Ruan Reimagined: A Seminar-Concert

In the past 20 years, interest in the ruan has been increasing steadily. The Singapore Ruan Ensemble has cultivated many ruan professionals and contributed to the ruan repertoire.

This year, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Singapore Chinese Music Federation (SCMF), the Singapore Ruan Original Works Collection will be jointly published by the Singapore Chinese Music Federation and the Ruanxian Association of Singapore. It is a momentous occasion as it is the first collection of original ruan music published locally. The compilation is edited by Zhang Ronghui, Ruan Principal of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, President of the Ruanxian Association of Singapore, and council member of the Singapore Chinese Music Federation.

This collection of compositions includes original ruan works by four scholarship winners: Wang Chenwei, Phang Kok Jun, Sulwyn Lok, and Derek Koh with Wang Chenwei and Sulwyn Lok serving as associate editors. Phang Kok Jun’s Distant Bells is even included in the Chinese book The Grand Collection of Chinese Music. These compositions have become beloved performance pieces among ruan players and ensembles worldwide, playing a significant role in promoting Singapore's original Chinese orchestral works to the world.

Supported by the Singapore Chinese Music Federation, the Ruan Reimagined concert presented by the Singapore Ruan Ensemble and the Ruanxian Association of Singapore will feature Zhang Ronghui and the four composers sharing their creative stories. Audiences will also have the opportunity to enjoy performances by outstanding local young musicians such as Clara Tan Su-min, Lo Chai Xia, and Jonathan Ngeow.