To mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and the Republic of Korea, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Singapore is releasing a special compilation of interviews with prominent arts and culture professionals from both countries. Among those featured is Tan XiangHui, a Senior Producer at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, who programmes and curates a wide range of programmes and performances.  

His work has played a key role in fostering cultural exchanges between Singapore and South Korea. In this interview, XiangHui shares his insights on curating both traditional Korean music and jazz performances, highlighting his role in presenting Korean artists in Singapore. His involvement in Esplanade festivals such as A Tapestry of Sacred Music and Jazz in July provides a glimpse into Esplanade’s diverse programming and its contribution to deepening the understanding of Korean culture in Singapore. 

The interview was conducted by Tae Soobin, the Cultural Manager at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Singapore.

First published in Unbound Blossoms by the embassy in March 2025, this interview has been adapted and republished with permission.

Could you introduce yourself?

Annyeonghaseyo, my name is Tan XiangHui. I am a music lover who found his way into curating and producing music festivals for the national performing arts centre of Singapore, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. Here, I mainly work on world traditional arts and jazz programmes, with two of my “babies”—my pet projects—being the festivals A Tapestry of Sacred Music, as well as Jazz in July.

You have been to Korea, haven’t you? What was your experience like?

I have had the good fortune of visiting Korea quite a few times, with my first visit being nearly 30 years ago. The country has evolved so much over the decades, with each subsequent visit I have come to learn a little more about the land, the people and the culture. There is just so much hospitality and friendship I have received over the years, I always have warm feelings each time I’m back to visit.

When did you first become involved in collaborations with Korea?

My first visit to Korea on a work capacity was in 2013, when I was invited to attend the Asia Pacific Music Meeting held in conjunction with the Ulsan World Music Festival. As a delegate I took part in panel discussions as well as meetings with artists, and observed the showcases curated for the festival. In subsequent years I’ve attended other events such as the Hwaeom Spiritual Music Ritual, Jarasum Jazz Festival and Korea Arts Management Service’s (KAMS) Journey to Korean Music. In 2022, I was privileged to be part of The Korean Culture and Information Service’s (KOCIS) K-Fellowship programme which was such a unique and personalised study trip, where the events and meetings were arranged specifically catering to my area of work—in the case of that specific instance, the spiritual music of Korea.

Given that 2013 was quite different from now, what sparked your initial interest in Korea back then?

I am deeply fascinated by the musical traditions from around the world, and Korea was especially interesting to me because of the shamanistic traditions, and how they became an important foundation to so many vibrant and colourful genres of music, theatre and dance. We see this influence everywhere, from classical pansori and salpurichum, to Lee Hee Moon’s quirky pop songs, and the Ahn Eun Me Company’s avant garde dance.

You have worked at Esplanade for a long time, and since 2013, you have introduced Korean music to Singapore. That means, you have contributed to over a fifth of the 50 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and Singapore. Were there any challenges you faced along the way?

The only reason I was able to learn and work with Korean artists over all these years, is thanks to institutional intermediaries from KAMS, KOCIS, and the dedicated cultural workers of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Singapore, as well as independent intermediaries such as our collaborators from Jarasum Jazz Festival, as well as many other friends in the industry. As a foreigner who cannot speak the Korean language, my biggest challenge is learning about different Korean artists and communicating with them. It is thanks to the hard work of the many cultural intermediaries that we were able to overcome these barriers and bring their soulful performances to our audiences in Singapore.

Were there any moments that made you feel proud or deeply moved as well?

I have been interested in Jindo Ssitgimgut (a Korean ritual that is performed to comfort the souls of the deceased and wish them safe passage) for quite a long while because of how deeply emotional the songs of the ceremony were. Even though I didn’t understand the literal meaning of the words, the usage of voice and instruments very clearly expressed the sorrow in a way that crosses language barriers. We were finally able to stage a performative version of Ssitgimgut led by pansori master Chae Soo-Jung ssi and her students, in the 2017 edition of A Tapestry of Sacred Music. This was thanks to Kim Min Kyoung ssi of the now defunct Sonic Islands Company, who connected us with Ms Chae and took on the task of acting as tour manager for the group.  

Before the late-night performance began, Ms Chae requested to dedicate the ceremony to the victims of the Sewol ferry incident as our festival was in April and very close to the anniversary of that tragic event. We agreed. With this inner intent, the performance was no longer just for show but took on a totally different aspect; the songs became more profound in sadness and consolation. There were many moments in that performance of Ssitgimgut where I experienced goosebumps, and I was so glad that we were able to make it happen. That was possibly my most memorable presentation of a Korean artist in Esplanade.

What projects can we expect from Esplanade in 2025, which marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Singapore? Could you share why you chose the projects you chose, the preparation process, and how you hope the audiences will receive them?

Esplanade would typically work with at least a couple of different artists every year because of how diverse the pool of talent is in Korea. There have been so many wonderful performances, and I look forward to many more future presentations of Korean artists.

