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

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

an conductor.

Biography

Wong was born in 1986 to Victor Wong, a

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

(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 attended River Valley High School during his secondary school years and played the trumpet in the school's Concert Band. After graduation he enrolled in

Raffles Institution Raffles Institution (RI) is an independent educational institution in Singapore. Founded in 1823, it is the oldest school in the country. It provides secondary education for boys only from Year 1 to Year 4, and pre-university education for both b ...

for his pre-university education, and joined the school's symphonic band and took up music as an A-Level subject. His interest in a professional career with an orchestra began with his participation in

Singapore National Youth Orchestra The Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) is the national youth orchestra of Singapore. It is recognised by the Ministry of Education as a National Project of Excellence and a key development programme for talented young musicians. Since 1 ...

rehearsals, his first experiences of a Western symphony orchestra with strings. Wong performed with the SAF military band during his

national service National service is a system of compulsory or 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 ...

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 in Berlin, Germany, after receiving the

Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...

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 ...

. 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. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, conducting the

China Philharmonic Orchestra The China Philharmonic Orchestra (; 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 Radio, Film, and Telev ...

, Beijing, the

Shanghai Symphony Orchestra The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra () is a symphony orchestra in Shanghai, China. Its music director is Long Yu. Founded in 1879, the SSO is the oldest List of symphony orchestras#China, Chinese symphony orchestra. Originally, it was known as the ...

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 cont ...

. He was a finalist for the 2017 Singapore Youth Award of the National Youth Council. 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 military officer who served as the third Prime Minister of Singapore, prime minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2024, thereafter serving as a Senior Minister of S ...

'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 is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...

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

Federal President of Germany The president of Germany, officially titled the Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany (),The official title within Germany is ', with ' being added in international correspondence; the official English title is President of the F ...

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 music, 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 ...

, 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 Wata ...

(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. Wong first guest-conducted the

Dresden Philharmonic The Dresdner Philharmonie (Dresden Philharmonic) is a German symphony orchestra based in Dresden. Its principal concert venue is the '' Kulturpalast''. The orchestra also performs at the Kreuzkirche and the Frauenkirche Dresden. It receive ...

in 2021, and returned for a further guest-conducting appearance in 2022. In April 2023, the Dresden Philharmonic announced the appointment as Wong as its next principal guest conductor, as of the 2023-2024 season, with a contract of two seasons. Wong first guest-conducted

The Hallé The Hallé is an English symphony orchestra based in Manchester, England. Since 1996, the orchestra has been resident at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. History 19th century In May 1857, the pianist and conductor Charles Hallé set u ...

in February 2023. In June 2023, The Hallé announced the appointment of Wong as its next principal conductor and artistic advisor, effective with the 2024-2025 season, with an initial contract of 5 seasons.

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 (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...

References

External links

Official website of Wong Kah Chun

HarrisonParrott agency page on Kahchun Wong
{{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 Principal conductors of the Hallé