance and pedagogy. He has released several albums with record labels such as NEOS, Creotz, and Wergo.
Showcase
ROGER DEAN (AU)
Roger Dean is a composer/improviser, and since 2007 a research professor in music cognition and computation at the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University. His research folds into his creative work, notably through deep learning,computational models and defned algorithmic approaches. He founded and directs the creative ensemble austraLYSIS, which has appeared in 30 countries. With Will Luers and Hazel Smith, he received the Robert Coover Prize of the Electronic Literature Organisation (2018). He has performed as bassist, pianist and computer artist in many contexts: from the Academy of Ancient Music and the Australian Chamber Orchestra to the London Sinfonietta, and from Graham Collier Music to duets with Derek Bailey and Evan Parker. About 70 commercial recordings and numerous radio and online digital multimedia pieces represent his creative work. Current research concerns improvisation, roles of timbre, rhythm generation and perception, music learning methods for older adults, and music computation. Previously, he was a full professor of biochemistry in the UK and then an academic CEO for 18 years, frst as foundation Director of the autonomous Heart Research Institute, Sydney, and then as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canberra. His publication output includes >320 journal articles and 17 authored or edited books. His h-index is currently >=82.
Roundtable Discussion: Improvisation in Practice & Pedagogy
CHUREN LI (SG/HK), ROBERTO ALONSO (HK), JOHN SHARPLEY (SG/US), ROBERT BURKE (AU) & FRANZISKA SCHROEDER (IE)
This session invites dialogue on the evolving role of improvisation across creative, educational, and technological landscapes. Participants—educators, musicians, researchers—will explore innovative strategies and challenges in four key areas:
The practice and future of Improvisation in the APAC Region. We will discuss regional practices, improvisation in traditional music as well as infuences from Western improvisation practices.
Improvisation in Higher Music Education. We will address the integration of improvisation into curricula: pedagogical methods, assessment challenges, and balancing tradition with experimental approaches. How desirable is the integration of improvisation into the curriculum?
AI and Improvisation. Continuing the theme that already has shown up in earlier sessions, we explore AI’s dual role as tool and collaborator, ethical implications, ownership of AI-generated content, and how technology might reshape improvisatory pedagogy and performance.
Creating a Network for Improvisation. We ask the question whether there is a need for frameworks for a regional/global network to connect practitioners, share resources, and advocate for improvisation’s value. How to advance improvisation as a dynamic and inclusive practice? The roundtable aims to spark partnerships, inspire pedagogical innovation, and lay groundwork for a collaborative network.
Synthetic Forest /Hutan Sintesis
RADAR SUARA (IN)
This composition combines elements of fxed media with live processing presented in real-time, creating a sonic landscape that invites the audience to immerse themselves in the reality of forests contaminated by plastic waste.
The sounds in this composition are sourced from various materials: feld recordings, the friction of plastic, and audio manipulation that generates artifcial sonic textures. The interaction between natural sounds and plastic noises produces a unique and engaging auditory experience.
During the performance, the fxed media serves as the sonic backdrop, while the other elements are introduced spontaneously. The improvisational process interacts directly and progressively with the fxed media foundation.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Radar Suara is a sound exploration initiative focusing on the creation, research, experimentation, and presentation of electroacoustic compositions, fxed media, and live processing. The collective consists of Candra Bangun Setiawan, Hery Kristian Buana Tanjung, and Irene Tanuwidjaja. Through an interdisciplinary approach, Radar Suara investigates the potential of sound as a dynamic medium for artistic expression, continuously evolving in both methodology and practice.
Radar Suara’s projects explore diverse themes, ranging from the relationship between humans and their environment to sociocultural dynamics through immersive soundscapes. One of their recent works, Hutan Sintesis (Synthetic Forest), presents a sonic refection on the impact of plastic on forest ecosystems through a combination of fxed media and live processing.
Radar Suara’s works have been performed by Ensemble Mosaik and recorded in Berlin. Additionally, some of their pieces have been presented at Pekan Komponis Indonesia (Indonesian Composers Week) and selected for various international events and festivals.
Candra Bangun Setyawan is an indonesian composer specializing in acousmatic electroacoustic composition, focusing on real-world sounds, soundscape ecology, and the exploration of listening practices.
Hery Kristian Buana Tanjung is an indonesian composer specializing in electroacoustic composition, focusing on organic sounds, and acoustic phenomenal. The exploration of minimalist practices.
Showcase
REDSPILLS/TELEPÆSANTS
Telepæsants is a group that sprang out of Kaon’CPT collective of remotely improvising artists spanning 15 timezones. Twelve Hours Same Time is our research-creation project where we explore the use of Digital Musical Instruments, and networked protocols, to interact with virtual and physical objects. In our work, the distance is the essence, and we need to weave it into all aspects of our exploration together. We have been exploring hybrid performances using both potential virtual spaces and physical locations, and gesture, in all its manifestations (physical, musical, visual, digital).
Telepæsants has presented and performed their works extensively and are continuously developing a strong immersive aesthetic with video, multi-channel audio, improvisation, lighting and hybridity.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Michał Seta is a sound artist, improviser, creative code plumber, and digital arts researcher. Transdisciplinarity is his daily bread, and it warps him off the beaten path. He co-founded the band No One Receiving as well as UniSecs, a spoken word and electroacoustic music duo, and RedSpills, a DMI trio. As a coder, he has contributed his skills to several artists as well as some Open Source software. He has ventured into interactive art installations with [IR]rational, a commission from the Montreal Science Centre, and Re-Collect, an award-winning project that has been presented in North America, Europe and the Middle East. His short flm [*]nScape was selected for the frst Drone Cinema Film Festival and was followed by several musical releases in rapid succession, mainly on Silent Records. Recently, he has been interested in using video games (of his own craft) as a vehicle for musical expression.
Dirk Johan Stromberg is an Improvisor, Audio Engineer, Maker, and Production Designer. His body of work explores the dynamic interaction between performers and technology in performance practice. His collaborations have drawn him to work with various musicians, artists, dancers, writers and composers in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia. Designing both hardware and software has led to the development of various interfaces, synthesis techniques, installation works, electro-acoustic instruments, and interdisciplinary works. Currently, he is focused on creating instruments as part of a new performance practice. His instruments aim to reveal the physical manifestation of his musical process. He focuses on tactile-agile instruments with a high degree of versatility that enables him to work with and respond to different artists in many styles.
Dirk promotes the approach of the community as an integral process of making art and has consistently facilitated vehicles for collaboration and art-making through festivals. He co-founded and co-directed the Duong Dai festival in Vietnam (2007-2018) and curated several different concert series focusing on improvised and spontaneous music. Currently, he is curating the Hidden Session series in Singapore.
He has presented his work as a composer, performer, improviser, and maker in conferences and festivals ranging from NIME to Moers. Dirk is currently a Senior Lecturer at LASALLE College of the Arts, University of the Arts Singapore.
