Coming in as the newly minted CEO of the national orchestra was never going to be an easy task, especially when you’re taking over the reins from a predecessor who’s served in the role for eleven years. But for Kenneth Kwok, who became the CEO of the Singapore Symphony Group last December, he’s brought a can-do spirit, an ever-positive attitude, and put in the effort to win over the hearts and minds of all those he’s come into contact with, as he continues to lead the group to new heights.

The curious part perhaps, is how Kenneth has never served in any music-specific role before, instead coming in with a background that includes being a teacher and vice principal with the Ministry of Education, a stint with the Municipal Services Office at the Ministry of National Development, and multiple positions at the National Arts Council. Speaking to Kenneth, we get up close and personal with the new CEO, and how he’s been adapting to the role, and how he envisions working together with the group.

“It’s a huge privilege and honour to join the national orchestra like this,” says Kenneth. “A CEO essentially needs to know everything that’s happening, whether a musician has fallen sick or if a livestream has issues. Even if I’m not the one directly tending to it, you have to be aware and know about them when they come up at meetings, or when we deal with grants. And of course, the Group also includes the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), the Youth Choir, Children’s Choir, and even coordinating the ABRSM, alongside HR and finance. It’s a lot more than I thought I would be involved in, and the moment I realised that, I wanted to learn as much as I could, to the point I would know everything.”

The form and function of a group like the SSO is fundamentally different from everywhere else Kenneth has worked, primarily in ministries and statutory boards. “In a post-COVID world, the aim of the group really was to bring live music back to people,” he says. “But on the operations level, there’s really been a lot going on because the SSO alone already performs every single week, with new conductors and soloists coming in, which is a very different pace from what I’m used to.”

What that means though is that Kenneth’s on the job training is a constant affair, where he’s picking up new information all the time, and getting to know stakeholders, employees and operations at a faster pace than he could ever have imagined. “Coming from the NAC, I was able to see how the arts worked as a sector rather than in genre-based silos, like music and visual art and theatre,” says Kenneth. “The point is not to succeed as a company, but to use the platform and position to continually build the arts community and work together to support one another. It feels right that we’re moving to the Esplanade after they approached us, because we’d be the national orchestra in the national arts centre, and closer than ever to our partners, where we can deepen our relationships with other practitioners and groups.”

Naturally, Kenneth also has big plans for the Group, and simplifies it to two key concepts – building partnerships, and to build the company’s culture. “I joined the company at the tail end of its last 5-year strategic plan, and was just in time to help with planning for 2023-2029, which covers the SSO’s 50th anniversary in 2029,” says Kenneth. “Our main aim really is to continue building audience members beyond our usual faces, experimenting with new work to see what works or bring in new people to music. Coming out of COVID, it was also an opportunity to take stock and chart where we want to go and how to get there, and especially seeing as we have such strong audience support, we have to take advantage of that to figure out how we can make the most of the opportunities afforded us.”

Going back to his resume, Kenneth acknowledges the early years of his career in education, as an English Literature teacher, and how the idea of pedagogy, curriculum, and involvement of youth all links back to his current role. “I think there are certain values you develop as a teacher, such as providing opportunities for young people. The Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO), for example, gathers young people as passionate about music as each other, creating a community while also helping develop life skills,” says Kenneth. “Even if they don’t go on to become professional musicians, you’ll at least build lifelong audiences, which I feel is an important aspect of an orchestra. There is always some form of interest, whether as a listener or a player, and the idea is to tap on that initial interest, and diversify our offerings and marketing to appeal to more people through different platforms. Essentially, it’s up to us to make that relationship with music deeper, to excite others and cultivate a stronger bond.”

“From a professional standpoint, we do have plenty of youth programmes that support and platform young people, and it helps give them a head start in their career as a musician, whether it’s performances, competitions or workshops,” he adds. “But at the end of the day, we cannot institutionalise passion, and much of it is also dependent on their own interest and hard work, with the hope that they keep at it, and some find success like being identified by international orchestras, and carrying on from there.”

