Member’s Name: Jayden Leow Shi Jie
Instrument: Percussion

“The overall concert experience was very exhilarating as the repertoire presented truly brought me on a musical journey. The first piece《 抒情变奏曲》showcased the different ways a simple melody can be transformed and orchestrated to evoke a spectrum of emotions. In addition, I enjoyed the double concerto 《光·影》 very much as the intimidate dialogue between the erhu and cello was very beautifully composed to not only juxtapose, but also to blend the different timbres of the instrument — and their own motifs. As such, this superb counterpoint writing left a deep impression on me. At times, I felt that the orchestra was slightly messy as not all the instruments came in together for the first piece. Some parts sounded awkward compared to the usual recordings I heard. Nonetheless, the overall experience is still very enjoyable and memorable.”

Member’s Name: Zeng Canran
Instrument: Erhu

“Very inspired by conductor Liu, very calm and composed style of conductor, more composed than most conductors I’ve watched: simple gestures suggest succinctness in direction and instruction. Loved the cello and erhu duet concerto, loved Mr Phang’s new piece as it resonates with me. Also loved the last movement of Feng ya song (国风) as it is a famous piece and I’ve heard it many times but never live (I think). Inspired by the sounds SCO created under maestro Liu, somehow with his succinct conducting the orchestra sounds more together and musical. One suggestion is the repertoire: the first piece sounds a bit out of context in this concert: maybe not the best choice of piece? Learnt more about duet concerto-ship, playing with a different instrument and how to utilise the best characteristics of both instruments to clear the best sounds overall, dialogue between solo instruments, as well as with orchestra.”

Member’s Name: Zeng Haoran
Instrument: Erhu

“I particularly enjoyed the concert where every single one of them was superb. The last piece of the concert stood out as it had an element of a melody I knew and a song a lot of people in the crowd appreciated. Both soloists, Zhao Jianhua and Xu Zhong were brilliant as they made every single of their performances with so much passion and skill. The concert was even more amazing with Phang Kok Jun’s work being presented for the first time in public as a world premiere. In my opinion, this was the best part of the concert as his cello performance was breath-taking. The piece had a touch of Phang Kok Jun’s style but was simple enough for anyone to follow along with, and the soloists performed it in such a way that I could not help but get lost in the music.

To me personally, again, this piece seemed to mix some very creative new ideas between cello and Erhu performance with unique composition style by Phang Kok Jun. Overall the last piece was emotional with a fast and exciting tempo for the last movement Guo Feng and beautiful singing by the two soprano and tenor making it a piece very rich Chinese history song.”

Member’s Name: Ho Jun Yi Xayden
Instrument: Zhongruan

“After watching this concert, I was deeply moved by the talent and dedication of the performers. The overall concert experience was immersive and enjoyable, with a good mix of traditional and modern elements. The atmosphere was lively, and it was clear that a lot of effort had been put into the planning and execution of the concert. One of the highlights of the concert for me was the piece 《风雅颂之交响》. It beautifully blended classical Chinese elements with symphonic music, creating a rich and emotional experience. This piece stood out to me for its deep cultural meaning and powerful instrumentation.”