The Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) launched its 2026 China tour with a sold-out performance at the Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall Concert Hall on October 13. Under the baton of new music director Hannu Lintu, the concert featured the China premiere of Singaporean composer Wang Chenwei’s The Sisters’ Islands, a symphonic poem inspired by the region’s maritime history and traditional musical forms such as Malay zapin and Indonesian gamelan. The performance attracted an audience of approximately 1,200, including Shanghai native and former basketball star Yao Ming.
The Sisters’ Islands, which has been performed more than 100 times in various arrangements, was presented in its first rendition for a Western symphony orchestra. The opening piece set the tone for the orchestra’s largest tour in China, which spans seven cities through October 25. The program also included Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major “Titan,” conducted by Lintu, who has emphasized his commitment to contemporary music and cultivating a distinctive sound for the SSO.
Violinist Chloe Chua, 19, a Singaporean teenage prodigy, performed Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 at five stops on the tour. In Shanghai, she delivered a performance noted for its emotional depth. Chua will also collaborate with Chinese violist He Ziyu on Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E Flat Major (K. 364) at the Wuhan and Beijing concerts.
Tickets for the tour have been in high demand, with shows in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen already sold out. Remaining tickets are available for concerts in Wuhan, Changsha, and the final stop in Xiamen. An estimated total of 9,800 attendees are expected to experience the tour, which is supported by Temasek Foundation, a long-time partner committed to funding the SSO’s tours for the next five years.
SSO chief executive Kenneth Kwok highlighted the enthusiastic reception from Chinese audiences, citing active social media engagement and in-person interactions in Shanghai. Temasek Foundation chief executive Ng Boon Heong expressed hopes that the tour will enhance the orchestra’s international reputation and increase invitations to major global venues.
The 2026 China tour marks several milestones for the SSO, including its first international tour under Lintu and head of artistic planning Christopher Cheong. The orchestra’s return to Shanghai also drew comments from musician Elaine Yeo, who noted a growing presence of younger audience members in China and Asia, reflecting a broader engagement with classical music across the region.
Following this tour, Kwok indicated plans for a Southeast Asian tour in 2027 and a subsequent European tour, signaling an intensified schedule of international performances after the orchestra’s sold-out debut in Australia last year.