Jacky Ng’s musical journey began at 13, when he learned the suona under the guidance of Singapore Chinese Orchestra musician Liu Jiang.
“I was inspired to explore the Suona’s potential when I was in secondary school, after hearing many expressive performances from my seniors,” Ng says of the double-reed traditional instrument. “It is special to me because it’s a very niche instrument – not many people want to play the Suona, as it can be very loud and difficult to master.”
With his mentor’s support, he joined the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra in 2012, and eventually became its principal Suona and Guan musician in 2017. His time with the youth orchestra allowed him to perform overseas in Beijing, Shanghai and Taiwan, among other places.
Ng graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts – University of the Arts Singapore with a Bachelor of Music (Honours). During his studies, he was the principal Suona and Guan musician of the NAFA Chinese Orchestra. To date, his 2017 performance of the concerto 霸王别姬 (Farewell My Concubine) with the orchestra remains the most memorable piece he has worked on.
“This piece has very contrasting sections, and requires very good instrumental technique and control,” he recalls. “Looking back, sheer perseverance and motivation to present my best on stage helped me to understand the music better and improve my techniques along the way.”
In 2017, he clinched the second prize in the Suona open category at the National Chinese Music Competition, organised by the National Arts Council.
Ng joined Ding Yi in 2019. “It’s an outstanding ensemble that I looked up to when I was a student,” he says.
He has performed with various esteemed arts groups such as Siong Leng Musical Association, Open Score Project, Nanyang Collective, Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra, Ah5ive, DJ Wukong and the Reverberance. He is also a guest Suona and Guan musician with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. With his extensive collaboration and proactive engagement in the music scene, he has been recognised as one of the most versatile musicians in cross-cultural and interdisciplinary performances. Ng is also a CCA instructor in various schools and conducts private teaching in his free time.
