Converging Currents

Azrin Abdullah started learning the acoustic guitar at the age of six. He gave his first musical performance when he was nine and never looked back since.

Azrin began his love affair with the oud, an Arabic lute-type stringed instrument, in 1999 when he was tasked to learn the exotic instrument as part of an endeavour to master traditional Malay music.

Although he has faced considerable challenges and difficulties in learning to play the oud, Azrin continues to believe in sharing his valuable knowledge so the oud can be made accessible to all.

In 2014, Azrin was sponsored by the National Arts Council to pursue an advanced course at the National Conservatory of Arts in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to further his knowledge of the instrument. After completing the course, he went on to produce the first Singapore Gambus Conference in 2016 which was held at the Malay Heritage Centre, in conjunction with the Malay Culture Festival. The well-attended event saw speakers and gambus enthusiasts from Singapore and around the world gather to share their knowledge of the instrument.

Azrin was also instrumental in forming Singapore Oudists (SGOudists), an online oud community that provides local oud players from all walks of life with a platform to get together and share techniques and playing styles.

Azrin is currently an adjunct teacher with School of The Arts (SOTA) and President of the Oudists Association of Singapore.

Chen Ning started learning the erhu at the tender age of 10, under the tutelage of Xu Wenjing. Her keen interest in the instrument led her to join the Nanyang Primary School’s Chinese Orchestra and consequently, the Nanyang Girls’ High School Chinese Orchestra, where she was appointed sectional leader and concertmaster.

A graduate of the Bachelors’ in Music (Honours) Programme at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts majoring in erhu performance, Chen has had extensive experience playing with a variety of ensembles and orchestras, performing in venues such as Esplanade and the Singapore Conference Hall. She was a member of the Toa Payoh West Community Club Chinese Orchestra and is currently the zhonghu sectional leader of the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra and a full-time musician with Ding Yi Music Company.

Chen holds a Diploma in erhu performance (2015), awarded by the Central Conservatory of Music, in conjunction with the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. She also has a DipABRSM in Piano (2019) and is currently pursuing her LRSM.

Germaine Goh is a Singaporean composer and arranger whose works spans from symphonic, orchestral and chamber music to jazz, big band and pop productions. She pursued Music Composition and Arrangement at LASALLE College of the Arts, earning a BA (Hons) in Music and graduating with first-class honours in 2018.

Renowned for her distinctive sonic identity and eclectic artistic approach, Germaine’s compositions have been performed by various ensembles including the Resound Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Association of Singapore Orchestra (JASSO), Ding Yi Music Company, Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra (ACSO), Philharmonic Wind Orchestra and The Straits Ensemble.

Her notable concerto works include Odyssey - A Rock Fantasia for Double Ruan (Premiered by Ding Yi, 2024) and Kaleidoscope - Fantasy for Clarinet and Orchestra (Premiered by Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra, 2022), both of which received critical acclaim. As a contemporary composer, Germaine has also written music for animated short films, musicals as well as for dance. She serves as Composer-in-residence for the local dance collective, The Kueh Tutus, where she led as Music Director and Composer for numerous productions such as Just As I Am (2023) and Alice’s Topsy Turvy Tea Party (2021).