Roots & Routes Symposium Programme
Roots & Routes 2026 is a four-day intercultural music exchange for youth and individuals interested in cultural music. Attendees will participate in workshops to explore various cultural music styles and their popular pieces. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to collaborate and showcase their talents in an intercultural ensemble context. The event will culminate in a concert, marking the conclusion of this enriching music exchange experience.
4-day Symposium Pass $100
Inclusive of Singapore Artist Workshops x 5
Poster Sessions
Dialogue Sessions
Practical Sessions x 3
Finale Concert
Symposium Pass holders can purchase Regional Cultural Workshops @ $5 per workshop (UP $25)
Culture Pass Approved
Poster Sessions
4 June 12:15pm - 2pm
5 June 12:15pm - 1:30pm
Dialogue Sessions:
Session #1
4 June 7pm - 8pm
Tradition in Motion: Regional Voices on Identity, Change and Continuity (with Regional Cultural Practitioners)
Across Southeast Asia, traditions continue to evolve through migration, modernity, education, and artistic exchange. In this dialogue, regional artists and practitioners reflect on what must be preserved, what can adapt, and how cultural practices remain meaningful in changing times.
Session #2
5 June 11:15am - 12:15pm
Inside the Rehearsal Room: Building Music Across Traditions (with SG Artists)
What really happens when artists from different musical systems create together? This dialogue explores the practical realities of intercultural collaboration — rehearsal processes, negotiation of musical values, rhythm and melody across traditions, what notation cannot capture, and how meaningful work is built beyond surface fusion.
Free with Registration (Limited Slots)
3 June (Day 1)
Workshop 1A
11:15am - 12:15pm
From Violin to Fiddle - a personal guide to making authentic (yet inclusive) music by Kailin Yong (SG)
Synopsis:
Fiddler For Peace, Kailin Yong shares his personal musical journey and his transformation from being a violinist to a fiddler and multi-instrumentalist. Through retelling some of the pivotal moments of his career, Kailin will share some of the wisdom he inherited from his teachers, bandmates and collaborators that help to shape how he approaches music and art making today.
Culture Pass Approved
$20
Workshop 1B
11:15am - 12:15pm
Tradition Reimagined: Gamelan, Angklung, and Kulintang in Modern Multicultural Ensemble by Shahneezar Shahnan (SG)
This workshop explores how traditional Nusantara instruments such as gamelan, angklung, and kulintang can be adapted for contemporary and multicultural ensemble settings. Led by composer and educator Shaneezar Shahnan, the session introduces the distinctive musical characteristics of these traditions, including their tonal systems, textures, and ensemble roles. While these instruments are traditionally tuned according to regional tuning systems, the workshop will also touch on less common chromatic adaptations that enable them to interact with a wider range of musical traditions.
Drawing from Shaneezar’s work in instrument design and cross-cultural ensemble practice, the workshop demonstrates new approaches to arranging for hybrid ensembles that combine Nusantara, Southeast Asian and Western instruments. Through demonstrations and discussion, participants will gain insight into how traditional musical elements can be thoughtfully expanded for contemporary performance contexts.
Culture Pass Approved
$20
Regional Cultural Workshop 1
2pm-3pm
Ghazal Melayu Johor: From Intercultural Roots to Living Musical Practice by Dr. Kamarulzaman Mohamed Karim (Malaysia)
This workshop explores the evolution of Johor Ghazal from its Persian, Arabic, and Urdu poetic roots into a distinctive Malay musical form. It highlights how intercultural exchanges, including influences from Khayal and Wayang Bangsawan, shaped its development. Emphasis is given to Pak Lomak’s role in adapting ghazal poetry into pantun-based structures, forming unique elements such as bunga, char, and pembayang–maksud.
Participants will be introduced to key instrumentation, traditional idiomatic and rhythmic concepts through guided listening and demonstration. Aligned with Intercultural Music in Action, the session presents Ghazal Johor as a living tradtion, continuously reinterpreted in contemporary performance practice.
$25
Workshop 2A
3:30pm - 4:30pm
When Do I Come In? — Listening to Hindustani Music as a Collaborator by Govin Tan (SG)
A practical listening workshop for musicians who collaborate with Indian classical musicians but aren't always sure how to navigate the music.
