Last month, I was very fortunate to be invited by Qing Lun from Ding Yi Music Company to photograph his concert, Voices of Tomorrow.
It was a spectacular fusion of music from different cultures as Qing Lun is not only good at playing the Dizi (Chinese Flute), he is also well versed in the Indian Flute!
A Chinese playing the Indian Flute – Wait, what?

Well, he won the 2nd place in this year’s National Indian Music competition Flute Open Category; making him the only Chinese to take part.
Besides that, did I mentioned that there are no other winners in that category (no one took the 1st prize)!
Talk about being so very talented and hardworking!

Anyways, here are some of the highlights from his rehearsal and performance…

I can do this!

The many flutes Qing Lun owns

With Shivashni Kummar, the lovely dancer for the piece ‘Bho Shambo’

The pianist for the concert

Under his teacher’s watchful eyes…

The flute is tied in a way that allows him to switch to a different sound immediately!

Last rehearsal with the ensemble.

It was a sell-out concert as Qing Lun and the other performers serenaded the audience with both Indian and Chinese classical tunes.
Special mention to the beautiful Shivashni Kummar dancing to one of my favourite Indian pieces, Bho Shambo.

A traditional Chinese Song

Captivating performance

I love the beautiful costume she wore!

The wonderful Bho Shambo performace

With the Ding Yi Music Company

Tan Qing Lun

I first met Qing Lun during the ASEAN Youth Cultural Camp 2011.
Back then, we came to a realisation that as Artists in Singapore, we are in a very unique position to explore rojak (fusion – also a delicious fruit and vegetable salad with peanut sauce which is making me very hungry right now) of arts given that we are exposed to different cultures and races all around us.
In line with our self-identity, what exactly is the culture of Singapore?
Is there a way to use the arts and fuse the different cultures together; say a Chinese way of performing an Indian Dance or a Malay way of playing a Chinese instrument?

Qing Lun obviously found out how to make very delicious rojak, musically speaking given that he figured out how to play incredible Indian Music while sticking to his Chinese heritage.
A recipient of the National Arts Council scholarship, Qing Lun just graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and is back in Singapore to impart what he learnt to the next generations of musicians.
It was an absolute delight working with him and do catch him around the Singapore music scene as an up and coming star!

Till next time guys!