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Wong Kah Chun

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Wong Kah Chun
Born (1986-06-24) 24 June 1986 (age 38)
Singapore
OccupationConductor  • Composer
Years active2015–present

Wong Kah Chun (Chinese: 黃佳俊; pinyin: Huáng Jiājùn; born 24 June 1986), also known as Kahchun Wong, is a Singaporean conductor.[1][2]

Biography

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Wong was born in 1986 to Victor Wong, a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) warrant officer, and Yeo Huay Lan, a childcare teacher. His family lived in a five-room HDB flat in the Jurong West neighborhood of Singapore.[3][4]

Wong attended River Valley High School during his secondary school years and played the trumpet in the school's Concert Band. After graduation he enrolled in Raffles Institution for his pre-university education, and joined the school's symphonic band and took up music as an A-Level subject. His interest in a professional career with an orchestra began with his participation in Singapore National Youth Orchestra rehearsals, his first experiences of a Western symphony orchestra with strings.[5]

Wong performed with the SAF military band during his national service and suffered a nerve injury to his lips from over-playing the trumpet. While he was recovering, he started composing and formed a group to perform his compositions. At this point he started considering becoming a professional conductor.[6] In 2010, Wong was part of a group that formed the Asian Contemporary Ensemble, which focuses on Singaporean and Asian composers.[3] In 2011, he began studying opera and orchestral conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin, Germany, after receiving the Lee Kuan Yew scholarship. He earned his master's degree in 2014.[7][8]

Wong debuted in March 2015 with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.[3][8][9] On 12 May 2016, Wong became the first Asian to win the Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition for young conductors, held in Bamberg, Germany.[10] In June 2016, he debuted in China, conducting the China Philharmonic Orchestra, Beijing, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra.[11] He was a finalist for the 2017 Singapore Youth Award of the National Youth Council.[12] In August 2018, he was one of ten Singaporeans mentioned in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally speech.[4][13]

Wong became chief conductor of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, his first full-time orchestral conducting post, in September 2018.[3][10][14] Wong concluded his Nuremberg tenure in August 2022.[15]

Wong conducted the New York Philharmonic's annual Lunar New Year concert in February 2019.[16] In December 2019, the Federal President of Germany awarded him the Order of Merit for his achievements in Singaporean-German cultural relations and the advancement of German music culture abroad.[17] He co-founded Project Infinitude with Marina Mahler, the granddaughter of Gustav Mahler, in 2016 as part of a global music education initiative by the Mahler Foundation.[18]

In March 2021, Wong first guest-conducted the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra (JPO). In August 2021, the JPO appointed Wong as its principal guest conductor, effective September 2021, with an initial contract of 2 years.[19] In May 2022, the JPO announced the appointment of Wong as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2023-2024 season, with an initial contract of 5 years.[20]

Wong first guest-conducted the Dresden Philharmonic in 2021, and returned for a further guest-conducting appearance in 2022. In April 2023, the Dresden Philharmonic announced the appointment as Wong as its next principal guest conductor, as of the 2023-2024 season, with a contract of two seasons.[21]

Wong first guest-conducted The Hallé in February 2023.[22] In June 2023, The Hallé announced the appointment of Wong as its next principal conductor and artistic advisor, effective with the 2024-2025 season, with an initial contract of 5 seasons.[23]

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Artist Profile: Wong Kah Chun". Ang Mo Kio Secondary School. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  2. ^ "NUS Arts Festival 2015 – Wong Kah Chun". National University of Singapore. 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d Tan, Sumiko (23 April 2017). "Lunch With Sumiko: The world is conductor Wong Kah Chun's stage". The Straits Times. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  4. ^ a b Derek Wong; Tee Zhuo; Seow Bei Yi (7 June 2016). "Singapore Pursuing their dreams, flying the flag high". The Straits Times. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  5. ^ Tan, Sumiko (23 April 2017). "Lunch With Sumiko: The world is conductor Wong Kah Chun's stage". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Meet the Maestro: Kah Chun Wong". rhinegold.co.uk. 12 July 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Profile: Kah Chun Wong". The A List Singapore. 30 August 2016. Archived from the original on 24 August 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  8. ^ a b c "At 29, Wong Kah Chun has conducted orchestras on four continents". The Straits Times. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  9. ^ "Up Close with Kahchun Wong". thebandpost.com. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  10. ^ a b Raguraman, Anjali (13 May 2016). "Singaporean Wong Kah Chun wins Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition". The Straits Times. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  11. ^ Lee, Min Kok (7 June 2016). "Singapore conductor to debut in China". The Straits Times. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  12. ^ "Global stage, local heart". The Straits Times. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  13. ^ Derek Wong; Tee Zhuo; Seow Bei Yi (20 August 2018). "National Day Rally 2018: 10 Singaporeans who got special mention in PM Lee Hsien Loong's speech". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  14. ^ Ho, Olivia (21 January 2017). "Singaporean Wong Kah Chun named chief conductor of Nuremberg orchestra". The Straits Times. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  15. ^ "Chefdirigent Kahchun Wong verlässt Nürnberger Symphoniker". NMZ. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  16. ^ Nanda, Akshita (25 July 2018). "Wong Kah Chun to conduct New York Philharmonic's Lunar New Year concert". The Straits Times. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  17. ^ a b "Maestro Kahchun Wong awarded Order of Merit by Federal President of Germany". Federal Foreign Office. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  18. ^ Said, Nabilah (6 December 2016). "Making music fun and accessible for children". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  19. ^ "Japan Philharmonic Orchestra Appoints Kahchun Wong as Principal Guest Conductor" (Press release). Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. 25 August 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  20. ^ "Kahchun Wong Appointed Chief Conductor of Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Begins in 2023" (Press release). Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  21. ^ "Kahchun Wong appointed Principal Guest Conductor of Dresdner Philharmonie" (Press release). HarrisonParrott. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  22. ^ Robert Beale (17 February 2023). "Review of Hallé concert with Ian Bostridge and conducted by Kahchun Wong". Manchester Classical Music (blog). Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  23. ^ "Kahchun Wong announced as new Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Hallé" (Press release). Hallé Concerts Society. 20 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
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Cultural offices
Preceded by Chief Conductor, Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra
2018–2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Conductor, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra
2023–present 		Succeeded by
incumbent
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