This January, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s concert hall will fill with sounds that are at once ancient and unmistakably modern. Think piercing suona calls, mellow sheng chords and rhythmic percussion, but also rap cadences, jazz harmonies and folk improvisations. This is Resounding Winds: Liu Chiang-Pin and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, happening on 17 January 2026, a concert that reimagines what Chinese wind music can be in the 21st century.

At the helm is Taiwanese conductor Liu Chiang-Pin, known for his adventurous musical vision, alongside Jin Shiyi, SCO’s principal suona and guan player, who curated the programme. Together, they shape an evening that moves effortlessly between tradition and experimentation, tracing how Chinese wind music continues to evolve across genres, cultures and generations.

One of the most talked-about works of the evening is West Beyond the Yangguan Pass, a bold reworking of the classic Three Refrains on the Song of Yangguan Pass. Originally composed and performed by Jin Shiyi, the piece brings together xinguan, suona, voice, and rap.

The source material is a Tang dynasty poem by Wang Wei, Seeing off Yuan’er on a Mission to Anxi, a meditation on parting and distance. Here, its verses are delivered through rap-style chanting, creating a striking dialogue between ancient poetry and contemporary expression. For this concert, SCO composer-in-residence Wang Chenwei expands the work for wind quartet and orchestra, giving it fresh scale and dramatic weight.

The mood shifts with Canto Ballad by Singaporean composer Phang Kok Jun, where the familiar Cantonese melody Autumn Moon Over the Calm Lake drifts into jazz territory. SCO sheng musician Kevin Cheng joins a jazz trio — piano, bass and drums — in an intimate musical exchange that feels more like a late-night lounge session than a concert hall performance.

Warm jazz harmonies meet the sheng’s reedy timbre, while an improvisatory middle section playfully references moon-themed Cantonese tunes. It’s a gentle, atmospheric piece that highlights how seamlessly traditional instruments can converse with modern musical languages.

Anchoring the programme firmly in its folk roots is Da Di Jiao, performed by acclaimed suona virtuoso Wang Zhanzhan. Originating from China’s border regions of Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan and Anhui, the piece is built on two contrasting musical characters: the expressive, free-flowing “slow dragon” and the energetic, rhythmic “fast dragon”.

Rich in improvisation and rooted in traditional blow-and-strike practices, Da Di Jiao offers audiences a vivid encounter with a living folk tradition: raw, flexible and deeply idiomatic.

The evening also features evocative works such as Jiang Ying’s Impressions of Chinese Music, inspired by ancient instruments depicted in Dunhuang murals, and Wang Chenwei’s Akṣara, which transforms Sanskrit poetic metres into rhythmic patterns for winds and percussion. Another highlight is Wang Danhong’s A Song for the Heavens, where Wang Zhanzhan’s suona conjures the vast emotional landscapes of northern China.

Resounding Winds reminds us that tradition is never static. Through bold collaborations and imaginative reinterpretations, the SCO shows how ancient sounds can remain startlingly relevant, resonant and alive.

Resounding Winds – Liu Chiang-Pin and SCO plays on 17th January 2026 at Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO Conference Hall). Tickets available from SISTIC