Roots & Routes Symposium Programme
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)
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 from Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam)
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.
3 June (Day 1)
Venue: One People SG
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.
Open to All
Suitable for general audiences, producers, educators, arts workers, and anyone interested in intercultural collaboration. No musical background required.
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.
Open to All
Suitable for general audiences, producers, educators, arts workers, and anyone interested in intercultural collaboration. No musical background required.
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.
Recommended for musicians, composers, performers, and educators with active music practice.
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.
Recommended for musicians, composers, performers, and educators with active music practice.
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.
Recommended for musicians, composers, performers, and educators with active music practice.
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.
Open to All
Suitable for general audiences, producers, educators, arts workers, and anyone interested in intercultural collaboration. No musical background required.
Opening Concert
by The Straits Ensemble
Venue: OnePeople.Sg
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.
Open to All
Suitable for general audiences, producers, educators, arts workers, and anyone interested in intercultural collaboration. No musical background required.
4 June (Day 2)
Venue: One People SG
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.
Open to All
Suitable for general audiences, producers, educators, arts workers, and anyone interested in intercultural collaboration. No musical background required.
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.
Recommended for musicians, composers, performers, and educators with active music practice.
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.
Open to All
Suitable for general audiences, producers, educators, arts workers, and anyone interested in intercultural collaboration. No musical background required.
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
Open to All
Suitable for general audiences, producers, educators, arts workers, and anyone interested in intercultural collaboration. No musical background required.
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.
Interactive Session
Includes active participation, music making, improvisation, or collaborative activities.
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.
Open to All
Suitable for general audiences, producers, educators, arts workers, and anyone interested in intercultural collaboration. No musical background required.
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.
Ngô Trà My - Viet Nam National Academy of Music
Nyak Ina Raseuki (Ubiet) - IKJ Graduate School (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Teuku Umar Ilany - National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (ASWARA)
Dr. Kamarulzaman Mohamed Karim - Associate Professor at the Faculty of Music and Performing Arts, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI)
Moderator: Ms Belinda Foo, Lecturer at LASALLE College of the Arts, Composer, Orchestrator
Dialogue & Reflection
Discussion based session exploring artistic processes, collaboration, and cultural perspectives.
5 June (Day 3)
Venue: One People SG
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.
Open to All
Suitable for general audiences, producers, educators, arts workers, and anyone interested in intercultural collaboration. No musical background required.
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.
Recommended for musicians, composers, performers, and educators with active music practice.
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.
-
Kailin Yong - Music Director, Musician, Multi-disciplinary Artist
-
Gildon Choo - Founder of Open Score Project
-
Niranjan Pandian - Founder and Artistic Director of Brahmastra Arts House
-
Felix Phang - Founder of Pasat Merdu, The Straits Ensemble
Moderator: Ms Belinda Foo, Lecturer at LASALLE College of the Arts, Composer, Orchestrator
Dialogue & Reflection
Discussion based session exploring artistic processes, collaboration, and cultural perspectives.
Poster Session
When Techniques Travel: Translating Indian and Afro-Cuban Hand-Motion Logics into Contemporary Cajón Groove Fluency
Presenter: Dr Eugene Seow
Jato Mat, Tato Path. A 19th century answer to the world's oldest conflict
Presenter: Kedar Nimkar
Beyond Fusion: Rethinking Intercultural Musical Dialogue
Presenter: G Lakshmanan
Intercultural Music-making in Singapore
Presenter: Wong Yong En
The Malay Musical Archipelago: Shared Roots, Distinct Voices
Presenter: Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Hamlatul Arsy Mulia
What learning traditional music has taught me: Music is about intuition, not qualifications
Presenter: Ding Sng
Open to All
Suitable for general audiences, producers, educators, arts workers, and anyone interested in intercultural collaboration. No musical background required.
Practical Sessions
by Kailin Yong, Gildon Choo and Niranjan Pandian
1.30pm - 5pm
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.
Interactive Session
Includes active participation, music making, improvisation, or collaborative activities.
6 June (Day 4)
Venue: Asian Civilisations Museum
Ngee Ann 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.
Recommended for musicians, composers, performers, and educators with active music practice.
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.
Open to All
Suitable for general audiences, producers, educators, arts workers, and anyone interested in intercultural collaboration. No musical background required.
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.
About the Concert:
Roots & Routes 2026 culminates on the 4th and final day with a beautiful concert by the participants accompanied by The Straits Ensemble. The programme will feature cultural songs shared during the practical sessions where the participants got to do a deep dive into the performance technique of musical traditions like Teochew opera music and Malay traditional folkdance music.
The symposium closes with a special finale performance of AKAR KITA, an original song written by Nizarfauzi especially for this year’s symposium. Joined by participants, guest artists, and audience members, the concert ends in a glorious collective voice that reflects the spirit of Roots & Routes: learning, exchange, and connection through music. We look forward to welcoming you again soon.
From Nizarfauzi’s Akar Kita:
“Mencari laluan di hujung dunia,
Janganlah akar dilupa jua.”
(Translation: “As you journey to the ends of the world in search of your path, do not forget your roots.”)
Open to All
Suitable for general audiences, producers, educators, arts workers, and anyone interested in intercultural collaboration. No musical background required.