Digital Archives

Inaugurated in 1997, Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) is Singapore's only professional national Chinese orchestra


Currently with more than 80 musicians, SCO promotes Chinese traditions, curates contemporary commissioned musical pieces, as well as performs compositions that inscribed an uniquely Singaporean signature in its repertoires. Besides staging ticketed concerts in the concert hall, SCO also engages the public through concerts held in communities, hospitals, schools and more. SCO has made its presence internationally and performed in overseas concerts held in China, Europe, and Southeast Asia.


SCO launched the Digital Archival Portal in February 2022 to collect, organize and preserve archives. This online collection will continue to expand in order to promote and support sustainable academic research.


To know more about SCO, please visit www.sco.com.sg.

Responsibility & goals:

  • Collect and preserve records related to Chinese music.
  • Catalogue and record archives to deepen research work on Chinese music.
  • Establish archival portal to provide academic service for research.

The collection that is available in SCO Digital Archival as follows:

  • SCO Publications such as House Programmes, Season Booklets and more are coming up soon
  • Concert Posters [coming up soon]
  • Concert Videos
  • CD & Recordings [coming up soon]
  • Photographs [coming up soon]
  • Publications related to the local Chinese orchestral scene [coming up soon]

Early History of SCO (before 1997)

The Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) was formerly known as PA Chinese Orchestra and started in 1968 as a performing unit in the People’s Association (PA) Cultural Troupe. Its primary role was to perform at the community functions.

In 1992, the PA Chinese Orchestra was renamed the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) to reflect its leading status in Singapore.

SCO Company Limited (a company limited by guarantee is set up in May 1996) manages SCO till now. It was set up under the initiative of the former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. SCO Company Limited’s goal is to qualitatively develop the SCO into an orchestra of international standing.

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