On 28 October, IPUR and the YST Conservatory of Music had the joy of welcoming about 90 guests to Risk Resonances: Communicating Risk through Music. It was an evening where music met science. Through five captivating performances, students brought to life pressing issues such as mental health, rising heat, ageing, and coastal protection, translating these complex risks into moving musical expressions across a variety of modes and instruments.
The opening act, Reconcilable by Franklin Lee, was a piano piece with two players showcasing four hands on the instrument which reflected on the passage of time and the challenges of ageing. Through a series of bold variations, the piece included fragmentation, conflict, and resolution into a textured narrative of the musical notes of acceptance and renewal.
Portraits by Xavier Hui, Jasper Goh, Preston Ng and Benedict Koh, an improvised exploration of mental health. Moving beyond written scores, the improvisation embraced uncertainty through spontaneous collaboration, electronic textures, and emotional intensity which captured the fragility of trust, perception, and expression.
In Tides of Change, Neo Jie Ning gave the ocean a voice, presenting a delicate dialogue between piano and flute, accompanied by the sound of real waves. The piece traced the sea’s shifting moods. From calm waters to urgent plea, the uncertainty reminds listeners of the strong connection between humanity and the natural world, and of the resilience still found within its depths.
Heat by Luke Ng was a unique piece which immersed the audience in a slow build-up of sound and sensation, mirroring the “insidious” nature of rising temperatures. Drawing on minimalist repetition and gradual transformation, the piece for electronics and bass evoked emotions from the audience of both the physical strain of heat and the broader planetary crisis simmering beneath our awareness.
Closing the performances and blending tradition with digital-age commentary, 3uph3n15m (Euphenism) by Chan Xin Tong, used the guzheng and erhu and examined how censorship and creativity intertwine within social media. Inspired by the coded language of social media euphemisms, the work transformed suppressed words into evolving musical motifs. Her piece encompassed a powerful metaphor for the human need to speak, adapt, and be heard.
