Singaporean violinist Chloe Chua is preparing to transition from her teenage prodigy phase into a more mature artistic identity while embarking on a major concert tour in China. Now 19, Chua has spent much of her youth in the spotlight, earning accolades and adoration from fans, particularly in China where she is known by honorifics such as “professor” and “master.” Despite this, she remains grounded, describing herself as still the “girl next door” and expressing a desire to shed some of her “childish self” as she approaches her 20th birthday in January.
Chua’s rise to prominence began early; she won joint first prize at the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists in 2018 when she was just 11. Over the past eight years, her career has only accelerated, surviving the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. She is currently on a demanding seven-city tour in China as a soloist with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), marking her largest engagement to date.
Based in Germany, Chua will soon begin studies at the Kronberg Academy near Frankfurt in October, where she will be taught by violinist Mihaela Martin. Her transfer to Kronberg followed the impending retirement of her previous mentor, Kolja Blacher, with whom she spent two years studying at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin. Despite her focus on music, she has also embraced everyday life abroad, exploring cooking and expanding her culinary repertoire.
On tour, Chua performs challenging works including Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, collaborating with Chinese violinist He Ziyu. She has previously recorded the Mozart piece with former SSO music director Hans Graf; the album reached No. 1 on Apple Music’s global Classical Top 100 chart in 2025. Chua notes the contrast between Graf’s delicate interpretation and the more powerful approach of current SSO director Hannu Lintu.
Chua has been closely associated with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, serving as its youngest artist-in-residence for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons. She credits the orchestra’s extensive touring schedule with strengthening her endurance and fostering close relationships akin to family ties. Her mother, Lim Eng Lee, a 60-year-old piano teacher, remains a constant presence on tour, attending all of Chua’s concerts and even designing her concert gowns. Lim emphasizes the importance of a strong technical foundation and supportive teaching in nurturing young musicians, reflecting on her daughter's development with pride and anticipation for her eventual independence as an artist.
Looking ahead, Chua has a busy schedule with upcoming debuts at London’s Wigmore Hall in November 2026, a multi-city Asian tour including Hong Kong in January 2027, and a Canadian debut the following month. While concerts will remain her priority after completing her studies, she has expressed interest in pursuing a master’s degree, potentially in a discipline outside of music.
Despite her nomadic lifestyle, Chua affirms that Singapore will always be her home. As she matures both personally and artistically, she aims to balance the polish of professional musicianship with the spontaneity that marked her early years. Outside of music, Chua enjoys gaming and drawing, drawing inspiration from artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet.