Concert Review: Ray Chen – Violin Recital (Singapore)

Virtuosity, storytelling, and enough encore pieces for a second recital, Ray Chen makes classical music feel welcoming, alive, and deeply human. Ray Chen’s return to Singapore felt less like a standard recital and more like a showcase of how flexible a classical concert can be in 2026. Part virtuoso display, part storytelling, part direct conversation with the audience, Chen was joined by pianist Chelsea Wang, … Continue reading Concert Review: Ray Chen – Violin Recital (Singapore)

An Interview with Joanna Dong on risk taking and reinvention in her immersive sound and sculpture performance ‘BIG BIG small small’

For Joanna Dong, better known as a jazz vocalist and local musical star, the shift into experimental, interdisciplinary performance isn’t a reinvention so much as a return to something unfinished. Long before she became widely recognised through television and large-scale performances, she was already drawn to work that resisted neat categorisation, pieces that blurred sound, movement, and space into something less easily named. “Going into … Continue reading An Interview with Joanna Dong on risk taking and reinvention in her immersive sound and sculpture performance ‘BIG BIG small small’

★★★★★ Theatre Review: Lush Life by Ong Keng Sen / T:>Works, Jacintha & Dick Lee (SIFA 2026)

Icon of Singapore’s music scene tells the story of her three ex-husbands through docudrama and song, in a theatrical concert that captures her verve for love, life and all it offers. There is a word Jacintha Abisheganaden uses early in Lush Life that tells you everything about what kind of evening this will be. Recounting her years performing in Hawaii, where a manager suggested she … Continue reading ★★★★★ Theatre Review: Lush Life by Ong Keng Sen / T:>Works, Jacintha & Dick Lee (SIFA 2026)

Preview: Broadway Beng 20th Anniversary TWENTY POON PIPI by Dream Academy

If there’s one Singaporean stage icon who has managed to outshine sequins, satire, and even the most dramatic Broadway crescendos, it’s Broadway Beng®. And this July, the larger-than-life persona returns—older, glitzier, and arguably more fabulous than ever. At the centre of it all is Sebastian Tan, the man who has spent two decades perfecting the art of being unapologetically “Beng”, equal parts cheeky, heartfelt, and … Continue reading Preview: Broadway Beng 20th Anniversary TWENTY POON PIPI by Dream Academy

Concert Review: The Music of China’s Magnificent Mountains – Darrell Ang and SCO

Darrell Ang leads the Singapore Chinese Orchestra through an immersive soundscape capturing a vivid journey across mountains. Last weekend, under the baton of Darrell Ang, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s The Music of China’s Magnificent Mountains unfolded like a carefully charted expedition, one where every ascent, valley, and horizon was shaped with intention. From the very beginning, Ang established a distinct presence, where his entrance was … Continue reading Concert Review: The Music of China’s Magnificent Mountains – Darrell Ang and SCO

Preview: A Tapestry of Sacred Music 2026 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Presented by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, A Tapestry of Sacred Music returns for its 17th edition from 30 April to 3 May 2026, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience the rich diversity of sacred musical traditions from Singapore and around the world. Once again, the festivals offers up an immersive journey across spiritual landscapes spanning mosques, temples, village grounds, and cathedrals, where … Continue reading Preview: A Tapestry of Sacred Music 2026 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Music Review: Shostakovich with Leonidas Kavakos & Hannu Lintu by Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Under Hannu Lintu, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra delivers a gripping, emotionally-charged Shostakovich marathon alongside violinist Leonidas Kavakos. There was something revealing in a remark shared in conversation with Hannu Lintu beforehand, where he stated that the soloist, above all, must remain central. It is a simple philosophy, but one that shaped the entire evening. What emerged was not just a display of orchestral discipline, but … Continue reading Music Review: Shostakovich with Leonidas Kavakos & Hannu Lintu by Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Concert Review: Traversing 《“樂”无界》by Ding Yi Music Company

Ding Yi opens their 2026/27 season with a bold, celebratory selection of works that shows off the chamber ensemble’s capabilities and global vision. Opening its 2026/27 season, Traversing by Ding Yi Music Company makes an ambitious artistic claim: that a Chinese chamber ensemble can be not only rooted in tradition, but also be expansive, borderless, and globally resonant. Under the direction of maestro Tsung Yeh, … Continue reading Concert Review: Traversing 《“樂”无界》by Ding Yi Music Company

Music: A new chapter for Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s 2026/27 season with Hannu Lintu as Music Director

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s 2026/27 season signals a turning point. With Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu stepping in as Quantedge Music Director, the orchestra enters what its leadership describes as a period of discovery, recalibration and ambition. For Lintu, the decision to come to Singapore was not incidental, but deeply tied to a moment of transition in his own career. These kinds of engagements depend on … Continue reading Music: A new chapter for Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s 2026/27 season with Hannu Lintu as Music Director

Concert Review: Shanghai Symphony Orchestra In Concert

A historic Singapore debut by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra blends culinary-inspired modernism, Romantic virtuosity, and symphonic grandeur into an evening of vivid contrasts and sustained musical dialogue. There was a palpable sense of anticipation at the Esplanade Concert Hall as audiences gathered for the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra’s first-ever performance in Singapore. As the final stop of its 2026 Asia-Pacific tour, the evening carried a quiet … Continue reading Concert Review: Shanghai Symphony Orchestra In Concert