Celebrating cultural confluence with Dan Bau in the orchestral production COMMISSIONS
Guest musician Mr. Dinh Cao Tue is a Viet–Vietnamese creative and arts practitioner based between Singapore and Vietnam. Apart from writing, he performs on the Dan Bau, a traditional Vietnamese single‑string instrument, through which he explores and shares stories of cultural confluence. Tue has participated in numerous intercultural arts projects within his university’s arts groups as well as in various initiatives across Singapore.
In celebration of SMU25 and SG60, the concert commissioned works from past years alongside multicultural pieces celebrating Singapore’s rich diversity. The programme includes three world premieres of original commissions written specially for SMU25 and SG60, a multicultural music segment and performances by guest musicians --including artists from Singapore’s Purple Symphony. It reaffirmed SMU’s long-standing tradition of commissioning local works, a rare initiative for a non-conservatory university.
The concert also features unique instruments from Asian countries where SMU has her overseas centers -- Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, highlighting SMU’s commitment to inclusion and cultural exchange. The Đàn bầu (or Dan Bau) is a distinctive Vietnamese monochord, a one‑stringed zither celebrated for its haunting, voice‑like tones created through harmonic techniques. Traditionally crafted from bamboo, a gourd, and a flexible rod, it has long held a central place in Vietnamese folk music, often accompanying poetry recitations and storytelling. Contemporary versions often crafted with metal and wood, incorporate electric pickups to enhance projection and sound quality.
In celebration of SMU25 and SG60, the concert commissioned works from past years alongside multicultural pieces celebrating Singapore’s rich diversity. The programme includes three world premieres of original commissions written specially for SMU25 and SG60, a multicultural music segment and performances by guest musicians --including artists from Singapore’s Purple Symphony. It reaffirmed SMU’s long-standing tradition of commissioning local works, a rare initiative for a non-conservatory university.
The concert also features unique instruments from Asian countries where SMU has her overseas centers -- Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, highlighting SMU’s commitment to inclusion and cultural exchange. The Đàn bầu (or Dan Bau) is a distinctive Vietnamese monochord, a one‑stringed zither celebrated for its haunting, voice‑like tones created through harmonic techniques. Traditionally crafted from bamboo, a gourd, and a flexible rod, it has long held a central place in Vietnamese folk music, often accompanying poetry recitations and storytelling. Contemporary versions often crafted with metal and wood, incorporate electric pickups to enhance projection and sound quality.