Through guided listening and live demonstration, participants will learn to recognise the structural stages of a Hindustani performance, identify key musical landmarks like the composition and cadential patterns, and develop a sense of when to enter, what to play, and when to stay out of the way.
Culture Pass Approved
$20
Workshop 2B
3:30pm - 4:30pm
Composing Musical Hybridity by Wang Chenwei (SG)
Cross-cultural interaction can lead to syncretic music that inherits the best qualities from its parent traditions – occurring naturally across long periods, or nurtured intentionally in compositions. While musical fusion is nothing new, I advocate to progress beyond assembling instruments and players by ethnicity, toward substantive engagement.
Focusing on musical composition, I propose four types of fusion in musical content, namely harmonic, sequential, contrapuntal and hybrid. Deep cross-cultural synthesis also means striving to be culturally appropriate while avoiding cultural appropriation. This leads to a discussion on how composers can navigate the balance between authenticity and creativity.
Culture Pass Approved
$20
Regional Cultural Workshop 2
5pm-6pm
The Đàn Bầu and Extended Techniques by Ngo Tra My (Vietnam)
The Đàn Bầu is a unique traditional musical instrument of Vietnam, distinguished by its single-string construction yet capable of producing a wide and expressive sonic range. Its characteristic sound is created through the use of natural harmonics combined with the manipulation of a flexible rod, allowing performers to control pitch with remarkable subtlety and nuance.
In the context of contemporary music and increasing intercultural exchange, the exploration of extended techniques for the Đàn Bầu offers new possibilities for musical expression and performance. These techniques expand the instrument’s timbral palette and expressive capacity, enabling it to participate in a variety of musical settings, from traditional repertoire to contemporary and experimental music.
This presentation introduces several extended playing techniques on the Đàn Bầu and presents a number of contemporary and experimental music projects that involve the Đàn Bầu, as well as the applications of these extended techniques within those projects.
$25
Opening Concert
by The Straits Ensemble
7pm - 8pm
This opening concert brings together the music at the heart of the symposium.
Performed by The Straits Ensemble, the programme features a mix of cultural songs explored in the workshops, alongside original works developed through our ongoing intercultural practice.
Together, these form a starting point, a shared listening experience that connects the conversations, workshops, and collaborations that will unfold over the next few days. All are welcome to register.
4 June (Day 2)
Workshop 1A
9:30am - 1030am
Unfolding Identity Across Traditions by Wong Hai Rong (SG)
Wong Hai Rong is a Singaporean pipa musician whose journey spans contemporary Chinese orchestral performance and the traditional practice of Nanyin. Trained at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and having performed with ensembles such as the Singapore Chinese Orchestra and Ding Yi Music Company, she later joined Siong Leng to study Nanyin pipa and sanxian. This session reflects on her evolution between these distinct musical systems, exploring shifts in aesthetics, discipline, and identity. Through personal insights on passion, self-doubt, and artistic responsibility, Hai Rong examines how different traditions can coexist meaningfully within one developing artistic practice.
Culture Pass Approved
$20
Workshop 1B
9:30am - 1030am
Bridging Musical Systems by Gu Wei (SG)
This workshop will explore the dialogue between different musical systems and how musical elements are interpreted, organized, and limited across musical languages. It will then examine how this can be applied in the compositional process, using examples from music that engages in Western and Hindustani classical musical systems.
Culture Pass Approved
$20
Regional Cultural Workshop 3
11am - 12pm
Narrating Tradition: Storytelling through Contemporary Malay Gamelan Composition by Teuku Umar Ilany (Malaysia)
This talk explores how the tradition of Malay gamelan can serve as a medium for musical storytelling in gamelan contemporary composition. Drawing inspiration from classical Malay texts such as hikayat, legendary narratives, and mythological characters, contemporary Malay gamelan works attempt to construct narrative structures through sound, without leaving the essence of the tradition (form, style). Composers experiment with compositional techniques such as irregular time signatures, shifting tonalities, dynamic tempo changes, and evolving musical textures to evoke dramatic storytelling. The discussion also examines the syncretic nature of contemporary Malay gamelan practice.
