Simplicius Cheong Quintet

Composer and pianist Simplicius Cheong became a professional jazz pianist at 18, playing at various jazz venues in Singapore. A producer of music programmes on radio and television in Singapore and at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Cheong has composed a range of works such as Symphony No. 1, three flute sonatas and various chamber works. In 1965, his first Australian jazz quintet, The Baroque Jazz Ensemble, recorded a long-playing album for EMI (Parlophone PMCO 7531), which was released worldwide. His Movement for Six Instruments premiered live over Minnesota public radio in 1982 by the Australian Chamber Ensemble. His recent composition—Jazz Movement for Flute & Piano—was given its world premiere in London at the Purcell Room. As an educator, Cheong has conducted courses on jazz, composition and aesthetics in various tertiary institutions, including the University of New South Wales. Now in his 80s, Cheong divides his time between music and a daily swim in the ocean near his home in Sydney.

A versatile percussionist fluent across jazz, classical, Latin and contemporary styles, drummer Tamagoh is also a producer for major concerts, television productions, music festivals and special events. Over the course of his career, he has performed with an extensive roster of acclaimed artists including Jeremy Monteiro, Sandy Lam, Frances Yip, F.I.R., Laura Fygi, Ronan Keating, Chris Brubeck, James Moody, Ernie Watts, Carmen Bradford, Eric Marienthal, and Eldee Young. Adding to that are performances with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Chinese Orchestra and the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra. Beyond the stage, Goh also serves as music advisor to Mus’Art Wind Orchestra and Mus’Art Percussion Ensemble, while actively mentoring young artists and aspiring teachers in music performance and visual arts.

David Loke Kai Yuan is a versatile violinist with expertise playing classical, jazz, and contemporary music. He is a faculty member at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music and works with the Music & Drama Company. David's performances range from solo and chamber classical repertoire to pop and jazz music. He is also a composer, producer and arranger. David’s notable achievements include composing for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and writing soundtracks for acclaimed films. David has studied with esteemed mentors and plays a 1933 Giovanni Pistucci violin on loan from the Rin Collection.

Eugene Chew is a multi-talented musician proficient in both the electric bass and double bass. He has taken on roles as performer, composer, arranger, musical director, producer and educator with various acts, ensembles and companies both in Singapore and overseas since his career began in 2014. Eugene received his formal musical education as a scholar in Double Bass Performance at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Guennadi Mouzyka. His performance credits include the Jazz Association Singapore Orchestra (JASSO), Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, re:Sound Collective, Singapore Armed Forces Band, Music & Drama Company, Flame of The Forest, Open Score Project, SHAK and many others. He works on personal artistic projects, leading the Litmus Jazz Ensemble and also performs as a full-time member of the Lorong Boys.

Rit Xu is a bandleader and composer known for his work on the flute in jazz—blending improvisation and composition with influences from his Singaporean heritage. He is a faculty member at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore Raffles Music College, and is an ensemble-in-residence at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. Rit also actively mentors numerous young musicians in the community through programmes such as the Lion City Youth Jazz Festival and the Singapore Street Festival. Currently, Rit holds the position of Assistant Music Director of the Jazz Association (Singapore). In 2022, he was honoured with the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council—the highest recognition for young arts practitioners aged 35 and under in Singapore.