Singapore, 7 November 2025 — The Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra (SNYCO) presents a special pre-tour concert titled We Soar on 6 December 2025 at the SCO Concert Hall, ahead of its upcoming concert tour to Taiwan.

From 9 to 17 December 2025, the orchestra travels to Taoyuan, Taipei, and Hsinchu, where it performs and collaborates with local youth Chinese orchestras. This tour aims to foster meaningful musical exchange, and showcase the artistry and energy of Singapore’s young musicians. The full concert programme performed in Singapore will also be presented in Taiwan, under the baton of SNYCO Music Director Quek Ling Kiong, alongside renowned Taiwanese conductors Chan Ping-Hsiang, Chiu Shih-Hsuan and Liu Chiang-Pin.

SNYCO Music director Quek Ling Kiong shared “This is my third time bringing SNYCO to Taiwan. What makes this tour different and especially exciting is that we’ll be sharing the stage with Chinese orchestras and conductors from three different cities. We’ll be presenting a mix of Singaporean works and familiar classics, and premiering a brand-new piece specially commissioned from a Taiwanese composer for this tour. I’m really looking forward to this 3,242-kilometre journey from Singapore and I hope the music we share will spark new connections across borders and cultures.”

The concert opens with SOUNDLINES // 3,242 KM — A Sonic Journey Between Singapore & Taiwan, a newly commissioned work by Taiwanese composer Hannah Hsieh. Inspired by the cultural and geographical connection between the two island cities, the piece paints a vivid soundscape that traverses distance, memory, and identity, tracing emotional and sonic threads that link Singapore and Taiwan across 3,242 kilometres.

Another highlight of the evening is Trials and Tribulations, an erhu concerto by Singaporean composer Phang Kok Jun, featuring SNYCO Erhu Alumni Zeng Canran as soloist. Told from a first-person perspective, this is a story about one’s journey of overcoming adversity, showing resilience and ultimately overcoming the trials and tribulations against all odds.

Malaysian composer Chow Jun Yi’s The City of Tomorrow, which was commissioned by SNYCO in 2019,adds a contemporary dimension to the programme. Combining Chinese instruments with recorded sounds and mobile phone interaction, the work weaves together Singapore’s urban soundscape, inviting the audience to reflect on tradition and memory in an increasingly digital age.

The concert also features a selection of diverse and culturally rich works:

• The Sister’s Island,by Singapore Chinese Orchestra Composer-in-Residence Wang Chenwei, draws inspiration from a local legend, blending Malay musical elements with theatrical expression to portray a tale of love and sacrifice between two sisters.
• Jiang Ying’s The Silk Road fuses rhythmic motifs, plucked string textures and global influences to depict a vibrant musical journey along the ancient trade route.
• Wang Danhong’s Ode to the Sun, Mvt IV: Ode to the Sun captures the spirit and strength of the people of the Bayu region through bold, lyrical themes rooted in folk traditions.

We invite all audiences to join us on 6 December to support these young musicians as they take flight on their international journey.

Concert details:
We Soar
Date and Time: 06 Dec 2025 | 7:30 PM
Venue: SCO Concert Hall
Ticket price: $22 (not inclusive of SISTIC booking fee)
Ticket purchase link: https://bit.ly/snycowesoar