Battle Scores – Where Wuxia Meets Music

This October, Ding Yi Music Company, in collaboration with the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC), unveils Battle Scores — an action-packed concert that transforms the stage into a world where Chinese chamber music and wuxia collide.

Audiences will be transported into a fantastical jianghu universe where five iconic Chinese instruments — the huqin (Chin Yen Choong), dizi, guzheng (Yvonne Tay), percussion (Low Yik Hang), and suona (Jacky Ng) — embody the five great martial arts sects: Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, Kunlun, and Huashan. Through electrifying clashes of timbre and dramatic musical duels, the instruments become avatars in a sweeping saga of ambition, rivalry, and reflection.

For the first time, Ding Yi weaves shadow puppetry into its performance, brought to life by actors Gordon Choy and Vanessa Toh, who animate the rivalries and alliances of the martial arts world. Paired with wushu-inspired stage movements and the vitality of live Chinese chamber music, Battle Scores boldly unites traditional art forms and cultures rarely experienced together, creating a groundbreaking production that is both visually and musically arresting.

Helmed by acclaimed theatremaker Chong Tze Chien, Festival Director of the Singapore International Festival of Arts and known for his visually striking and emotionally-charged works, the concert extends his creative partnership with Ding Yi following earlier collaborations such as The Zodiac Race (part of Esplanade’s Feed Your Imagination series). A full-length original composition by Taiwanese composer Hannah Hsieh anchors the work, written specially to capture the energy, tension, and lyricism of this martial-arts-inspired musical realm.

“By merging Chinese chamber music with wuxia, we’re drawing from the very essence of Chinese culture — celebrating and reimagining it for today’s audiences,” said Wong De Li, Dedric, Resident Conductor of Ding Yi Music Company. “Each instrument becomes a martial art, each musical phrase a clash or alliance, reminding us that in any battle, victory or defeat matters less than the human cost of conflict. Working with director Chong Tze Chien and composer Hannah Hsieh, we’ve created something both theatrical and deeply musical — a vivid celebration of the enduring spirit of Chinese culture.”

Battle Scores will be held on 18 October 2025 (Saturday), 3.30pm and 7.30pm at SCCC Auditorium, Level 9. Tickets are available for public sales at $35 (excluding booking fees) on SISTIC here and is eligible for purchase using SG Culture Pass credits. SAFRA, HomeTeamNS and merewards members enjoy a 20% discount. Terms and conditions apply.

Images: Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre