Rit Xu and Chok Kerong

With lyrical, thoughtful, and emotionally driven performances on the flute, Rit Xu is widely recognised for his masterful and dexterous ability in both jazz and contemporary classical music. As a bandleader and composer, he stands as a leading global voice on the flute in jazz, melding improvisational and compositional mastery with a profound dedication to his Singaporean heritage. Rit serves on the faculty at Lasalle College of the Arts and Singapore Raffles Music College, and is an ensemble-in-residence at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. Besides his contributions to tertiary-level education, he actively mentors numerous young musicians in the community through programs such as the Lion City Youth Jazz Festival and the Singapore Street Festival. Currently, Rit holds the position of Assistant Music Director of Jazz Association Singapore (JASS). In 2022, he was honoured with the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council, the highest recognition for young arts practitioners aged 35 and under in Singapore.

A composer, producer and keyboardist of extraordinary clarity and depth, Chok Kerong has established himself as one of Singapore's most versatile talents. His work has been performed by artists across multiple generations, including Cultural Medallion winner Jeremy Monteiro, Rani Singam, KEYANA, Joanna Dong, Randy Brecker, Antonio Hart, T'ang Quartet and Young Artist Award winners Rit Xu and Charlie Lim.