Composers, we want you!
Open Call Period
Nov 1 - 18 Dec
About the Programme
New Sights Fellowship returns in 2025, a programme designed for music composers to produce original intercultural work, focusing on the process towards creation. Selected Fellows will go through a rigorous programme of talks, performances, site visits, lectures, and mentorship over a span of six months. They will then premiere their compositions with The Straits Ensemble and conclude the Fellowship by presenting what they have learned at a public sharing platform.
For the inaugural fellowship, six fellows were selected from a pool of 15 applicants, made up of 4 professionals and 2 music college students.
The Process
The fellows went through a rigorous programme of talks, performances, lectures, site visits and mentorship. They were also guided to have a reflective practice, focusing on their identities and connecting with their audience. The fellows were given ample time to work with the musicians from The Straits Ensemble to review the compositions.
The Presentation
The fellows premiered their compositions with The Straits Ensemble at The Great Hall, housed within Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre, in August 2023. Guided by veteran Teaching Artists, Kamini Ramachandran and Peggy Ferroa, the fellows also employed various tools (poetry, engagement activity, animation and videos) to help the
audience connect, in a deeper way, to their compositions.
New Sights Fellowship Programme 2025 is organised by Pasat Merdu, supported by the Sands Innovative Arts Fund by Marina Bay Sands under the National Arts Council’s stART Fund
Concert 2024
"GARDEN: Beauty Found Within"
by The Straits Ensemble
What makes our "GARDEN" truly flourish? Listen, as we peel back the layers to reveal beautiful intricacies that nourish our musical backyard and make it unique. For one day only on December 21st, the Esplanade Recital Studio Singapore will come alive with the vibrant sounds of The Straits Ensemble, a multicultural group known for its fresh take on contemporary Singapore music.
Presenting new works rooted in The Straits Ensemble's distinctive intercultural musical style, "GARDEN" will also feature world premieres of original songs by three talented Singapore singer-songwriters. Embark on this next phase of growth with us, on this night of inspiration and celebration at our communal"GARDEN".
Featuring
The Straits Ensemble
Felix Phang (Double Bass), Kailin Yong (Violin), Azrin Abdullah (Oud), Gildon Choo (Pipa), Eugene Ang (Piano/Keys), Govin Tan (Tabla & Perc), Nizarfauzi (Rebana & Perc)
Singer-songwriters
Dawn Wong
Khidir Surattee
Katya Krishnan
Date: 21 December 2024
Time: 3:30 pm-4:45 pm and 7:30 pm-8:45 pm
Venue: Esplanade Recital Studio
Get your tickets here.
Past Events
Roots & Routes 2024
2024
Navigating Possibilties Through Intercultural Music Exchange
Roots and Routes is a four-day intercultural music exchange for youth and individuals interested in cultural music. Attendees will participate in workshops to explore various cultural music styles and their popular pieces. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to collaborate and showcase their talents in an intercultural ensemble context. The event will culminate in a concert on June 21st, marking the conclusion of this enriching music exchange experience.
1. Develop deeper understanding of the different types of cultural music found in Singapore
2. Learn to apply these ideas to your own practice
3. Connect and forge friendships with individuals who share an interest in cultural music traditions
4. Perform together with new friends and professional musicians
5. A platform for participants to exchange their musical traditions and aspirations
Roots & Routes 2024
18th to 21st June 2024 at Singapore Poly Convention Center, Singapore
2023
The Straits Ensemble
"Sing Our Songs" Concert
Venue: Cool Cats at NCO Club Level 1
Time: 7pm -12am, first set at 8pm
Pasat Merdu will be presenting Modal Improvisation in World Music Workshop Series in Oct 2023. Participants will get to learn melodic, rhythm and improvisational aspects of contemporary North-Indian Classical, Turkish and Pan-Balkan Dance Music. Highly practical in-nature, these workshops are oriented to any music practitioner hoping to enhance holistic improvisational skills through the practice of modal music.
The workshop will be conducted by Leonardo Gracia Fuenzalida who is an active studio musician and teaches in the Jazz and Contemporary music departments of the PSPBB artistic pole in Paris, France.
23 Oct 2023 - Hindustani Rāga
24 Oct 2023 - Turkish Makam
25 Oct 2023 - Pan-Balkan Dance Music
Time: 7pm - 10pm
Venue: ByFormation Studio
Address: 122 Lor 23 Geylang, Level 2, Singapore 388404
Registration Fee: $60 per participant, per workshop
Register here
New Sights Fellowship Lecture
As part of their journey, the fellows of New Sights Fellowship Programme will be sharing what they have learnt over the past 7 months as well as insights into the compositional process of their latest works.
