Xu Wenjing

Gaohu / Zhonghu

Xu Wenjing started learning erhu at the age of five and gained admission into the Affiliated High School of Tianjin Conservatory of Music and the Central Conservatory of Music. She received tutelage by many renowned erhu masters including Li Mingfang, Ji Guizhen, Wong Guoyong, Zhao Hanyang, Zhang Shao and Zhang Yuming. Xu Wenjing also went on to win many major international and national awards. Upon her graduation, she joined the China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra as an erhu performer, playing in many countries together with the orchestra. At the same time, she was also appointed as a tutor at the Central Conservatory of Music, with her students achieving remarkable results.

Since migrating to Singapore in 1997, Xu Wenjing has been an erhu musician performing with the SCO. Her performances of classical Chinese repertoire such as Story of the River, Red Plum Capriccio, Heavenly Matched, The Parting of the Newly-Weds have received extremely positive reviews from audiences and critics. In 2005, she performed as a soloist in an SCO concert as part of the Singapore Season in London. Her execution of memorable passages in Tan Dun's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon won critical acclaim in local and overseas media. The same year, she represented the SCO, performing at concerts in Washington, D.C. In 2008, Xu Wen Jing was invited to perform the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon at the Esplanade Concert Hall with the Singapore Arts Festival Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of the composer, Tan Dun, and received well acclaim.

Xu Wenjing is known for her pure and clear tone on the erhu and her ability to evoke deep and poignant emotions with her playing. A critic once described of her: "otherworldy and beautifully smoky, Xu's tone elucidates; her innate and sincere femininity extends from the deep to her fingertips, riding on wondrous notes."

Li Yulong

Erhu

Li Yulong is the erhu II Associate Principal of the SCO, as well as the erhu section instructor of the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra. He is also the member of the China Nationalities Orchestra Society and the Singapore Erhu Society.

Li Yulong started learning the erhu at the age of 6. He was admitted to the affiliated primary and secondary schools of Shenyang Conservatory of Music in 2000 and 2003 respectively, under the tutelage of Li Naiping. He studied in the Central Conservatory of Music in 2008 under Yan Jiemin. During the university days, he learnt the banhu from Li Heng, and he also learned more about the erhu, banhu, gaohu and jinghu from Yang Xue, Wang Ying, Shen Cheng, Yu Qiwei, Tian Zaili and Yao Li.

In 2010, he was awarded the Excellent Performance Award of the youth group in the Dunhuang Cup Chinese Erhu Performance Competition. In 2011, he was awarded the third prize for the Hong Kong Chinese Instruments Competition – Erhu Professional Category and silver in the Beijing International Music Festival Instrumental Music Competition — Erhu Professional Category.

He graduated in 2012 with outstanding results and joined SCO as erhu musician in the same year.

Chen Ying Guang Helen

Cello

Chen Ying Guang Helen started studying cello at the age of 8. In 1978, Chen Ying Guang was admitted into Xinghai Conservatory of Music with her excellent results, she thus become the youngest student in the school. With her music talent and her passion towards Cello performing, she achieved the best result in the school and had been enrolled into the undergraduate course of bowed strings section. In 1988, she again achieved the top ranking in the bowed strings section, and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree. After graduation, she was appointed as a soloist and sectional vice-principal in the Guangzhou Zhu Ying Orchestra, China. She was also invited to do many solo recordings. She joined Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) in 2003. During her service in SCO, she has visited various countries such as England, Hungary, France and China to conduct well received performances. Besides, Chen Ying Guang has also been appointed as the editor of the Cello syllabus by the National University of Singapore Centre for the Arts.

