Joe Hisaishi and Yo-yo Ma among star line-up in SSO's new season

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is increasing ticket inventory by 20 per cent for its 2025/2026 season, buoyed by a 90 per cent house capacity for its ongoing season.

- Ong Sor Fern

This means about 12,000 more tickets for music fans. Mr Kenneth Kwok, chief executive of the Singapore Symphony Group, said of the bold move at a media launch for the orchestra's new season at Raffles Hotel on April 29: "We feel like now is the time. It's SG60 year and we have a lot of programmes that will hopefully excite audiences."

Home-grown talent features prominently in the orchestra's upcoming season, especially for the SSO National Day Concert on Aug 16. The concert will premiere new works by Izharul Haq and Chok Kerong, and there is also a guest appearance by popular singer Charlie Lim.

The orchestra has commissioned new works by Singapore composers Joyce Koh and Wang Chenwei for the coming season. Fans of violinist Chloe Chua can look forward to her performing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in August.

Pianist Churen Li will play composer Jonathan Shin's Piano Concerto in December under the baton of Hans Graf. Conductor Wong Kah Chun returns in April 2026 for his orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition and the premiere of Wang's work in May.