The Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra (SNYCO) has returned from a highly successful concert tour in Taiwan, marking an inspiring week of musical exchange from 9 to 17 December 2025. Performing to nearly 2,000 audience members across Taoyuan, Taipei and Hsinchu, the youth orchestra presented three collaborative concerts that celebrated cultural dialogue through Chinese orchestral music.

Under the direction of Music Director Quek Ling Kiong, the tour was carefully curated to spotlight youth artistry, regional creativity and cross-cultural collaboration. Each city featured a distinct programme and partnership, with SNYCO sharing the stage with the Taoyuan Chinese Orchestra, the Taipei Chinese Orchestra (TCO) Academy Orchestra, and the Hsinchu City Youth Chinese Orchestra. Quek also co-conducted with Taiwanese conductors Chan Ping-Hsiang, Chiu Shih-Hsien and Liu Chiang-Pin, highlighting a spirit of musical camaraderie across borders and generations.

The repertoire reflected a vibrant exchange of contemporary voices from Singapore and the region. A highlight was the erhu concerto Trials and Tribulations by Singaporean composer Phang Kok Jun, performed on alternate nights by SNYCO alumnus and Singapore Chinese Music Competition 2024 Erhu Senior Category first prize winner Zeng Canran, and Taoyuan Chinese Orchestra soloist Fu Chia-Wei. 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 the Taoyuan Chinese Orchestra brought their own interpretive voice to the Singaporean work, embodying musical exchange in action.

A special highlight of the tour was the premiere of SOUNDLINES // 3,242 KM — A Sonic Journey Between Singapore & Taiwan, a new commission by Taiwanese composer Hannah Hsieh. Inspired by the shared island identities of Singapore and Taiwan, the piece imagines sonic bridges across the sea and symbolises the emotional connections forged through music. The tour also featured the double erhu concerto Ode to Hero · Ode to Love, performed by SNYCO co-concertmaster Koh Yu Jie alongside Tsai Chung-Ting from the TCO Academy Orchestra, showcasing the musical synergy between young musicians from both countries.

Beloved Chinese orchestral classics rounded out the programmes, including Jiang Ying’s The Silk Road and Wang Dan Hong’s Ode to the Sun. Audiences were also introduced to City of Tomorrow by Chow Jun Yi, a work commissioned by SNYCO in 2019 that blends field recordings, live performance and mobile phone interactivity, inviting listeners to rethink sound, space and memory.

Beyond the concert hall, the tour placed strong emphasis on learning and exchange. SNYCO musicians participated in a joint rehearsal with students from the Chinese Music Department of the National Taiwan University of Arts on 15 December 2025, followed by a visit to the National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan on 16 December 2025, where they observed a professional rehearsal process firsthand. These experiences offered valuable insight into music education and professional practice, enriching the young musicians’ artistic perspectives.

Spanning 3,242 kilometres, the Taiwan tour provided SNYCO’s members with meaningful international exposure and a deeper appreciation of Chinese orchestral music beyond Singapore, a fitting and memorable conclusion to a journey defined by collaboration, curiosity and shared passion.