SCMF 2026 Comes to a Close
The Singapore Chamber Music Festival 2026 has come to an exuberant close after an intense 10-day period of music-making and learning. Over the past two weeks, musicians, faculty, and audiences came together once again to connect, share, and celebrate the joy of chamber music, continuing the momentum from the festival’s long-awaited return in 2024.
This year, the festival expanded in depth with the introduction of the Advanced Quartet Program, providing pre-professional quartets with dedicated coaching and performance opportunities.
Across four concerts, two workshops, and academy activities, SCMF 2026 brought together a diverse community of local and international young musicians, seasoned performers, and passionate chamber players, reaffirming its place as a key platform for chamber music in Singapore and the region.
A Festival of Performances and Collaboration
The Festival Concert Series once again formed the heart of SCMF, with each programme offering a distinct artistic voice, ranging from intimate chamber dialogues to larger collaborative works.
The opening concert, Concordia Quartet and Friends, brought together collaborations between Concordia Quartet—Wilford Goh (violin), Kim Kyu Ri (violin), Edward Tan (viola)— and Leslie Tan (cello), Kevin Loh (guitar), and Eric Lamb (flute) in a programme exploring 20th and 21st century chamber music by Shostakovich, Watson, and Castelnuovo-Tedesco. Eric Lamb also joined Cooper Wright (oboe), and Nicholas Loh (piano) in the neo-Classical wind trio by Jean-Michel Damase. The concert offered a bold and colourfully textured opening to the festival, highlighting the richness of cross-instrument collaboration.
Our second concert, Focus on Flute – Eric Lamb and Friends, put a spotlight on YST’s newest addition to the faculty, flautist Eric Lamb. The YST Chamber faculty showcased a diverse programme of flute-centric chamber music from Mozart to Ibert.
The third concert featured the Aoi Trio in a programme of classic piano trios bookended by Beethoven and Dvořák, with Lili Boulanger’s two trios in the middle. Their performance was marked by sensitivity, balanced, and refined ensemble interplay.
The festival culminated in a finale Celebration Concert centred around collaborations. Musical friendships were celebrated: the reuniting of Concordia Quartet with the pianist of Aoi Trio, Kosuke Akimoto, in Schumann’s Piano Quintet; and the overseas and local faculty of SCMF coming together in Brahms’ gorgeous Sextet no. 1 and Golijov’s Last Round. A special highlight of the evening was a surprise performance of the first movement of Dvořák’s “American” Quartet by the young Crescendo Quartet, a participant of the Chamber Music Academy community coaching sessions—an inspiring moment that reflected the spirit of growth, mentorship, and continuity at the heart of SCMF.
Nurturing the Next Generation: Chamber Music Academy & AQP
At the core of SCMF 2026 was the Chamber Music Academy and the Advanced Quartet Program (AQP), providing young and pre-professional quartets with invaluable opportunities for growth and chamber music learning.
Over days of rehearsals, coaching sessions, and workshops, ensembles worked closely with an esteemed faculty of local and international artists, including Jonathan Ong, Sandy Yamamoto, and Kirsten Docter. These sessions offered not only technical guidance, but deeper insights into ensemble playing, communication, and artistic identity—key elements that define chamber music.
Six AQP quartets from Singapore, Australia, Taiwan and Hong Kong underwent intensive daily coaching, refining their craft and pushing their musical boundaries. The AQP Showcase Concert on 4 April marked the culmination of this journey, revealing just how far each group had come in a short span of time.
Bringing a community together
SCMF is more than a concert series—it is a meeting ground for a community, bringing together musicians across ages, backgrounds, and levels of experience.
From first-time participants to returning alumni, from local ensembles to international guests, SCMF 2026 reflects a growing ecosystem of chamber musicians committed to learning, sharing, and making music together.
“This is my second time participating in SCMF and it has been even more enriching as I’ve been able to explore chamber music in greater depth. Making music with friends, as well as attending the workshops and coaching sessions, has helped me better understand chamber music and enhance my experience of playing in a quartet.” - Kaden Khew, aged 12.
What’s next?
As we close our 2026 festival, the team would like to express our gratitude to our artists, faculty, sponsors, participants and audience who made our festival a success. With your support, we can continue to shape the bright future of chamber music in Singapore, as we look to become a hub for chamber music in Asia.
The Singapore Chamber Music Festival returns in 2028, but in the meantime, do look out for more Chamber Continuum events that bridge the gap between festivals!
Warm regards,
SCMF 2026 Team
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Website: sgchamberfest.org IG: Instagram.com/sgchamberfest FB: Facebook.com/sgchamberfest
Photo credit: Yong Junyi, Jack Yam, @joelcaptures / Resound Collective