Lee Khiang

Double Bass

Lee Khiang joined the People's Association Chinese Orchestra in 1982 as a part-time musician and was its full-time musician in 1992. He is currently a musician of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. Lee Khiang was awarded the second prize in the 6th National Chinese Orchestra Competition. He has performed in Malaysia, Taiwan and Japan. In 1998, he performed with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra in Beijing, Shanghai and Xiaman. Lee Khiang is the conductor and instructor of several school and community center/club Chinese orchestras

Zhang Li

Liuqin

Zhang Li graduated with a bachelor's degree in Liuqin from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and a master's degree in Ruan from the Sichuan Conservatory of Music. She is currently a Liuqin musician with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), a Liuqin instructor for the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra (SNYCO) and adjunct faculty at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) School of Music.

She picked up Liuqin at a young age from her father, and later studied under teachers Ye Kexin and Zeng Qingrong for Liuqin and Pipa. She attended the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, majored in Liuqin and minored in Zhongruan and Pipa, where she excelled as a scholarship recipient for four consecutive years. After graduation, she joined the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra and performed worldwide over the next decade. Thereafter she joined SCO in 2005.

Zhang Li achieved notable recognition; second prize winner in the Liuqin category at the International Chinese Instrumental Competition and Excellent Performance Award winner for a Zhongruan premiere at the Shanghai Spring International Music Festival. She was invited to perform a Zhongruan solo at the Macao International Arts Festival. She recorded albums and composed theme music for several films. In 2011, she performed at a book launch "My Lifelong Challenge: Singapore's Bilingual Journey", authored by former Prime Minister of Singapore Mr Lee Kuan Yew. She organized multiple chamber concerts at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and collaborated with various orchestras on several concerto works for Liuqin, Yueqin, and Zhongruan.

Zhang Li is dedicated to Chinese instrumental education and has achieved impressive results in teaching. She taught the plucked strings section of the Chinese orchestras at Raffles Institution, St. Nicholas Girls' School, Nanyang Primary School and her students have won top awards at the Singapore Youth Festival. She served as a Liuqin mentor for the Chinese Orchestra Music Camp organized by the Ministry of Education in Singapore and adjudicated numerous national and international Chinese orchestral competitions. She also co-founded the NEW PLAY chamber ensemble to provide a platform for local youth interested in music performance.

Zhang Li has trained many excellent Liuqin musicians in SNYCO. In 2017, 4 of her students won two silver and two bronze medals at the Chinese Liuqin Competition. In 2024, 2 of her students won a gold and a silver medal in the advanced Liuqin category at the Nanyang International Music Competition. Her Liuqin students at NAFA won the first and second prize in the senior Zhongruan category at the 2022 Singapore Chinese Music Competition.

Koh Min Hui

Ruan

Koh Min Hui started learning the Ruan at a tender age of 8 under the tutelage of Mdm Xu Yi Ping. Since 2006, she has been under the tutelage of Mdm Zhang Rong Hui, Principal of Ruan in Singapore Chinese Orchestra, majoring in Ruan. A recipient of the Ngee Ann Kongsi Merit award for degree studies 2010, Min Hui graduated from her BA (Hons) Music with a second upper class honours at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 2011. She has been a full-time Zhong Ruan musician in the Singapore Chinese Orchestra since 2011 and is also the sectional principal for the Zhong Ruan section in the Singapore Ruan Chamber Ensemble.

The only Gold award winner of the 2010 Inaugural International Invitation Ruan Tournament – Youth Specialism category representing Singapore, Min Hui also triumph in many local competitions which includes the East Zone Chinese Instrumental Competition in 2003 and 2005, Inaugural Singapore Ruan Competition in 2005 and the National Arts Council National Chinese Music Competition in 2006 and 2008.

As a soloist, Min Hui was privileged to be featured with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra in the SYCO annual concert, "Dauntless Spirit 2011". Representing the Chinese Music sector, she was also invited to perform the opening piece “Fanfare” with the Asian Contemporary Ensemble for the National Arts Council Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award Prize Presentation in 2012.

