SSO eyes global stage

Following its successful debut in Australia, the orchestra aims to step up its pace of touring and seize opportunities to spotlight Singaporean talent

- Shawn Hoo

Fresh off the back of its sold-out three-city debut tour in Australia that kicked off on a high note at the iconic Sydney Opera House, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is already eyeing its next international stop.

"We are hoping to increase the pace of touring going forward," says a buoyant Mr Kenneth Kwok, chief executive of the Singapore Symphony Group (SSG). The Australian tour, which attracted more than 6,000 audience members and took place between Feb 12 and 16, was the SSO's first multi-city tour since the orchestra toured German cities and Prague in 2016.

"I think we can confidently say we have engaged Singaporeans and people living in Singapore," he says, pointing to the orchestra's record high attendance, which averaged 93 per cent houses in 2023.

The national orchestra's next chapter, he reveals, is to grow its international reputation.

Mr Kwok names Europe and China as key touring destinations on the SSO's radar, with plans to tour internationally about twice every three years. And it is not just the SSO.

In June 2025, the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, which is also part of the SSG, will embark on its first overseas tour since 2018 with concerts in Hong Kong, Macau and Shenzhen.

The SSO has come a long way since its establishment in 1979. In 2021, it placed third for classical music magazine Gramophone's Orchestra of the Year award as the only Asian orchestra in the running. In 2022 and 2023, it earned a spot on BBC Music Magazine's top 21 best orchestras in the world.

Despite these strides in Singapore's classical music and arts scene, Mr Kwok - who took over as chief executive in 2023 - says there are reputational stereotypes which persist.

"Some people overseas still associate Singapore with industry, business, science and technology. For us to project the image that Singapore has a very rich and vibrant cultural scene and art scene, that's very important to us."