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- 124 participants won awards at the Singapore Chinese Music Competition 2022
- 18-year-old Amanda Toh Sze Suan clinched both Grand Category Champion and Audience Choice Award
- Notable mentions: youngest SCMC winner at 8-years-old; siblings win Suona categories; non-Chinese participant wins award for the second time in SCMC
After 16 days of competition, the 2nd edition of the Singapore Chinese Music Competition (SCMC) 2022 has successfully concluded with the “Finals for Grand Category and Prize Presentation Ceremony” held at SCO Concert Hall this afternoon 4pm. We thank Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, Mr Edwin Tong for gracing this event as the Guest-of-honour.
SCMC 2022 saw many talented musicians coming together to compete and create music at the SCO Concert Hall. With 391 participants, the competition attracted both Chinese and non-Chinese musicians, aged between 7 to 84 years old from all walks of life. The competition from 22 November to 6 December was also live-streamed on the SCMC’s YouTube platform, and for the first time on NetEase to reach out to China’s audience. Audiences enjoyed solo and ensemble performances from five categories: Solo (Junior); Solo (Intermediate); Solo (Senior); Grand Category, and Ensemble.
This year, 124 participants emerged winners from 391 participants. Six 1st Prize winners of the solo categories and champion of Ensemble Group B were selected to perform at the Prize Winner Concert on 9 December 2022. Among the 1st Prize winners, Liu Yu Xin (Suona Senior category) and Yu Haotian (Zhongruan Senior category) had the opportunity to perform alongside the orchestra under the baton of Associate Conductor Moses Gay. The three Grand Category finalists also vied for the Champion title on 10 December 2022 during the Final for Grand Category & Prize Presentation Ceremony, as they performed with the orchestra under the baton of Resident Conductor Quek Ling Kiong. Refer to Annex A for the list of winners.
In the Final for Grand Category on 10 December, 18-year-old Amanda Toh Sze Suan (erhu) emerged as Champion with her presentation of The Brave Spirits of the Snow Mountain, where she amazed everyone with her expressive performance and techniques. In addition to her clinching the Champion title, Amanda also won the “Audience Choice Award”, when she garnered the most votes online, making her the first SCMC Grand Category participant with both wins. Amanda is the current Erhu I Principal of the Singapore National Chinese Youth Orchestra (SNYCO). She was also the 1st Prize winner in the SCMC 2020 Erhu Senior category.
Other notable mentions include: At 8 years old, Dong Zhichen is the youngest winner of the SCMC when she won the 3rd Prize in the Pipa Junior category. The youngest winner for the SCMC 2020 run was 9 years old. We also see Liu YuBo and Liu Yu Xin, children of SCO Suona musician Liu Jiang, both winning awards in the Suona Intermediate and Senior category respectively. One of our non-Chinese participants Rohan Nanduri won 3rd Prize in the Sheng Intermediate category, Rohan also placed third in the SCMC 2020. For the ensemble categories, we see groups from the Nanyang Girls’ High Chinese Orchestra, NAFA Chinese Ensemble, and The CO Peeps Ensemble win top prizes as well. In addition, of the 41 Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra (SNYCO) members who participated in the SCMC, 17 of them won awards in the competition. The pool of young talents the competition witnessed also signals promising and sustained interest in the traditional Chinese music scene ahead.
The 391 participants competed before a panel of renowned local and international adjudicators, who judged on-site and via live stream. This year, the panel of adjudicators also includes five renowned Cultural Medallion winners – Dr Tay Teow Kiat (1993), Mr Yan Hui Chang (2001), Mr Tsung Yeh (2013), Mr Law Wai Lun (2017) and Mr Eric Watson (2019). Refer to Annex B for the list of adjudicators and biographies.
An Adjudicators Sharing Session cum Dialogue session was also held on 7 December 2022 at the SCO Concert Hall, where the adjudicators for the Finals category shared their observations from the competition and provided feedback for participants. The sharing session was moderated by SCO Erhu I Associate Principal Dr. Ling Hock Siang.
SCO Executive Director Terence Ho said, “It is heartening to witness outstanding young talents take centrestage during this 16-day competition. SCMC celebrates excellence in traditional Chinese music and identifies talented musicians in their musical journey, and I am glad to see an increase in participants this year. I hope this unique experience will allow these participants to gain wider recognition and scale to greater heights. Especially with SCMC 2020 Grand Category Champion Deborah Siok joining SCO as an erhu musician this year, I look forward to seeing these exceptional musicians excel and continue to amaze us in the coming years!”
Solo (Preliminaries) adjudicator Ling Hock Siang shared that: “Participating in competitions such as the SCMC is one of the means and ways of arts education. Young musicians should be able to improve and gain experiences from these competitions, and not focus solely on the awards. As we congratulate the competition winners, participants who did not win should remember these experiences and continue striving toward their next goal.”
The 2nd edition of the SCMC was held from 22 November to 10 December 2022. The biennial Singapore Chinese Music Competition, previously known as National Chinese Music Competition, seeks to provide an excellent platform to develop the performing skills of young musicians, raise musical standards, discover new talents, and connect our people by supporting their lifelong interest in the pursuit of Chinese music in Singapore. The competition has a total cash prize of $91,400, with the winners in each category receiving trophies, certificates, and cash prizes of up to $10,000. Refer to Annex C for prize categories.
The Singapore Chinese Music Competition is supported by Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, National Arts Council, Tote Board, Temasek Foundation, and in partnership with Ministry of Education, People’s Association, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre Singapore Chinese Music Federation and SPH Media Ltd, Chinese Media Group, Lianhe Zaobao.
For more information, please visit SCMC’s website (https://sco.com.sg/scmc/ ) .
SCMC 2022 prize winners with Guest-of-Honour Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law.
Grand Category Champion and Audience Choice Award winner Amanda Toh Sze Suan together with Guest-of-Honour Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law, and Singapore Chinese Orchestra Chairman Ng Siew Quan.
Download high-resolution images of the highlight at the SCMC 2022 Prize Concert Winner and Finals for Grand Category & Prize Presentation Ceremony on 9 and 10 December 2022 here.
Click here for SCMC 2022 Prize Winners’ Concert and Final for Grand Category & Prize Presentation Ceremony Programme Booklet.
For more information, please refer to:
- Annex A: List of winners
- Annex B: List of adjudicators
- Annex C: Prize categories
- Annex D: Write up of SCMC 2022 Grand Category Champion
Annex A: Winner List
Solo Section 独奏项目
- 卓越大奖得主 Grand Category Champion: 卓诗璇Amanda Toh Sze Suan
- 观众投选奖 Audience Choice Award：卓诗璇Amanda Toh Sze Suan
（仅限卓越组 Only for Grand category）
笛子初级组 Dizi Junior Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | Ee Anzhi | 余安之 |
| 2nd /亚军 | Jiang Longfan | 蒋龙帆 |
| 3rd /季军 | Teo Jay Mi | 张旨甯 |
二胡初级组 Erhu Junior Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st / 冠军 | Zeng Haoran | 曾浩然 |
| 2nd /亚军 | Zhang Yunhao | 张云皓 |
| 3rd /季军 | Jefferson Ching Tian Yew | 庄天佑 |
古筝初级组 Guzheng Junior Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | Choy Sum Ying Genevieve | 蔡沁颖 |
| 2nd/亚军 | Syrena Zhang Xinyao | 张欣瑶 |
| 3rd/季军 | Fwa Shao Xuan Lyon | 潘劭轩 |
琵琶初级组 Pipa Junior Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | Grace Zhan | 詹子萱 |
| 2nd /亚军 | Isadora Qi Jiayu | 戚佳妤 |
| 3rd /季军 | Dong Zhichen | 董芷尘 |
唢呐初级组 Suona Junior Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | Tan See Yin Celeste | 陳施颖 |
| 2nd /亚军 | Li Yile | 李一乐 |
| 3rd /季军 | Wong Sze Chen Matthew | 黄子丞 |
扬琴初级组 Yangqin Junior Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | Qiang Jiale | 羌嘉乐 |
| 2nd /亚军 | Chen Xuan Ying | 陈萱颖 |
| 3rd /季军 | Chua Cheng Xin Brielle | 蔡丞芯 |
中阮初级组 Zhongruan Junior Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | Isabella Chan | 陈姵颖 |
| 2nd /亚军 | Yulisa Goh Yu Tong | 吴雨曈 |
| 3rd /季军 | Li Zhixin | 李芷昕 |
笛子中级组 Dizi Intermediate Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | Heng Yi Hwee | 王意惠 |
| 2nd /亚军 | Tian Enzhi | 田恩植 |
| 3rd /季军 | Clara Chan Xin Yi | 陈心怡 |
二胡中级组 Erhu Intermediate Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | Zhou Qiaohan | 周俏含 |
| 2nd /亚军 | Vanessa Tan Zhi Ning | 陈祉宁 |
| 3rd /季军 | Tan Kwan Xuan, Benedict | 陈观炫 |
古筝中级组 Guzheng Intermediate Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st/冠军 | Ma Yining | 马艺宁 |
| 1st/冠军 | Fong Xi Nicole | 冯曦 |
| 2nd/亚军 | No 2nd prize is awarded 从缺 | |
| 3rd/季军 | Chloe Sin Kaye | 孙琦 |
琵琶中级组 Pipa Intermediate Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | Luo Yi En Ronnie | 罗以恩 |
| 2nd /亚军 | Ng Yu Hui (Huang Yuhui) | 黄宇慧 |
| 3rd /季军 | Pan Annan | 潘安楠 |
笙中级组 Sheng Intermediate Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | Chin Yi Xian | 陈奕宪 |
| 2nd /亚军 | No 2nd prize is awarded 从缺 | |
| 3rd /季军 | Rohan Nanduri | NA |
唢呐中级组 Suona Intermediate Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | No 1st prize is awarded 从缺 | |
| 2nd /亚军 | Tan Jing Hng | 陈敬恒 |
| 3rd /季军 | Liu YuBo | 刘宇博 |
| 3rd /季军 | Bryan Teh Jia Yi | 郑嘉毅 |
扬琴中级组 Yangqin Intermediate Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | Lee Zhi Xuan | 李芝萱 |
| 2nd /亚军 | Paxton Chan Yuk Kit | 陈昱杰 |
| 3rd /季军 | Koh Li Xin | 许俐欣 |
中阮中级组 Zhongruan Intermediate Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | No 1st prize is awarded 从缺 | |
| 2nd /亚军 | Ethan Wijaya | 黄敬涵 |
| 3rd /季军 | Athena Ng | 黄典雅 |
| 3rd /季军 | Ang De Jin | 欧特境 |
笛子高级组 Dizi Senior Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st/冠军 | Jackson Lee | 李杰胜 |
| 2nd/亚军 | Lim Hao Yu Olivier | 林浩宇 |
| 3rd/季军 | Teoh Kok Chuan | 张国川 |
二胡高级组 Erhu Senior Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st/冠军 | Ryan Lim Ming Zheng | 林明正 |
| 2nd/亚军 | Koh Yu Jie | 侯宇婕 |
| 3rd /季军 | Zeng Canran | 曾灿然 |
古筝高级组 Guzheng Senior Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st/冠军 | Sun Pingyu | 孙苹钰 |
| 2nd/亚军 | Zeng Xin Yi | 曾馨仪 |
| 3rd/季军 | Chen Yifan | 陈奕帆 |
唢呐高级组 Suona Senior Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st/冠军 | Liu Yu Xin | 刘宇欣 |
| 2nd/亚军 | Loo Tong Cheng Leonard | 吕东宸 |
| 3rd/季军 | Qi Yanwei | 齐岩伟 |
中阮高级组 Zhongruan Senior Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | Yu Haotian | 于昊沺 |
| 2nd /亚军 | Tang Ruoya | 唐若雅 |
| 3rd /季军 | No 3rd prize is awarded 从缺 | |
组合项目Ensemble Section
组别A Ensemble A Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | No 1st prize is awarded 从缺 | |