For 2025, we hope to present a diversity of Korean sounds in conjunction with the celebration of 50th anniversary diplomatic relations. We start the year off with alternative pop band LEENALCHI on 22 Feb 2025 presented as part of our Mosaic Music Series. This will be followed in April by our grandest Korean production this year, inviting the National Gugak Center to perform Jongmyo Jeryeak as part of A Tapestry of Sacred Music 2025. Following that, we will be working with our long-term collaborators Jarasum Jazz Festival to bring a select group of Korean jazz artists to our festival Jazz in July. Likewise, Jarasum Jazz Festival will invite a few Singaporean artists as part of the artistic exchange.

I was told that you were the one who proposed the performance of Jonmyo Jeryeak to the Korean embassy. I am very curious about what motivated you to pursue this, and how you first became acquainted with this music form.

Jongmyo Jeryeak is one of the most important and well-documented traditional art forms from Korea so naturally in researching on traditional/sacred Korean art forms, it caught our attention early on. The sound and sheer size of the ensemble is spectacular, and it is fascinating how this ancient music was so well preserved, giving a glimpse into the aesthetics of ancient royalty. As someone who is interested in diverse traditions and the connections between different cultures, I was also curious about the similarities and differences Jongmyo Jeryeak shared with other types of ancient music in East Asia.  

It is a perfect fit for our festival A Tapestry of Sacred Music, but we faced one major obstacle: Our festival is completely free for audiences and we do not sell tickets. The festival’s core mission is to highlight to our audiences the common humanity underlying our superficial differences, and we wanted to remove any financial barrier to learning about and appreciating the beauty of other cultures.  

This was an important principle that we did not wish to change, but that makes it financially impossible for us to consider something like Jongmyo Jeryeak. When I first met with Rhee Ha Nul ssi of the embassy, we discussed various possibilities in terms of presenting different Korean artists and somehow Jongmyo Jeryeak came up, as well as how it would be meaningful to stage it in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025. It was really thanks to Mr Rhee’s persistence and hard work that made it a plausible reality, and I’m excited now that we’re on the path to actualising Jongmyo Jeryeak in the Esplanade Theatre.

What aspects of Korean traditional music drew you in? I personally find it heartwarming to see your interest in Korean traditional music, which even many Koreans often find unfamiliar. Also, I am very curious about what aspects of the genre captivated you.

Perhaps it might be that I’ve been open to the traditional music of different Asian cultures since young, that I find the expression of Korean traditional music very relatable. The restrained elegance of sanjo, the exuberance of pungmul, and the way a pansori voice vibrates in sobs and wails—it is perhaps geographically distant, but not emotionally foreign.

From your perspective, what significance does introducing Korean traditional music in Singapore have?

Singaporeans are getting acquainted with many contemporary aspects of Korean culture, from K-pop, K-drama, K-food and so on. It is only natural that, to understand one another better, we also explore our roots and traditions.

On a personal level, because I enjoy the expressiveness of Korean traditional music, it always feels great to share what I can. I get much pleasure seeing a similar joy and connection light up in our audiences’ eyes—after all, good experiences are always better when you have people to share them with.

I really like the name of the festival, A Tapestry of Sacred Music. Could you share the background of how it came to be named?

When we established the festival in 2009, it was important to us that the name conveyed the essence of what the event was about, while maintaining a sense of cultural neutrality because we were all about celebrating the beauty of sacred sounds from different communities. The metaphor of a tapestry felt appropriate to us, reflecting the weaving together of threads from different traditions, different colours and textures, into a larger, beautiful whole which is this festival of spiritual and religious music.  

Why sacred music? We believe it is some of the most vulnerable, expressive and sincere kind of music. It is meant for communicating with a higher power, or expressing a deep truth. A lot of it has important cultural and historical value as well. However, most of it is only performed within communities and places of worship and is not accessible to the public. We invite artists from these communities to share their music on a neutral stage, so that devotees and non-devotees alike can experience the beauty of this music. Ultimately, we want people to understand that they can connect to the music regardless of faith, because the emotions expressed so sincerely, the hopes, desires, fears and joys, are all shared human experiences. In a world where conflict and disagreements take up so much airtime, we need to celebrate this common humanity.

You are also in charge of producing Jazz in July. It is rare for a jazz festival to run for an entire month, and it is developed and produced by a national performing arts centre, no less. As a Korean, I find this particularly fascinating. How is this possible?

Unlike international jazz festivals that draw audiences with the star power of a line-up of famous jazz performers, Jazz in July started as, and remains, an event that is focused on the jazz community in Singapore. We have a dedicated pool of jazz musicians who come from all walks of life, and we recognise that there is still so much work that needs to be done to build our audiences and nourish our artists. That is where our efforts are channeled towards. The festival brings all the different jazz practitioners in the scene back home to Esplanade–from the full-time professionals to the serious musicians with non-music day jobs, to young enthusiastic jazz cats, to octogenarian veterans. When we look at the needs of everyone in the scene, 31 days is really not enough. Each night features at least one project from a different jazz collective; something that is artistically meaningful for them. For the audience, we also make sure that there are different entry points to the music, from swinging big bands, to relatable love songs, and even free dance workshops where they can learn to move to the music that is performed. Even when we invite the few international artists that grace each edition of the festival, it is a boutique curation that is a response to questions like: who is important for our practitioners to be exposed to? What would inspire them? What would engage different types of audiences? Whose music will leave a deep impression and hook the audience into wanting more?

We also make sure that artists from regional jazz scenes have a feature each weekend, and that is how we have been regularly collaborating with Jarasum Jazz Festival. We want for our artists, and the regional artists to have the opportunity to casually jam and make friends. The goal is just for the jazz scenes in the region to feel a lot closer, for our musicians to have friends when they are abroad, be it just someone you can call up to have drinks and jam with, or at higher levels, be future musical partners with.

Like any two countries, Korea and Singapore differ in many ways—geopolitically, politically, economically, and culturally. Focusing strictly on “arts exchange,” what do you think of the infrastructure and overall landscape in each country?

Although South Korea and Singapore are Asian countries, their histories, societies and circumstances are different and this changes the perception of what art is, what is its value, as well as the value of artistic exchange. I feel like Korea has extremely sophisticated and mature mechanisms for artistic export, and as a cultural worker it is inspiring to see how the government makes it so convenient and easy to engage Korean artists. You have KAMS that functions effectively as a concierge for overseas presenters linking them with artists, and very established funding structures that help cover essential costs for artists that aren’t yet established in foreign markets. It is clear that the government puts great priority in exporting the cultural brand.

Singapore on the other hand is a country that had a different path of development. We have existed as a multicultural trading port for more than two centuries, undergone colonialism, and then gained independence only 60 years ago. Because of the history of diversity in this small island, our national and artistic identity is a multifaceted one, more difficult to pin down. The nation’s drive towards economic growth also placed more emphasis on pragmatism, and the journey to national development underwent different strategic paths. Formalised artistic exchange generally takes place on a smaller scale compared to Korea, but independently, there are Singaporean artists doing well and making their impact in their respective genres abroad.

I assume it is important for you, due to your role, to constantly explore various artists and their works. How do you usually conduct research? What do you focus on when you do?

It helps that I am naturally interested in the subject matter of my work, and as such research happens naturally just from trying to satisfy my inner curiosity. The best (but most resource intensive) way to do this research is to experience the artists and works in person. Some performative energies can only be perceived when observing the work live, and videos cannot convey everything about the quality of the performances. It also gives more context to the performance and helps me think about how I preserve or change this context when the work comes to Singapore. Otherwise, I use all possible channels available to me to do the research. In this regard, we’re very fortunate to live in a hyperconnected world.

What do you think is the ultimate value and role of artistic endeavours?

I personally feel that it's an important statement to put out there, especially in the light of how decision-makers and funders in Singapore tend to only look at the value of the arts purely from the standpoint of serving social good. Whenever possible I would like to emphasise that the value of the arts is deeper and more nuanced than that, and lies beyond the social good it brings; which really is a by-product of the practice itself.

It is difficult to make others see and enjoy the intangible value and charm of the arts. How do you think we can do this more wisely?

I think the best way to approach this is to acknowledge that it takes time, and not expect quick results because like you say, it is difficult to make others see something they cannot see. Other than that, we can only try our best to each push things in a positive direction: as an artist, be the best artist you can be, as an arts worker, be sensitive to good art and create opportunities for others to encounter it. Eventually, people can be moved by sincere art and things do change, slowly, but surely.

I always like to tell the story of when Jazz in July began in 2008, some of our audiences were just people looking for somewhere to sit in an air-conditioned space, not particularly interested in the music. But 10 years on we started to see a change: in the middle of a busy Sunday afternoon, we found that there were a few hundred audiences attentively listening to a solo piano ballad on our free-access Concourse stage. Now the festival is going onto its 18th year, and people come specifically to attend even the free programmes. But the reality is that there is still so much work that needs to be done in terms of spreading the love for the music.

As we celebrate the special occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries, how do you think artistic exchange can contribute in this regard? Could you also share your outlook on artistic exchange or any expectations you have for the future?

When I encounter amazing artists, I am simply excited to share them with our audiences and this is the impetus for inviting the Korean artists that we’ve previously worked with to Singapore. Likewise, I hope that there will also be more opportunities to introduce good Singaporean artists to Korean audiences in future. Over time, these interactions create familiarity between our two countries, strengthening our ties and friendships.

Come witness Jongmyo Jeryeak: Rituals for Royal Ancestors, a spiritual and cultural expression of Korea’s Confucian heritage. This UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, preserved by the National Gugak Center, is presented by Esplanade to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and Singapore. Catch this extraordinary performance presented as part of A Tapestry of Sacred Music on 4 Apr, 8pm & 5 Apr, 3pm at Esplanade Theatre. 

Stay tuned to find out more on what’s lined up for Jazz in July 2025.