Singapore, 24 December 2025 – The Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra (SNYCO) has successfully concluded its concert tour in Taiwan from 9 to 17 December 2025, presenting three collaborative concerts across Taoyuan, Taipei and Hsinchu. The tour featured a dynamic exchange of musical artistry with local orchestras and attracted close to 2000 audience members, celebrating cross-cultural dialogue through Chinese orchestral music.

Led by SNYCO Music Director Quek Ling Kiong, the tour was thoughtfully curated to spotlight youth talent, regional creativity and intercultural musical expression. Each concert featured a distinct programme and unique pairing with a local orchestra: SNYCO performed alongside the Taoyuan Chinese Orchestra, the Taipei Chinese Orchestra (TCO) Academy Orchestra, and the Hsinchu City Youth Chinese Orchestra from the three cities.

Quek also co-conducted with Taiwanese conductors Chan Ping-Hsiang,Chiu Shih-Hsien and Liu Chiang-Pin, showcasing rich musical diversity and camaraderie across generations and borders.

The tour repertoire presented a vibrant mix of contemporary works from Singapore and the region. Notably, Singaporean composer Phang Kok Jun erhu concerto Trials and Tribulations was performed by SNYCO Alumni and Singapore Chinese Music Competition 2024 Erhu Senior Category first prize winner Zeng Canran, and Taoyuan Chinese Orchestra soloist Fu Chia-Wei on alternate nights. Two works by Singapore Chinese Orchestra composer-in-residence Wang Chenwei, The Sisters’ Islands and Winds of Affinity, were also warmly received. In Winds of Affinity, dizi soloists Liang Wen‑Ting and Huang Yu‑Chun from Taoyuan Chinese Orchestra interpreted the Singaporean piece with their own artistic voice, showcasing musical exchange in action.

Adding a special highlight, SNYCO commissioned Taiwanese composer Hannah Hsieh to write a new work titled SOUNDLINES // 3,242 KM — A Sonic Journey Between Singapore & Taiwan, inspired by the shared island cultures of Singapore and Taiwan. Premiered in Singapore at the pre-tour concert and in Taiwan during the tour, the piece expresses imagined sonic bridges across the sea, symbolising the emotional and cultural connections forged through music. SNYCO’s co-concertmaster Koh Yu Jie and Tsai Chung-Ting from TCO Academy Orchestra performed the double erhu concerto Ode to Hero · Ode to Love, showcasing the musical synergy between young musicians from Singapore and Taiwan.

The concerts also featured beloved classic Chinese Orchestra works, such as The Silk Road by Jiang Ying, Ode to the Sun by Wang Dan Hong. The programme also included City of Tomorrow by Chow Jun Yi, a work commissioned by SNYCO in 2019 that combines field recordings, live performance, and mobile phone interactivity, inviting audiences to reimagine sound, space, and memory.  

Beyond the stage, the tour also included two meaningful music exchanges with the Chinese Music Department of the National Taiwan University of Arts on 15 December 2026, and with the National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan (NCO) on 16 December 2026. During the first visit, SNYCO musicians took part in a joint rehearsal with the university’s young musicians, allowing for direct musical interaction and exchange. The following day, they attended a rehearsal by NCO, gaining first‑hand insight into the daily preparations and working processes of a professional orchestra.

Together, these exchanges broadened the perspectives of SNYCO musicians, enriched their ensemble experience, and deepened mutual understanding in music education. The warm hospitality and thoughtful arrangements throughout both visits created a welcoming atmosphere, bringing the tour to a heartfelt and memorable close.

Spanning 3,242 kilometres, the tour offered SNYCO’s young musicians a valuable platform for international exposure and deepened appreciation for Chinese orchestral music beyond Singapore.

SNYCO performing at Zhongli Arts Hall, conducted by Quek Ling Kiong (right) and Chan Ping-Hsiang (Left).

Quek Ling Kiong (Right) and Chiu Shih-Hsien (Left) leading SNYCO and the TCO Academy Orchestra at Taipei Zhongshan Hall.

SNYCO and the Hsinchu City Youth Chinese Orchestra (HCYCO) in concert at Hsinchu City Performance Hall, co-conducted by Quek Ling Kiong and Liu Chiang-Pin

From Left to right : Hsinchu Conductor Liu Chiang-Pin, SNYCO Conductor Quek Ling Kiong and Singapore Chinese Orchestra Executive Director Terence H o

SNYCO Co-Concertmaster Koh Yu Jie (Left) and TCO Academy Orchestra soloists Tsai Chung-ting (Right) performing Ode to Hero · Ode to Love

Taoyuan Chinese Orchestra dizi soloists Liang Wen‑Ting and Huang Yu‑Chun performing Singaporean work Winds of Affinity,

SNYCO Alumni Erhu soloist Zeng Canran performing Trials and Tribulations

SNYCO performing Chow Jun Yi City of Tomorrow, interacting with audience using mobile phones.

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