About the Composer Collectives

The Composers Society of Singapore (CSS) is a society of Singapore composers and the national representative for Singapore to the Asian Composers League (ACL). It exists to uphold the interests of Singapore composers, foster creation of new music, and promote interest in Singapore’s new music scene both locally and abroad. Since its founding in 2007, CSS has become a key platform in developing local composers in Singapore and overseas.

Through various initiatives, CSS develops local composers by offering opportunities for professional development and serving as a meeting point for creative exchange, platforms the works of Singapore composers by creating opportunities for them to present their works locally and abroad, and engages the public to build awareness of local composers and their music through initiatives that archive and pay tribute to the works and lives of Singapore composers.

Space For Sound is an organization of composers and performers striving to increase appreciation of contemporary music amongst both professional musicians and the general public. The collective sponsors Korean contemporary creative works and implements performances both domestically and internationally. To this end, Space for Sound holds concerts focused on composers, electronic music concerts, short-term workshops, and seminars for inviting young composers and performers.

About the Performing Ensembles

Morse Percussion is a professional contemporary classical percussion group founded in 2020 by Derek Koh and Joachim Lim. Driven by a bold and eclectic vision, the ensemble brings together like-minded artists to explore and expand the sonic potential of percussion through refined artistry and compelling productions.

Dedicated to promoting Singaporean voices, Morse actively commissions and collaborates with local composers. Notable projects include Amazing Beasts & Botanicals with Arts Fission (under the artistic direction of Angela Liong) and Jon Lin Chua, pandemic-inspired video works with Phang Kok Jun, and a Georgette Chen tribute by Cheng Jin Koh. In 2022, the ensemble commissioned five diverse composers—Dr. Tony Makarome, Jon Lin Chua, Jonathan Shin, August Lum, and Avik Chari—to showcase the breadth of contemporary percussion.

Morse has performed at major festivals including the Singapore International Festival of the Arts and Soundislands: Re:Sound, and opened the Singapore Chinese Music Festival 2023 with a cross-cultural lecture-recital. Through collaborations with institutions like YST Conservatory and LASALLE, Morse continues to push boundaries, reimagine tradition, and inspire a new generation of listeners and performers.

The SYC Ensemble Singers began life in 1964 as the Singapore Youth Choir (SYC), a national choir for young singers. To celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2004 and to mark a point of musical evolution, the choir was renamed the SYC Ensemble Singers.  

Considered a trailblazer and standard-bearer throughout its history, the SYC was the first Singaporean choir to win an international competition, the Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod. It was also the first choir to receive the President’s Charity and the Excellence for Singapore awards. To celebrate Singapore’s 50th year of independence, the choir performed in Washington D.C. at the invitation of the Embassy of Singapore. 

Led by Jennifer Tham since 1986, the SYC Ensemble Singers promotes and performs the work of living composers, often exploring spatialised sound, theatre and movement. To date, the SYC has commissioned over sixty works, most recently from Emily Koh (Singapore), Saunder Choi (Philippines), and William Hawley (USA). Their flexible musicianship and commitment to diverse and complex voices have earned them an international reputation as performers and interpreters of contemporary music.