Kenneth’s own involvement in the art has ebbed and flowed over the years, from being just an audience member, to a reviewer and critic, to entering management and policymaking. “I have loved and been involved in the arts for decades, and there are times the lines get blurred with regards to my role. Joining the Group meant that I would also be attending a lot more concerts, sometimes on two nights or even the rehearsals to hear the difference, so I understand the process,” he says. “Again, this is about the idea of building up a stronger relationship with the orchestra. If you see the Friends of SSO, these are patrons and people who are so willing to come to the concerts and have built up their own community over the years, where they can come down for a concert on any given day and find a familiar face. Over time, they’ve even come onboard as volunteers like manning the merchandise cart or even baking for each other. The arts is a human enterprise, and if you can build a community around it around the students and volunteers, that connectivity and desire to support it should be achieved.”

Kenneth acknowledges that the music scene in Singapore is only growing, with a healthy ecosystem of community groups and orchestras that co-exist with one another, as well as collaborations that help uplift and promote each other. “The Group exists to provide opportunities, like helping programme for the Victoria Concert Hall, or doing collaborations with say Ministry of Bellz during the December 2022 Christmas Carillon concert,” he says. “It’s about having the space for people to flourish and to discover what they enjoy and can excel at.”

Coming back to programming for a diverse audience, there is a strong intentionality behind the programming that ensures others take notice of what’s on. “It’s about cultivating the ecosystem to appreciate arts as a whole, reaching out and building partnerships, and that’s our responsibility as a major company. It’s not just about people being aware of the Group, but arts and classical music in all its forms,” says Kenneth. “That’s why we have the SSO Pops programmes, or bring in Broadway numbers, so that people become cognizant that music is all around them in so many forms and a part of life. I do think our programming does that, while also working with the Ministry of Education to work on educational resources for schools, and really, to integrate music in people’s everyday lives. And when they realise that, that’s when people want to get involved, not just as an audience or player, but even to volunteer or donate.”

“Classical music can still be very daunting for people, where they might be afraid they can’t sit through an entire 40 minute symphony. But when it’s a show like the Blackpink concert or Frozen: The Musical, people go because it’s an event. We need to cut above the noise to excite people, that they want to get out of bed and attend, whether it’s TwoSet Violin or bringing in Joe Hisaishi. It’s about accessibility, and building up that comfort level from a young age,” he adds. “We’re finding all these different access points – to draw people into the concert hall because you see songs from a film you recognise, or you put short classical music pieces in an outdoor concert, all to immerse people in it, and show them it’s not that intimidating.”

And what of his own personality and how it fits into the Group’s culture? “Generally, I’m an upbeat person and seek joy and purpose in all I do. I’m lucky to have experienced that across all my jobs so far, and want to extend that such that it creates a happy work environment for everyone. It is only when people are in a happy, safe space that they will be the best versions of themselves and feel supported and care for each other, and genuinely want to give their all,” says Kenneth. “In my own life, that was also my approach in the classroom, where students find joy in coming to school, and would naturally want to excel. That mindset and sense of purpose helps with my mental health, because it’s not so much about how busy or burnt out you are, but whether you enjoy the company of those around you.”

“The SSO is now in a position where it’s been named one of the best in the world, and you can genuinely be proud when you see so many people come to the concerts and really appreciate all the work and talent onstage,” he concludes. “I believe the arts are vital to life, in terms of creation and expression but also healing, and making people feel, especially in a world that doesn’t allow you to feel a lot. And I remember, very vividly, attending a concert at the Botanic Gardens, and watching the SSO on the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage on a Sunday evening. Surrounded by 5,000 people, enjoying the music, it made me want to get up and dance. That is really why we’re here – to help people feel less alone, to connect them to other people around them, and to bring happiness to as many people as we can reach.”

More information about the SSO here