Quek Ling Kiong

Music Director

Quek Ling Kiong was recipient of the National Arts Council’s (NAC) Singapore Young Artist Award (2002) , NAC Cultural Fellowship (2013) and Meritorious Awards from COMPASS Singapore (2016). He studied at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music under the NAC Overseas Scholarship, as well as the Lee Foundation and Singapore Hokkien Huay Kwan scholarships. He learned Chinese percussion from renowned master Li Min Xiong and Western classical percussion from Xue Bao Lun. He also explored various Chinese percussion arts with masters such as Li Zhen Gui, An Zhi Shun and Zhu Xiao Lin. After graduating from the Conservatory in 1997, he joined SCO and became its Percussion Principal.

Quek Ling Kiong learned conducting from Cultural Medallion recipient Tay Teow Kiat and famed Chinese conductor Xia Fei Yun. He attended the workshops and masterclasses of luminaries like Tsung Yeh, Johannes Schlaefli , Marc Kissoczy , Kirk Trevor, Oleg Proskumya , Leonid Korchmar , Colin Metters, Harold Farberman, Jormar Panula and Kurt Masur.

Quek Ling Kiong’s career in professional conducting commenced when he became SCO’s first Conducting Assistant in 2003. In 2004, he became SCO’s Assistant Conductor as well as the Conductor for the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra (SNYCO). In 2005, he debuted with SCO at the opening concert of the 12th International Conference of WASBE (World Association for Symphonic Band and Ensembles). In 2006 and 2013, he led SNYCO to perform at the Tainan International Arts Festival and Hsinchu Chinese Music Festival in Taiwan respectively.

Besides conducting orchestras in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, he has also conducted symphony orchestras in Europe. In September 2006, he was again awarded the NAC overseas bursary and scholarship from the Hokkien Huay Kwan to pursue Conducting Studies in Zurich, Switzerland. In 2007, he attended the International Conducting Workshop in St. Petersburg and obtained his Diploma in Advanced Studies from Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (Zurich University of the Arts) in 2008.

Upon his return to SCO in 2008, he was promoted to Associate Conductor. During his appointment, he introduced and choreographed many well-received SCO concerts – SCO’s Mother’s Day Concert, Young Childrens’ Concert, Young People’s Concert, Community Series concerts, Music Oasis Series concerts, Caring Series concerts, Lunchtime Concert and SNYCO concerts. With particular mention is his creativity in the planning and execution of concerts for children where he takes on numerous roles as an actor, director and emcee. 

Quek Ling Kiong is also the mastermind behind major events that promote Chinese music to the masses. This includes the Ding Yi Chinese Chamber Music Festival and Composium. He is currently an adjunct teacher at Lasalle College of the Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. He was also appointed as Visiting Artist at the National Institute of Education in 2018.

Currently, Quek Ling Kiong is Music Director of Singapore Management University Chinese Orchestra,  Principal Guest Conductor of Ding Yi Music Company and Artistic Director of The Purple Symphony- Singapore’s largest inclusive orchestra.

Quek Ling Kiong was appointed as SCO’s Resident Conductor from 1 January 2013 and SNYCO’s Music Director from 1 January 2016.

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