Besides having highly acclaimed performances overseas such as Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan, Min Hui represented Singapore together with the Ding Yi Music Company for the 4th ASEAN Festival of Arts held at Pampanga, Philippines in March 2010. Being the representative of Singapore, Min Hui also conducted several instrumental workshops and solo performances at the Chiangmai Rajabhat University as well as the Burapha University for the 2016 ASEAN Music and Dance connectivity supported by the Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Tan Joon Chin

Pipa

Tan Joon Chin is a homegrown musician who joined SCO since 1997. A recipient of the Zubir Said Scholarship in 1994, she pursued professional-level studies at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing under the tutelage of Kuang Yu Zhong and Li Guang Hua.

She was the first prize winner of the Pipa Senior Category in the inaugural National Music Competition (NCMC) organised by the National Arts Council in 1980, and won the first prize in the Pipa Open Category of the same competition 3 years later. In 1991, she was awarded the second prize in the Pipa Open Category at the NCMC.

As a member of the Keat Hong Chinese Orchestra from young, she has been involved in its numerous major performances in Singapore, and was a member of its Plucked Strings Ensemble that won the Ensemble Category and Best Performer Award for 4 consecutive editions of the NCMC from 1987.

She has been a People's Association Cultural Activity Instructor since 1987, and has attended workshops at the Young Musicians Society organised by the Ministry of Education, teachers' workshops for pipa graded examinations, and basic and advanced conducting courses offered by the Central Conservatory of Music and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

She is currently a plucked-strings instructor for Nan Hua High School, Chua Chu Kang Secondary School, Manjusri Secondary School, Singapore Polytechnic and Pioneer Primary School.

Ma Huan

Yangqin

Ma Huan began learning Yangqin at 4 under the tuteledge of Professor Wei Yanming. She was admitted to the China Conservatory of Music in 2002 and became the protégé of renowned Yangqin educator Xiang Zuhua. Furthermore, she learned the Hungarian dulcimer from Ms. Viktoria Herencsar and studied percussion under Professor Wang Yidong. After graduating in 2008 with a Master degree, she was employed as an instructor by the Chinese Opera Institute. In 2010, she joined the Singapore Chinese Orchestra as a Yangqin musician. After which, she learned composition from Singapore musician Law Wai Lun and conducting from local famed conductor Dr. Tay Teow Kiat. She is currently the Vice Chairperson of Singapore Yangqin Association.

In 2002, Ma Huan won the Young Professional Group Performance Award and set up a String Chamber Orchestra that won a group gold medal at the International Youth Instrumental Competition 2003 in Macau. During her years in college, she participated in the CCTV “Teochew Music Festival special” performance, the Seventh Beijing International Music Festival, Sino French Music Festival and Hungarian Music Festival. She successfully held a series of “Yangqin Works of Xiang Zuhua Teacher Student” concerts and performed in the first public performance of the double Yanqin piece The Butterfly Lovers. • Butterfly Qin Tunes, after which she participated in recording the Best of Xiang Zuhua Yangqin Collection II CD.

In January 2013, she held a concert named Silken Expressions at Esplanade Singapore Theatres on the Bay. In 2015, she was invited as the judge of the NAFA music contest. Her students won numerous awards at the Singapore National Music Instrumental Competition. As a composer, her works include Lost, school song of Pei Chun Primary School, Let it go, Dream chaser and Fantasia twinkle twinkle little star. She also produced an orchestra piece with distinctive Singaporean characteristics, titled A Ditty of Nyonya.

Xu Hui

Guzheng

Xu Hui was admitted to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Under the tutelage of Associate Professor Guo Xue Jun, Xu Hui studied the guzheng, and concurrently studied percussion under Professor Yang Ru Wen. She is currently a Guzheng Associate Principal and Percussionist with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. Xu Hui is an Adjunct Lecturer at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and she is also in the Executive Committee of the Singapore Qinzheng Association.

