Wong Kah Chun (; born 24 June 1986), also known as Kahchun Wong, is a

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

an conductor.

Biography

Wong was born in 1986 to Victor Wong, a

Singapore Armed Forces The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDE ...

(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. Wong performed with the SAF military band during his

national service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The l ...

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. In 2010, Wong was part of a group that formed the Asian Contemporary Ensemble, which focuses on Singaporean and Asian composers. In 2011, he began studying opera and orchestral conducting at the

Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler ' (, plural: ') is the generic term in German for institutions of higher education, corresponding to ''universities'' and ''colleges'' in English. The term ''Universität'' (plural: ''Universitäten'') is reserved for institutions with the right to ...

in Berlin, Germany, after receiving the

Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), born Harry Lee Kuan Yew, often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean lawyer and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1990, and Secretary-General o ...

scholarship. He earned his master's degree in 2014. Wong debuted in March 2015 with the

Singapore Symphony Orchestra The Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Singapore. Its principal concert venue is the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. The orchestra also gives concerts at the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, and performs about ...

. On 12 May 2016, Wong became the first Asian to win the

Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition The Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition is one of the most important music competitions of its kind worldwide and is held in Bamberg, Germany. Conductors no older than 35 years may enter. History The competition was founded by the Bamberg Sym ...

for young conductors, held in Bamberg, Germany. In June 2016, he debuted in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, conducting the

China Philharmonic Orchestra The China Philharmonic Orchestra (中国爱乐乐团; abbreviated CPO) is an orchestra founded in Beijing, China, on May 25, 2000, based on the previous "China Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra". It is a division of the State Administration of Ra ...

, Beijing, the

Shanghai Symphony Orchestra The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra () is a symphony orchestra in Shanghai, China. Its music director is Yu Long. Founded in 1879, the SSO is the oldest Chinese symphony orchestra. Originally, it was known as the Shanghai Public Band, expanding in 1 ...

and the

Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra The Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra (GSO; ) is an orchestra based in Guangzhou, Guangdong. It was founded in 1957. The orchestra's current artistic director is Long Yu ( 余隆). It is the only Chinese symphony orchestra that has toured five conti ...

. He was a finalist for the 2017 Singapore Youth Award of the

National Youth Council A National Youth Council is a representative body made up of youth organizations and young people in a particular state or nation. Many were formed after the second world war to attend the World Festival of Youth and later the World Assembly of You ...

. In August 2018, he was one of ten Singaporeans mentioned in Prime Minister

Lee Hsien Loong Lee Hsien Loong (; born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician and former brigadier-general who has been serving as Prime Minister of Singapore and Secretary-General of the People's Action Party since 2004. He has been the Member of Par ...

's National Day Rally speech. Wong became chief conductor of the

Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra The Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra (German: Nürnberger Symphoniker) is a German orchestra based in Nuremberg. Its principal concert venue is the Meistersingerhalle. The orchestra's current ''Intendant'' (managing and artistic director) is Lucius ...

, his first full-time orchestral conducting post, in September 2018. Wong concluded his Nuremberg tenure in August 2022. Wong conducted the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

's annual Lunar New Year concert in February 2019. In December 2019, the

Federal President of Germany The president of Germany, officially the Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: link=no, Bundespräsident der Bundesrepublik Deutschland),The official title within Germany is ', with ' being added in international corres ...

awarded him the Order of Merit for his achievements in Singaporean-German cultural relations and the advancement of German music culture abroad. He co-founded Project Infinitude with Marina Mahler, the granddaughter of

Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...

, in 2016 as part of a global music education initiative by the Mahler Foundation. In March 2021, Wong first guest-conducted the

Japan Philharmonic Orchestra The (JPO) is a Japanese symphony orchestra based in Tokyo, with administrative offices in Suginami. History The orchestra was established on June 22, 1956, as the exclusive subsidiary orchestra under the Nippon Cultural Broadcasting. Akeo Watan ...

(JPO). In August 2021, the JPO appointed Wong as its principal guest conductor, effective September 2021, with an initial contract of 2 years. 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.

Awards

* 2011 2nd prize – 5th International Competition of Young Conductors Lovro von Matačić * 2013 1st prize – 4th International Conducting Competition Jeunesses Musicales Bucharest * 2016 1st prize – 5th Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition * 2019

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

References

External links

Official website of Wong Kah Chun
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wong, Kah Chun Living people 1986 births Singaporean conductors (music) Raffles Junior College alumni National University of Singapore alumni Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin alumni 21st-century conductors (music) 21st-century Singaporean musicians Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany