Tribute » Maestro Choo Hoey gave Singapore a symphonic song for generations to come

We mourn the recent death of maestro Choo Hoey, founding musical director of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), at the age of 90, leaving echoes of devotion, vision and timeless music that endure in the heart of our nation.

- Kahchun Wong Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser of the Halle orchestra, Chief Conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra

The SSO's creation in 1979 was no accident. History shows that orchestras mark a city's cultural coming of age.

In America's industrial boom, orchestras in Cleveland and Detroit signalled world-class status.

China, Japan and South Korea made similar moves. Even as they each had rich folk traditions of their own, they understood that orchestras projected their nations on a universal benchmark recognisable to the West.

Then Defence Minister Goh Keng Swee's decision to found the SSO was both cultural and strategic. In maestro Choo, he found the perfect partner.

Dr Goh laid the scaffolding; Choo gave it a soul.

Choo's vision extended beyond concerts. He invested deeply in nurturing Singaporean talent. Musicians like Chan Peck Suan and Lee Tian Tee, both trumpet players supported by SSO scholarships, went on to become inspiring educators.