For those who missed the concert on 25 August 2023, we will be playing their compositions from the concert at 2:30pm.
Register here
Crossing Borders - Connecting Islands
Collaboration concert with winner of Golden Melody Awards 2023 Taiwanese Hakka band,
山狗大 and vocalist Dawn Wong at Esplanade Outdoor Theatre.
Date: 2 Sep 2023, Sat, 6.30pm, 7.45pm & 9pm
Venue: DBS Foundation Outdoor Theatre at Esplanade
Exploring music, culture and roots, Taiwan’s San Geu Tai Band 山狗大後生樂團 and Singapore contemporary multiethnic group, The Straits Ensemble gather for their first in-person performance since the release of their original Hakka/English EP Connecting Islands 島嶼連結 in 2022.
Experience reimagined Hakka Mountain Songs 客家山歌 from San Geu Tai Band’s Golden Melody Award winning album 簷風謠, original Singapore folk compositions by The Straits Ensemble and be treated to contemporary Hakka/English tunes featuring Singaporean jazz vocalist Dawn Wong 黄川美.
Join us for "New Sights," an intercultural concert premiering 6 new works by exceptional composers from the New Sights Fellowship Programme. With a focus on intercultural music, New Sights offers an opportunity to embark on a harmonious fusion and cultural voyage.Over the course of the programme, the fellows visited several cultural sites hosted by our Teaching Artists and exchanged conversations with cultural arts groups and artists. Each composer fellow brings a unique perspective, drawing inspiration from diverse cultural backgrounds and weaving together threads of melodies, rhythms, and harmonies from our beloved Singapore.
We believe that art has the power to bridge cultural divides and foster understanding among people from different backgrounds. This concert embodies that spirit, creating a space where diverse cultures converge, intertwine, and inspire one another. You will witness the transformative power of intercultural collaboration. Musical boundaries dissolve, making room for new and exciting possibilities. The stage comes alive with The Straits Ensemble, crafting a vibrant tapestry of sound that resonates with the shared human experience.
Singapore Symphony Orchestra x The Straits Ensemble
at the Temasek Foundation SSO National Day Concert 2023.
Programmes
New Sights Fellowship Programme 2023
New Sights is a fellowship programme designed for composers to create new intercultural work, with a focus on the process towards creation. Six fellows will go through a rigorous programme of talks, performances, lectures, site visits and mentorship. They will premiere their compositions with The Straits Ensemble and conclude the fellowship by presenting what they have learnt through a public sharing platform.
Our Flagship Ensemble - The Straits Ensemble
Music of The Straits Ensemble
The Straits Ensemble is Pasat Merdu’s flagship ensemble.
The Straits Ensemble is a musical collective that champions Singapore cultural music exchanges, influenced by the ever-changing global music landscape and jazz sensibilities.
With an instrumentation that embodies Singapore's cultural sound, The Straits Ensemble navigates the
rich tapestry of Singapore's heritage and taps on a global kampung spirit to celebrate diversity.
The Straits Ensemble aims to deepen intercultural understanding through Teaching Artistry and
present a distinctive Singaporean sound on the world stage.
Pasat Merdu aims to deepen intercultural understanding through teaching artistry and navigating the Singapore Sound through the commission, presentation, and promotion of new work.
Founded by Singaporean composer Felix Phang, his vision is to explore further the cultural identity of his multicultural home, that continues to surprise him each day, through fellowship programmes like New Sights which will highlight 6 Singaporean composers as they create transcultural work.
By growing the canon of Singapore music through original works and promoting multidisciplinary arts projects, Foundation for The Arts works with young organisations, like The Straits Ensemble, to cultivate the next generation of Singapore artistes and arts literacy in the community through education and outreach programmes.
Help Enrich Communities through Connections
How Your Donation Makes a Difference
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Support Pasat Merdu's mission to expand its audience and cultivate greater understanding and appreciation for Singapore-based transcultural music
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Enhance opportunities for artists to explore and cultivate the "Singapore Sound" by offering a wider range of workshops and residencies, particularly focusing on the transcultural and world music genres.
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Contribute to the growth of The Straits Ensemble's repertoire and the development of its distinctive musical identity, furthering the promotion of Singaporean music in international markets. Additionally, your donations above $100 is eligible for a 2.5x tax deduction.