Known for his charisma and powerful stage presence, award-winning maestro Quek Ling Kiong has been leading the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra (SNYCO) as its Music Director since 2016, and conducting it for more than two decades.

Well-versed in the music traditions of East and West, Quek has conducted orchestras around the world. He is the Principal Conductor of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), and has guest-conducted esteemed Chinese orchestras such as the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra, Guangdong Chinese Orchestra, Taipei Chinese Orchestra, Kaohsiung Chinese Orchestra, Macao Chinese Orchestra, Jilin Chinese Orchestra and Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, as well as symphony orchestras in the Czech Republic.

SNYCO expanded its overseas presence under his baton, mounting highly successful performances at the Tainan International Qixi Arts Festival (2006), Hsinchu Chinese Music Festival (2013) – its first full-orchestra concert abroad – and Macao International Youth Music Festival (2017). Quek also led the orchestra on tours to Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, and Guangzhou (2017, 2019); and the East Malaysian cities of Kota Kinabalu and Kuching (2023).

A graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Zurich University of the Arts, Quek counts world-renowned maestros Tay Teow Kiat, Xia Feiyun, Tsung Yeh, and Johannes Schlaefli among his mentors. In turn, he has played an instrumental role in nurturing the next generation of Singapore musicians. The New Learners’ Programme, introduced in 2017, was initiated by Quek, provides promising participants with subsidised one-on-one classes. SNYCO members also attended its first overseas music camp in Hong Kong (2005), as well as its first immersion programme at Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music (2016) under his leadership. He brings his expertise in music education to all these initiatives, having taught at the School of the Arts and University of the Arts Singapore.

In line with his vision to make music accessible to all, he led the SCO in acclaimed shows such as the Young Children’s Concert, Young People’s Concert and Mother’s Day Concert, and SNYCO in its first outdoor outreach concert at the Singapore Botanic Gardens in 2009. During the pandemic, he continued promoting Chinese music by creating a variety of online programmes. These included SNYCO’s Music Chatterbox and C.L.I.P.S. by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, a digital learning series to help youth learners improve their Chinese instrumental skills. A strong believer that music can benefit youths with disabilities, he was invited to serve as the Artistic Director of Singapore and Hong Kong’s largest inclusive orchestras, The Purple Symphony and True Colors Symphony, respectively.

Quek’s achievements have garnered him accolades such as the National Arts Council’s (NAC) Young Artist Award (2002), NAC Cultural Fellowship (2013), the Meritorious Award from the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS) (2016), and the individual recipient of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Award (2025). In 2019, the Quek Ling Kiong Arts and Culture Scholarship was established at the Singapore Management University in his honour.