Wong Kah Chun

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

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

References

  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.
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