Xu Hui was the champion at the 1992 International Jiangnan Sizhu Competition. In the same year, she won the first prize at the Shanghai Young Talents Guzheng Competition. Xu Hui was also the first-prize winner at the Eastern China Youth Chinese Music Competition for two consecutive years. In addition, she was awarded a silver medal at the National Cultural Stars Award in 1995.

Xu Hui has staged many performances throughout Asia, Europe and America. She has performed numerous guzheng concertos which include: Midnight at the Maple Bridge, Wind of Falling Plum Blossom, A Peacock Southeast Flew, Desert Dust, Mountains and Water, Dunhuang Tang Ren Wu, Three Characters Classics Capriccio, Blue Heaven Overture and more. Xu Hui has also performed and staged 3 solo guzheng recital concerts at the Esplanade — Theatres by the Bay. Xu Hui has also collaborated with many renowned musicians and composers and her performances have received well acclaims.

In terms of teaching, Xu Hui has inspired her students to achieve excellence, with many of her students winning various accolades from local and overseas competitions, such as the Singapore Chinese Music Competition (previously known as National Chinese Music Competition), Nanyang International Music Competition and Eastern China Youth Chinese Music Competition.

Meng Jie

Suona / Guan

Born in Tangshan, Hebei, Meng Jie is currently an honorary member of the China Nationalities Orchestra Society Suona Committee, committee member of the Suona and Guan Society (Singapore) and suona instructor and conductor to many schools in Singapore. His biography is included in The Best of Traditional Chinese Music, Instruments and Musicians (Suona Chapter).

Meng Jie started learning suona at the age of 14 under the tutelage of Yuan Zhenping. First in the entry exam in 1997, Meng Jie received his musical training in Hebei Province Arts School and was under the tutelage of Wang Hongfei. He enrolled into the China Conservatory of Music later on and was awarded the honorary title Excellent Graduate in 2006 where he was under the tutelage of Zuo Jicheng. He has also received tutelage from Chen Jiaqi, Liu Bingchen and Hao Yuqi.

Meng Jie joined the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) in 2006 and has performed with the SCO in numerous countries in Asia and Europe. He has also since staged 2 solo recitals at the Esplanade – Theatres by the Bay. He was invited to speak for online talks, in the capacity of an honorary member of the China Nationalities Orchestra Society Suona Committee and perform in online concerts.

Zeng Zhi

Dizi

A graduate of the China Conservatory of Music in the dizi and xiao, Zeng Zhi began learning the piano at 6 years old, and at 10 years old began to learn the dizi with professor of Hunan Province Art Institute, Wang Jue. Today, Zeng Zhi has mastered the dizi, xiao, hulusi, bawu and other wind instruments.

In August 2002, he won the Most Outstanding Award at the inaugural China National Ethnic Music Competition. In 2004, he was admitted to the China Conservatory under the tutelage of dizi and xiao pedagogue Zhang Wei Liang. Since then he has played at the National Grand Theatre, Beijing Concert Hall, the Beijing Poly Theater and the Forbidden City Concert Hall. In 2005, he joined the Prince of Nine Tones Ensemble, forging a professional career. The same year, he participated in “Taihe Invitation”, a TV show commemorating the Mid Autumn festival organised by Phoenix Television at the Forbidden City. The 2006 CCTV Dream China Spring Festival program featured him as a guest, and in the same year he recorded music for the Chinese Theatre drama, A Doll’s House. In 2007, Zeng Zhi joined the China Conservatory Orchestra, performing at the Lucerne KKL Culture and Art Center, the Golden Hall in Vienna, Austria, and various venues in Heidelberg, Germany, Luxembourg Milan and Alexandria in Egypt. In 2008, his UK tour with the British Dragon Troupe was hailed as a success and since then he has played in Zaragoa, Spain and also in, Newcastle, England.

