Ushering in the 2023 season with hopes, dreams and new music.

Launching their 2023 season with a bang, Chinese Chamber Music ensemble Ding Yi Music Company performed their opening concert of the season at the new Singtel Waterfront Theatre at the Esplanade, showcasing the state of the company and their artistry.

Titled Traversing, the concert focused on showcasing the season’s themes of re-discovering aspirations, finding fresh voices, and bringing together musical talents. With everything set up, conductor Wong De Li, Dedric joined the ensemble onstage, facing us before we hear the sound of the gong, and welcomes us with an opening address that emphasised the music, and bringing across certain emotions to the audience, and most importantly, to let ourselves relax and enjoy the music.

In the first piece of the evening, Jon Lin Chua’s Lament takes inspiration from the guqin piece Li Sao. The grand piece succeeds at easing us into the new Ding Yi season, and as it crescendos, it feels full of promise, and slowly but surely, we believe we will get there. 

Originally composed for the 2018 Belt & Road Shenzhen Music Festival, Zhou Long’s Echoes of Dunhuang is reminiscent of taking a journey, and we close our eyes and simply allow the music to wash over us. This is by no means a smooth journey, one that is filled with obstacles, yet we take comfort in the fact that we are not alone in this. Featuring a quintet of musicians here, it is interesting to note that throughout the performance, we see different groups of the orchestra on stage, allowing us to see the ensemble in full view and for us to appreciate the music, as well as allow us to know the musicians better. 

The next piece, Koh Cheng Jin’s Tang Moonlit Fragrance, now includes the piano, played by Churen Li. As Churen plucks the strings of the piano, we see the same being done on the ruan, showing how despite the difference in each instrument’s origin in the West and the East, it brings a very different note to the narrative of a Chinese chamber. We hear the deep hum of the piano as she pulls the strings, and with the drums, it’s certainly a different type of Chinese music. While it might take some time to get used to, it is a brave attempt at changing things up and bringing new life and audiences. These layers are appreciated, as they showcase a different side and sound to the piano, and together, it results in a unique cultural musical piece. 

Come the second half of the concert, we return with Gao Wei Jie’s The Quarantine, a manic, fast-paced piece, almost as if showing how we are all navigating an equally fast-paced society, all trying to get a grip on things. It’s not easy at all, with tough lessons to learn, but as we hear the ringing of the percussion bells, we know that there is still life in us yet, spurred on by the music.

Showcasing local culture and taking inspiration from the book ‘The Singapore River – a neverending story’, Liu Wei-Chih’s somewhat unorthodox yet atmospheric River Swirls, we hear the wolf cry, howling before we return to serenity and calmness. And in Chow JunYi’s Momentum III, rather than sticking to a pure ‘Chinese’ style of composition, the piece incorporates Malay folk materials as well, showcasing a willingness to experiment with different genres and styles.

In the final piece, Youth (rearranged and orchestrated by Phoon Yew Tien), felt very Western-heavy, with both the drums and the piano, the latter adding a touch of class. However, the piano’s presence is so strong, it ends up blocking the conductor and other soloists in the orchestra, and if this should be performed again, one wonders how it can be better integrated with the rest of the ensemble.

At the end of the concert, what Ding Yi is trying to do is clear – to take Chinese Chamber music into a new era, and expose audience members to it to widen the acceptance of that range and the possibilities of the genre. While it will take time, with this new season comes new hope and new dreams. Transversing showcases vibrance and a strong sense of youthful energy, as the ensemble seeks to overcome life’s challenges together. Change is imminent, and with Ding Yi, one feels confident that in time to come, all of us will learnt to manage and transverse this new world of music, where East meets West, and cultures intersect, in a future filled with hope and aspirations.

Traversing played on 29th April 2023 at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre. More information available here