From the grand Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul to the world-class Sydney Opera House, Singapore’s artists have been making powerful strides around the world — showcasing artistic excellence at these iconic venues.
In addition to being incredible international accomplishments, they also have one more thing in common: they were all in celebration of decades-long bilateral relations between Singapore and Australia, South Korea, France, India and New Zealand.
For the artists involved, these showcases represented far more than a celebration of cultural relations. They were pivotal opportunities to showcase the stellar quality of Singapore’s vibrant arts scene, reach new audiences and bring distinctly Singaporean perspectives into the global cultural conversation.
In a year shaped by landmark moments in Singapore’s ties with global partners, the National Arts Council’s (NAC) sustained support has enabled these connections to flourish, helping artists take bold steps onto international stages and strengthening Singapore’s growing presence as a vibrant cultural hub.
Homegrown Sounds Abroad: SSO’s Milestone Australian Tour
For the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), 2025 marked a historic first: its inaugural tour in Australia. Known as Singapore's flagship orchestra since its establishment in 1979, the orchestra reached over 6,000 music lovers in three sold-out concerts at world-renowned venues, including the Sydney Opera House.
Timed with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Australia, and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and NAC, the tour celebrated six decades of people-to-people connections and was a poignant reminder of the role the arts can play in bridging cultures.
The SSO performing at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane on 16 February 2025, as part of their Australian tour (Image Courtesy of Peter Wallis)
Chloe Chua performs as a soloist alongside SSO Principal Cellist Ng Pei-Sian in Brahms’s Double Concerto for Violin and Cello during the orchestra’s Australian tour (Image Courtesy of Laura Manariti)
“This partnership speaks to the vital role of the arts in strengthening bilateral ties,” says Kenneth Kwok, Chief Executive Officer of the SSO. “Celebrating it with Australia, with whom we share deep and longstanding diplomatic relations, was especially meaningful.”
As a result of the tour, the SSO has started exploring potential collaborations with other Australian orchestras and venues.
Crossing Borders, Breaking Barriers: T.H.E Dance Company in Seoul, South Korea
Thousands of kilometres away, contemporary-based T.H.E Dance Company, known for fusing Asian identities with Western dance techniques, staged ‘Infinitely Closer’ at the prestigious Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, South Korea. The performance, presented by the Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Seoul, in collaboration with Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and NAC, not only marked 50 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and South Korea, but was also a platform for the exchange of artistic technique and methodology.
T.H.E Dance Company performing ‘Infinitely Closer’ at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul on 24 April 2025 (Image Courtesy of Youngmoon Bhang)
Audience members navigating the performance space as dancers from T.H.E Dance Company perform ‘Infinitely Closer’ (Image Courtesy of Youngmoon Bhang)
What began as a single performance sparked new dialogues, including an informal movement-based exchange with the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company. “It wasn’t about immediate projects, but about creating space to meet, move, and share,” said Founding Artistic Director and Main Choreographer Kuik Swee Boon, describing the encounter as one rooted in “mutual respect and curiosity”.
Sharing Singaporean Flavour: Siong Leng Musical Association and Ding Yi Music Company in Gwangju, South Korea
In Gwangju, the Asia Culture Center (ACC) hosted ‘New Singapura: Echoes of Diversity’, a performance marking 50 years of Korea-Singapore diplomatic ties. It was part of ‘Beyond Borders: Asia’s New Wave’, a four-day programme featuring performances by ensembles from seven countries which blended tradition and modernity.
Ding Yi Music Company performing at the Gwangju ACC’s Beyond Borders: Asia’s New Wave in 2025 (Image Courtesy of 2025 Next-Generation Asian Performing Artists Community)
In one of the works, ‘Feeling Sayang’, Ding Yi worked with Korean haegeum instrumentalist MaHyeryeong. The result was an eclectic blend of cultures: a work inspired by a folk tune from the Malay Archipelago, ‘Rasa Sayang’, played by a Korean folk instrument, in accompaniment with the Chinese erhu.
The exchange of craft and practice allowed the artists to “push their boundaries in presenting a different style of music on stage,” shared Dedric Wong, Resident Conductor of Ding Yi, while realising his dreams of “allowing more international audiences to understand and know about Singaporean art and our unique music identity.”
