Education & Outreach

In order to fulfil our vision of becoming a world-renowned People’s Orchestra, SCO inspires, educates and communicates through its unique music. By performing at various public spaces, SCO aims to cultivate the interest of the public and enhance their appreciation of cultural Chinese music. Such public performances include Lunchtime Concerts, targeted at those working in the Central Business District, where they can enjoy the sounds of Chinese Orchestral music and re-energise themselves before heading back to work. The Music Oasis series offers the public a chance to enjoy familiar tunes while being surrounded by lush greenery and fauna.  We also bring our music to the heartlands, performing in neighbourhoods through our Community Series, with aims to nurture Singaporeans’ interest in Chinese Orchestral music through these free community concerts. SCO Caring Series is another initiative that strives to bring Chinese Orchestral music to both patients and healthcare personnel, to provide comfort and encouragement to the healthcare workers on the frontline. SCO also has dedicated educational outreach programmes, such as Tunes of SCO and Campus Rhapsody, which brings educational music to the schools and educational institutions. 

Composing Workshops

SCO also hosts a variety of events in order to cultivate and nurture young talents in the Chinese orchestral scene. The latest Singapore Chinese Orchestra Composer Workshop aims to offer a stimulating platform for aspiring young composers to gain theoretical and practical experience scoring for the Chinese orchestra. During the Composing Workshop, seminars on the characteristics and techniques of Chinese musical instruments were held, in addition to composition and orchestration techniques. Participants had the opportunity to consult the Composer-in-Residence about their drafts, and 8 works were selected to be played by SCO in a score-reading session.

Conducting Workshops

The latest Conducting Workshop was held from 17 to 22 November 2019. Led by SCO Music Director Tsung Yeh, this edition of the workshop is part of SCO’s overall talent development plan for the music industry. In addition, the orchestra workshop was held with SCO’s goal to further develop participants’ conducting skills and appreciation of Chinese Orchestral music. During the workshop, participants were coached and scored on baton techniques, and attended sharings by various composers on the composition analysis of their pieces. Each participant presented a repertoire on the last day of the workshop, with the Music Director selecting the most appropriate piece for each conductor.