| 2nd /亚军 | Nanyang Girls’ High Chinese Orchestra (Group A) | 南洋女中华乐团 （A 组) |
| 3rd /季军 | Nanyang Girls’ High Chinese Orchestra (Group B) | 南洋女中华乐团 （B 组) |
组别B Ensemble B Category
| Rank | Name | |
| 1st /冠军 | NAFA Chinese Ensemble 2 | 南艺华乐重奏2组 |
| 2nd /亚军 | NAFA Chinese Ensemble 1 | 南艺华乐重奏1组 |
| 3rd /季军 | The CO Peeps Ensemble | 华乐伙伴乐团 |
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Annex B: List of Adjudicators
Click to view: SCMC 2022 Adjudicators
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Annex C: Prize Categories
The winners of each category for solo and ensemble section received trophies, certificates and the following cash prizes:
Cash prizes
| Solo Section | ||
| Junior Category | 1st | $800 |
| 2nd | $500 | |
| 3rd | $300 | |
| Intermediate Category | 1st | $1,000 |
| 2nd | $800 | |
| 3rd | $500 | |
| Senior Category | 1st | $4,000 |
| 2nd | $2,000 | |
| 3rd | $1,500 | |
| Grand Category | Winner | $10,000 |
| Finalists* | $1,500 | |
| Audience Choice | $1,000 | |
| Ensemble A | 1st | $4,000 |
| 2nd | $2,500 | |
| 3rd | $1,500 | |
| Finalists^ | $500 | |
| Ensemble B | 1st | $6,000 |
| 2nd | $4,000 | |
| 3rd | $2,500 | |
| Finalists^ | $800 |
*This prize money is awarded to the finalists who have not won the Grand Prize.
^This prize money is awarded to the ensemble groups who enter the final round and have not won the prize.
Certificates
Participants will receive certificates based on their performance:
Certificate of Distinction – Awarded to the top winner for Grand Category and top three prize winners for all other categories
Certificate of Merit – Awarded to all finalists
Certificate of Participation – Awarded to all remaining participants
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Annex D: Write up of Grand category Champion (卓诗璇 Amanda Toh Sze Suan)
Amanda picked up the Erhu at age 9 from renowned Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) Erhu musician Shen Qin. Under the meticulous tutelage of her instructor, Amanda participated in the junior category of the National Chinese Music Competition (NCMC) at the tender age of 10, performing the piece “Rivers·Clouds·Dreams” and achieving second runner-up. Determined to sharpen her skills, she participated in the same category in 2016, performing the piece “The Indomitable Spirits of the Snow Mountain” and emerged as champion. In the same year, she accepted the invitation to become a member of the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra (SNYCO). In 2018, she emerged as champion in the youth category of the NCMC after performing the piece “Ode to Hero·Ode to Love”. The following year, she successfully auditioned for the prestigious opportunity to perform as a soloist with the SCO during the SCO & SNYCO annual concert, “Dauntless Spirit 2019”. Later that year, she was selected to attend the Hong Kong Youth Music Camp, where she was appointed section principal of Erhu. In 2020, she entered the Singapore Chinese Music Competition (SCMC) and performed the piece “Warlord of Western Qin”, clinching first place. In 2021, she was featured in “Music Chatterbox”, SNYCO’s educational video series explaining the differences between Chinese and Western musical instruments, where she introduced the Erhu and demonstrated the unique qualities of the instrument. Currently, Amanda is completing her Junior College education and assumes the position of Erhu I principal in the SNYCO.