Bridging Cultures: Melisa Teo’s ‘Two Rivers’ in Singapore
Back home, Melisa Teo’s photographic exhibition ‘Two Rivers’, presented by the Embassy of France in Singapore and co-supported by the NAC, National Parks Board, Land Transport Authority and MCCY, transformed the iconic Anderson Bridge into a contemplative space reflecting the parallels between France’s River Seine and Singapore’s very own Singapore River. As the first exhibition ever held at this historic site, it offered a poetic reflection on 60 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and France, celebrated as part of this year’s vOilah! France-Singapore Festival.
As a Singaporean living in Paris, Teo sees art as a language that transcends borders. “Unlike politics or language, it needs no translation. It invites reflection and emotional resonance, and connects people on a deeply human level”.
Visitors at the launch of vOilah! France Singapore Festival 2025 on 23 April 2025, marked by the unveiling of ‘Two Rivers’, a photography exhibition by Melisa Teo on Anderson Bridge (Image Courtesy of Yang, Penoramic Publishing)
Artist Melisa Teo with distinguished guests at the opening of the ‘Two Rivers’ exhibition (Image Courtesy of Tan Tze Yong, Penoramic Publishing)
The exhibition drew distinguished visitors, including Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and French President Emmanuel Macron during the latter’s 2025 state visit — a testament to the cultural diplomacy interwoven through Teo’s work. She describes this moment as “a privilege to mark this diplomatic milestone by creating something that speaks to the invisible bonds between us”.
From Us, to the World: Apsaras Arts in Chennai, India
Apsaras Arts has been championing Bharatanatyam, one of the oldest forms of classical Indian dance, since its establishment in 1977. Their performance in Chennai, India, featured the classical epic Ramayana. Presented by the Singapore Consulate-General in Chennai and supported by MCCY and NAC, it marked the celebration of 60 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and India. It showcased a uniquely Singaporean interpretation by incorporating traditional Malay dance performed by dancers from Era Dance Theatre.
Dancers from Apsaras Arts take the stage at the Singapore-India Joint Cultural Performance in Chennai, India (Image Courtesy of Rishi Photography)
Dancers from Apsaras Arts neatly lined up in formation during their performance (Image Courtesy of Rishi Photography)
For Artistic Director Aravinth Kumarasamy, the warmly received performance reaffirmed how “classical works can transcend geography when presented with sincerity and depth”.
Being able to perform a cultural story in its motherland was both “humbling and profoundly symbolic” for the company – especially since the performance came with the chance to work alongside eminent Indian musicians, dancers, scholars, and presenters.
Music Makes One: Min Lee in Wellington, New Zealand
The Singapore–New Zealand 60th Anniversary Concert was a commemoration of a long-standing friendship between both countries, and a reunion for two friends: cellist Inbal Megiddo from New Zealand and Singaporean violinist Min Lee. The pair first met as children, reconnected at Yale School of Music, and finally performed as a piano trio alongside pianist Dr Liu Jian.
“I feel it shows how music can really connect people. Despite living in different countries, from Singapore, to the U.S., to Wellington, music is our bridge,” Lee expresses.
“The performance celebrated Singapore and New Zealand, showing that music is truly a universal language. I feel very proud to be Singaporean, able to share my passion for music, and collaborate with artists from other countries.”
The Power of Sustained Support: Nurturing Opportunities for Singaporean Artists on International Stages
Behind every milestone lies a long arc of investment in talent development, cross-border collaboration and empowering Singapore artists to stand confidently alongside their global peers.
This is where NAC’s work in cultivating strong relationships has borne fruit. Through resources and initiatives like country-to-country Memorandums of Understanding and exchange programmes, these trusted partnerships have led to successful people-to-people exchanges and artistic collaborations, and provided Singapore’s artists with invaluable platforms for artistic and cultural exchanges. All these exchanges and collaborations ultimately play a vital role in nurturing a Singapore that is more engaged with and proud of #OurSGArts.
Through the steady support and resources from NAC and its partners, these artists have done more than represent Singapore on international stages. They created space for Singaporean stories and voices to shape and enrich global cultural conversations.