By Andrew Hamlin
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Kahchun Wong’s childhood in Singapore was typical in some ways. He went to school, did his homework, played with friends, and ate square meals.
But a few things pointed Wong, who conducts the Seattle Symphony in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, called the “Choral” Symphony, towards his vocation.
“I remember hearing the finale of Mahler’s Third Symphony on the radio,” he remembered, “and thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world. I still do.”
School experiences also helped shape him.
“I was enrolled into the brass band at the age of 7 in my public school. I was assigned the cornet, and had a lot of fun with my friends practicing and performing music together. In our breaks, we often played soccer and our conductor was often upset with us because we would be late in returning back to rehearsal. Fun memories.”
Wong grew up speaking in a few tongues.
“In Singapore, we speak English in schools and our mother tongue at home. Mine was Mandarin. My other part of my family is Japanese, so I am also fluent in Japanese. I have studied and also worked in Germany, so my German is basic but functional.
“I was never very strong in my languages and humanities back in school. I preferred math and science. But as I spent more time in music making, I began appreciating the extraordinary nuances of languages in my communication with my friends and colleagues. There can be many moments that are lost in translation. Therefore, I have come to realize how profound music is, as an international language that transcends borders. At the moment a group of musicians resonate together through music, something truly beautiful occurs.”
He kept up with trumpet playing through his mandatory national service, until a nerve injury to his lip forced him to put the instrument on the back burner. He studied conducting in Berlin, and was one of the last students of the great German conductor, Kurt Masur.
Comparing the classical music scene in his home country to what’s going on elsewhere, Wong commented, “Singapore is a very young country and therefore our classical music scene is also still quite new if compared to China, Japan, or the west. But I am always quite amazed at how young and excited the audiences in Singapore are.
“In March this year, I was conducting the Singapore Symphony and found that the audience has grown from pre-COVID days—a testament to [the Singapore Symphony’s] very strong digital offerings in the past few years. It is a very exciting time to be in Asia because the desire for quality classical music has further potential to grow.”
Asked his views on Seattle and its orchestra, he responded, “Very inspiring and positive. My first visual memory of Seattle from the air was Mount Rainier in the distance, and it reminds me of the equally majestic Mount Fuji in Japan. There is a special feeling of familiarity in [this] town due to the strong diversity of culture. I was here in the spring and had the privilege of experiencing the most beautiful cherry blossoms at the Quad in the University of Washington.
“The Seattle Symphony is a wonderful and committed partner of the arts in the community, with international-level artistic pursuits at its core. What is also very important to me is that it stands for diversity and inclusion, regardless of race, language, or religion. That is quite a beautiful thing these days.”
Kahchun Wong conducts the Seattle Symphony in Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Dec. 28-31 at the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium, Benaroya Hall, 200 University Street in downtown Seattle.
For prices, showtimes, and other information, visit https://www.seattlesymphony.org/en/concerttickets/calendar/2023-2024/23beethoven9 and https://www.seattlesymphony.org/en/concerttickets/calendar/2023-2024/23nye.