Since 2020, the Composers Society of Singapore (CSS) has been releasing a monthly series for our Musings section, Composer of the Month! The Composer of the Month for September 2025 is Jon Lin CHUA.

Jon Lin is noted for her versatility across musical cultures and genres. Currently Vice President of the Composers Society of Singapore, her works have been performed internationally by ensembles such as the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, and Ju Percussion Group (Taiwan). She has served as Composer-in-Residence with Ding Yi Music Company (DYMC) and the Toronto Chinese Orchestra, and as a Composition Fellow with MusicaNova Orchestra (Phoenix). Awards include the Outstanding Works Award (2021 Dunhuang Award) and First Prize at Composium 2018 organised by DYMC. She is currently Adjunct Lecturer at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) and a Doctoral Researcher in Music Composition at the University of Birmingham.

You have composed for a variety of ensembles and settings — how do you adapt your style to suit different projects?

I am always mindful of the requirements of each commission or project. While some may think of me as writing music that may perhaps sound a little “difficult”, I have also taken on a whole variety of commissions in my compositional life. Some commissions may be for unique instrumentations, some may be for community performances, and others may be for amateur performers.

Nevertheless, I think it is always important to retain one’s own voice, regardless of musical style or difficulty that I write for. And what does that mean? For instance, there are certain aspects of my own music that I think make me sound like me, such as the penchant for sneaking in musical quotations, the attention to timbre and colour in certain specific ways, and just certain other musical gestures that can be incorporated into just about anything without drastically altering the style or difficulty of writing. To me this is very important, because I seek to be a versatile composer, but yet want to retain my own unique voice.

For example, in my arrangements of the NDP song “The Road Ahead”, for which I have done multiple arrangements of for different groups and instrumentations, I have worked in quotations of other NDP songs here and there, varying in levels of difficulty for different groups. This is a little musical joke of mine, and my own way of leaving my own touch in it.

How do you help students navigate the balance between developing a unique voice and mastering compositional techniques?

In teaching composition, I always think that technique can be taught, but the one thing that the student should already possess is the raw impetus to create. That cannot be taught. Everything else can be. Students should know WHAT they want to express, and my job is to teach them HOW they can best achieve that. I can teach them the craft of composition, various techniques, and also expose them to a variety of repertoire and styles, but ultimately, they themselves would have to decide what it is that they want to write.

I liken this to teaching essay writing – students should have their own opinions on various subjects, and while teachers should help them with expressing those thoughts effectively, help them clarify their stance and opinions, and also encourage them to think further about various nuances, the teacher should not tell the student what exactly to write in terms of content.

Is there a piece of music you’ve written that challenged you emotionally or personally?

Yes, definitely, but I would prefer to not divulge which pieces, as I do not consider myself a confessional composer. The act of composition actually helps me keep a good distance from the subject matter and emotions involved. For me, composition helps me to view those things from the lens of a detached observer, and that is thus somewhat therapeutic for me. However, I do not wish for listeners to tie my music in too much with my own personal life, because I think that is an irrelevant way of listening. I would much prefer for the listener to connect to my music in their own way, and make meaning for themselves.

Are there any recent projects or collaborations you’re especially excited about?

Singaporean baritone Martin Ng recently premiered a specially commissioned work of mine 《江城子》, together with pianist Beatrice Lin. It features two contrasting settings of the poem of the same title by Song dynasty poet Su Shi.

The first setting is introspective, conveying a sense of emptiness and quiet sorrow. Inspired by the refined aesthetics of traditional nanyin music, it is sung in Quanzhou Hokkien, which is the dialect most closely associated with nanyin performance.

In contrast, the second setting is expressionist in tone, marked by overt grief and emotional agitation. Drawing on the bold and theatrical style of Peking opera, it is sung in Mandarin.

Together, the two settings offer a dual lens into the poem’s emotional landscape: one which is inward and restrained, and the other which is outward and dramatic.

This project for me ties together different aspects of my own musical background in traditional Chinese genres as well as in Western classical composition, and so it is quite close to my heart.