While rooted in traditional instrumentation and aesthetic principles, modern compositions increasingly interact with influences from other musical traditions and incorporate additional instruments within the same performance space. Through experimentation with timbre, texture, and ensemble interaction, Malay gamelan is reimagined as an adaptive, evolving musical language capable of conveying complex narrative ideas. Ultimately, the presentation reflects on how contemporary composers reinterpret tradition—not merely preserving it, but transforming it into a dynamic artistic platform for storytelling, intercultural dialogue, and creative exploration.
$25
Poster Session
When Techniques Travel: Translating Indian and Afro-Cuban Hand-Motion Logics into Contemporary Cajón Groove Fluency by Dr Eugene Seow
Jato Mat, Tato Path. A 19th century answer to the world's oldest conflict by Kedar Nimkar
Beyond Fusion: Rethinking Intercultural Musical Dialogue by G Lakshmanan
Intercultural Music-making in Singapore by Wong Yong En
The Malay Musical Archipelago: Shared Roots, Distinct Voices by Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Hamlatul Arsy Mulia
What learning traditional music has taught me: Music is about intuition, not qualifications by Ding Sng
Free with Registration
Practical Sessions
by Kailin Yong, Azrin Abdullah and Nizarfauzi
2pm - 4pm
There are two types of practical sessions:
• Learning of local cultural songs directly from cultural practitioners
• Guided improvisation workshops focused on developing improvisational language grounded in local Indian, Malay, and Chinese musical practices
Participants will attend both sessions and engage with elements such as scales, ornamentation, rhythmic systems, and cyclical devices specific to these traditions. Importantly, the repertoire is drawn from songs that are actively performed within their respective communities in Singapore today.
Culture Pass Approved
one-time fee of $30 for all practical sessions
Regional Cultural Workshop 4
4:30pm - 5:30pm
The Interchange of Vocal Music Across Southeast Asian Musical Cultures: A Conjecture
by Nyak Ina Raseuki (Ubiet) (Indonesia)
The cultural diversity of Southeast Asia is reflected in its musical expressions, including vocal music. This diversity of vocal music, encompassing various singing styles, can serve as a source of inspiration for musical creation in new contexts. Through these diverse vocal music practices, we can bridge our understanding of cultural diversity through intersecting musical dialogues. This workshop will explore various expressions of Southeast Asian vocal music, particularly from Indonesia, as well as singing traditions drawn from the participants’ own musical cultural heritage.
This workshop may focus on several musical elements, such as vocal ornamentation, “improvisation,” and so on. This can be achieved through the interplay of traditions, styles, and vocal expressions—which may be closely related or not directly connected—yet engage in dialogue through various elements of vocality. In practice, various singing styles will be explored; for example, they may be rearranged or serve as inspiration for reinterpretation. This, of course, aims to create fusions, encounters between styles, and perhaps even the discovery of new forms.
$25
Dialogue 1
4 June 7pm - 8pm
Tradition in Motion: Regional Voices on Identity, Change and Continuity (with Regional Cultural Practitioners)
Across Southeast Asia, traditions continue to evolve through migration, modernity, education, and artistic exchange. In this dialogue, regional artists and practitioners reflect on what must be preserved, what can adapt, and how cultural practices remain meaningful in changing times.
Free with Registration
5 June (Day 3)
Workshop 1A
9:30am - 1030am
Beyond Fusion: Designing Intercultural Work by Felix Phang (SG)
What separates intercultural music from fusion? While fusion often blends surface elements from different traditions, intercultural practice requires structural negotiation. This workshop explores how compositional design, rehearsal methods, and shared leadership shape meaningful collaboration across musical systems.
Through case studies and practical examples, participants will examine how time, tuning, improvisation, authority, and learning approaches can be structured to support coexistence rather than dominance. The session offers concrete strategies for composers and performers seeking to move beyond aesthetic blending toward rigorous, process-driven intercultural practice grounded in real rehearsal experience.
Culture Pass Approved
$20
Workshop 1B
9:30am - 1030am
Introduction to Western Nottuswarams by Niranjan Pandian
Step into the fascinating world of Western nottuswarams in this engaging workshop, where you will explore melodies that were formally notated and transcribed during the 18th century. This course unveils the intersection of Western classical music with the traditions of notated compositions, highlighting how these melodies reflect the evolving musical landscape of the time, within the realm of Karnatic music.
