Singapore Chamber Music Festival 2024: An Interview with Resound Collective Chairman Mervin Beng
By Bakchormeeboy | 23 January 2024
Making a triumphant return this January is the Singapore Chamber Music Festival (SCMF). Organised by Resound Collective, the biennial festival is back after nearly 20 years, and brings together music lovers, students and top chamber musicians connect, share and celebrate the joy of chamber music. In this particular edition, attendees and participants can not only look forward to top international musicians from USA, UK and Japan, but also the opportunities to develop their skills through workshops and masterclasses.
Speaking to Resound Collective Chairman Mervin Beng, we found out more about the decision to bring the festival back, and what it takes to commit to such a huge undertaking. “I think a lot about how Resound was formed, and at the point, we didn’t even know whether we’d have enough people to form a chamber orchestra. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith, and create the opportunity for people to be a part of something before it can grow,” says Mervin. “What SCMF is about is to bring together any and all lovers of chamber music, from students looking for exposure, to the musicians who may not have taken to the stage for 20 years and are looking to dust off their instrument.”
Mervin explains how SCMF really is about connection and networking, not only to get a chance to watch and learn from some of the world’s best, but also just be aware of their counterparts. “Many of the younger generation seem to have missed out on having such opportunities to have chamber music sessions or really participate in chamber music competitions, maybe limited only to school bands and orchestras,” says Mervin. “And even when you do have younger musicians winning awards, the opportunity to play with an ensemble is quite rare, and often need help finding fellow musicians of the same mindset and form a group.”
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