In 2008, Zeng Zhi joined SCO as dizi musician. In 2011, he successfully held a solo concert at the Esplanade — Theatres on the Bay. Zeng Zhi recorded for the winning piece, The Cappricio of the Mountain Folk Song of the 2011 Singapore International Competition for Chinese Orchestral Composition. He was the soloist for SCO concerts A Scenic Musical Trail, Casual Classical and Harmonies from Taiwan, and played in the pieces The Capriccio of the Mountain Folk Song, Cang and Whirling Dance. He has also given interviews for Lianhe Zaobao, FM88.3 and 958 Capital FM.

Currently, he instructs the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra and various schools in Singapore. He also teaches at He Yue Zhai Guqin Music and Arts Centre and Singapore Raffles Music College. Zeng Zhi leads the Chinese music ensemble新月组合.

Cheng Ho Kwan Kevin

Sheng

Kevin Cheng is currently a sheng musician of Singapore Chinese Orchestra. He graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) with First Class Honours. Principal sheng teachers include: Cheng Tak-wai, Loo Sze-wang, Hu Tianquan and Weng Zhenfa.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Kevin won numerous awards and scholarships over the years and his major solo appearances in the past include: Kwan Nai-chung's Peacock and Keith Hon's Groovy II with HKAPA Symphony Orchestra (2011 & 2014); Qian Zhaoxi's Tianshan Rhapsody with Hong Kong Youth Chinese Orchestra (2011); Ng Cheuk-yin's The Seventh Month with Singapore Chinese Orchestra (2016) and with HKAPA Chinese Orchestra (2018); solo recitals at Hong Kong City Hall (2015), Esplanade, Singapore (2015) and Yale-NUS College, Singapore (2017); and guest appearance at Setouchi International Arts Festival (2010), Singapore International Festival of Arts (2016) and the 50th Hong Kong Arts Festival.

Kevin is also dedicated in music education and has given many concerts, lectures and workshops in schools and universities including the Yale-NUS College in Singapore, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in Hong Kong, etc. He currently also serves as Council Member of Singapore Chinese Music Federation Youth Chapter, Teacher Artist of Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra and Instructor of Resonance – Sheng Ensemble.

Since 2003, he has collaborated and gone on performance tours with different orchestras and ensembles, covering many countries and regions.
Apart from his performance endeavours, Kevin is an avid arranger and he has received commissions from Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Dingyi Music Company, The Purple Symphony, etc. He is currently studying composition under the tutelage of Law Wai Lun.

Tan Loke Chuah

Percussion

Tan Loke Chuah is a versatile musician armed with a Bachelor of Music Education (Hons) from the University of Toronto. Besides performing full-time as an Associate Principal (Percussion) with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), he contributes to the Arts as a performer of both Western and Chinese percussion ensemble, an instrumental teacher, a percussion educator through master classes and clinics, a conductor of percussion groups, Chinese orchestras and symphonic bands, as well as an arts administrator who saw the inception of the National Youth Percussion Festival and the Chinese Orchestra Winter Festival in Hong Kong Disneyland.

He is currently serving as a teacher artist for SNYCO percussion section and has been invited as a jury for the 4-nd Macao Young Musicians Competition Tan Loke Chuah received tutelage from Gregorz Markewicz (former Singapore Symphony Orchestra Percussion Principal), Russell Hartenberger (Nexus member), Robin Engelman (Nexus member), John Rudolf (Toronto Symphony Percussion Principal), Beverly Johnston (Solo Percussion Artist) and John Brownell (North York Symphony Timpanist) amongst others. He has been involved in the local music scene from young, through participation in the Singapore Youth Orchestra, NUS Orchestra, NUSS-SLT Orchestra, SSO and its Percussion Group, Singapore Armed Forces Chinese Orchestra and various other bands. He has performed overseas with North York Symphony, Scarborough Philharmonic, Toronto Wind Symphony, University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Concert Band, University of Toronto Percussion Ensemble, as well as Nishikawa Ensemble. In addition, he also performed as a soloist with the SCO both locally as well as in Europe. He was also involved in several released recordings with SSO, SCO and Nishikawa Ensemble.