Culture Pass Approved
$20
Dialogue 2
11:15am - 12:15pm
Inside the Rehearsal Room: Building Music Across Traditions (with SG Artists)
What really happens when artists from different musical systems create together? This dialogue explores the practical realities of intercultural collaboration — rehearsal processes, negotiation of musical values, rhythm and melody across traditions, what notation cannot capture, and how meaningful work is built beyond surface fusion.
Free with Registration
Practical Sessions
by Kailin Yong, Gildon Choo and Niranjan Pandian
2pm - 4pm
There are two types of practical sessions:
• Learning of local cultural songs directly from cultural practitioners
• Guided improvisation workshops focused on developing improvisational language grounded in local Indian, Malay, and Chinese musical practices
Participants will attend both sessions and engage with elements such as scales, ornamentation, rhythmic systems, and cyclical devices specific to these traditions. Importantly, the repertoire is drawn from songs that are actively performed within their respective communities in Singapore today.
Culture Pass Approved
one-time fee of $30 for all practical sessions
6 June (Day 4)
Venue: Asian Civilisations Museum
Auditorium
Workshop 1A
11am - 12:30pm
Speaking the “Language”— a practitioner’s guide to working with Chinese instrumentalists in Singapore by Gildon Choo WeiKang (SG)
This practitioner-led session gives composers and arrangers strategigies for working with Chinese traditional and classical musicians. Through practical guidance on notation, tuning, idiomatic technique, cultural context, and communication, one will learn what to expect from Chinese instrumentalists. Learn how to translate your musical ideas into playable, stylistically authentic parts. The talk balances actionable tips and tactics so you save time, preserve idiom, and build stronger collaborations.
Culture Pass Approved
$20
Workshop 1B
11am - 12:30pm
Cues, Calls, and Collective Time: What Parai Drumming Teaches Us About Collaboration by Akshara Thiru (SG)
Rooted in South Indian folk traditions, Parai drumming is a deeply communal practice where music is shaped through listening, shared responsibility, and real-time decision-making.
This session explores how Parai musicians negotiate time, energy, and intention in real time, communicating through cues, gestures and collective pulse. It analyzes how they use use listening and cueing as tools for collaboration rather than control without relying on notation. Through discussion and demonstration, the workshop frames improvisation not as individual expression, but as a collaborative act of negotiation — offering practical insights for musicians working across cultures and contexts.
Culture Pass Approved
$20
Finale Performance Concert
Rehearsal : 2:15pm - 5pm
Concert : 7:30pm - 9pm
The finale concert will feature songs developed during the practical sessions, alongside two co-created works developed by participants and our Musical Director, drawing from the musical materials and practices explored during the symposium. These works represent the transition from learning to active intercultural creation.
All selected repertoire reflects music that is still actively practised and transmitted within communities in Singapore, aligning closely with Culture Pass’s objective of supporting local arts appreciation and engagement.
Culture Pass Approved
$20
Pasat Merdu invites submissions for our Poster Session, a platform for sharing ideas, works-in-progress, research, and creative practices related to intercultural music, cultural exchange, and collaborative practice.
This session welcomes artists, educators, students, researchers, and practitioners who wish to present artistic processes, educational approaches, community-based projects, or reflections from their fieldwork and practice. The Poster Session is designed as a space for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and peer learning, where diverse perspectives on intercultural work can meet and grow.
Participants will have the opportunity to engage directly with audiences and fellow practitioners, fostering meaningful conversations around current practices and future possibilities in intercultural music.
Open Call:
Poster Session
Submission Deadline: 12 April
Please see our Poster Session Guidelines and FAQ for full details.
Apply here
Roots & Routes 2026 is a four-day intercultural music exchange presented by Pasat Merdu, bringing together youth, educators, composers, and cultural practitioners to explore how music can move from dialogue into meaningful collaboration.
With the theme “Intercultural Music in Action” and tagline “From Conversation to Collaboration,” the symposium positions interculturalism as a lived, embodied practice rather than a theory. Participants engage directly with artists from the region through hands-on workshops, dialogue sessions, and shared music-making, examining how different traditions, identities, and creative systems can meet.
The programme creates space to question authorship, leadership, listening, and negotiation in cross-cultural settings. It also highlights how intercultural practice contributes to education, social cohesion, and contemporary artistic development in Southeast Asia.
Roots & Routes culminates in collaborative performances where ideas explored in conversation are realised in practice — making the process as important as the outcome.
Details Out Soon
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