Cheng San Chinese Orchestra
Cheng San Chinese Orchestra (CSCO) was established since the late 1990s. The orchestra was reformed under the baton of Mr Lee Heng Quee in 2012. Currently, Mr Wilson Neo, Zhonghu musician from the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, helms the leadership of the orchestra as its music director and conductor.
CSCO has staged our annual gala concert series since our reformation. The orchestra constantly challenge themselves by staging highly technical and recent works, ensuring a good mix of traditional and modern Chinese orchestral compositions in our concerts.
The orchestra also takes pride in providing a platform for talented members to stage concertos annually, including concertos spanning from Erhu, Yangqin, Pipa, Sheng to Suona, and has even collaborated with local and international chinese traditional music virtuosos.
CSCO has also been frequently invited to collaborate with Esplanade to produce multiple full-house public outreach concerts, in which the orchestra performed different genres of music ranging from Pop music, Mandopop, Cantopop, and well-known chinese orchestra classics, receiving rave reviews.
In the spirit of giving back to the community, CSCO is also actively performing in community shows hosted by Cheng San Community Club, and has also staged multiple free outdoor performances during festive seasons, for the enjoyment of the general public.
Neo Yong Soon Wilson, conductor
Neo Yong Soon Wilson is a young talented homegrown musician with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) since 2008.
Wilson has come a long way since first becoming acquainted with Chinese orchestral music during his days at Jing Shan Primary School Chinese Orchestra. He began learning the erhu with Mr. Tan Kim Lian. He later traveled to Beijing, China to learn from the renowned erhu musicians Maestro Chen Yao Xing and Mr. Chen Jun. He had also sought the tutelage of Mr. Li Bao Shun, the concert master from the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), and Mr. Zhao Jian Hua, an erhu sectional leader from the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO).
A recipient of the ‘Shell-NAC (National Arts Council) Scholarship’ in 2004, he enrolled into the Central Conservatory of Music to pursue his Bachelor of Chinese Instrument Major (Erhu). During his course of study, he has sought the tutelage of renowned erhu musician Professor Liu Chang Fu. He also studies the banhu as a second instrument under the tutelage of renowned banhu musician Professor Li Heng.
Wilson served his National Service as a member of the Singapore Armed Forces Chinese Orchestra and took part in numerous concerts as well as the National Arts Council (NAC) ‘Arts Outreach Programme’ by promoting traditional Chinese music at local schools. During his reservist, he has been to Rockhampton as a performer.
A competent soloist as well as an ensemble player, Wilson was the Second prize winner of the erhu senior category in the National Chinese Music Competition organized by the NAC both in 1998 and 2000. He traveled to Beijing in 2002 to compete in the ‘International Youth Chinese Musical Instrument Competition’ and was awarded the Silver prize for the erhu category. In the same year, besides leading the Cheng San Chinese Orchestra to victory in the open ensemble category, he also clinched the First Prize for the newly opened erhu open category in the National Chinese Music Competition organized by NAC.
During July 2003, Wilson successfully staged a recital concert with Chua Yew Kok. In August 2006, Wilson staged a recital with Patrick Ngo Lik Tse and Darrel Xin Zong Hua namely ‘Strung Together’. In March 2010, Wilson staged a recital namely ‘From Rhapsody To Capriccio’. All concerts were very well received and had a full house record.
Being a competent erhu soloist, Wilson was the erhu soloist for the musical, ‘Admiral’s Odyssey’ which took place in July 2005. In July 2016, Wilson was invited by the Singapore Foochow Association Chinese Orchestra (SFACO) to perform an erhu concerto ‘The Great Wall Capriccio’ and was very well received and had a full house record.
Wilson have taught numerous students to take part in grading and competitions. The students are awarded distinctions in grading and won numerous awards in the National Chinese Music Competition.
Wilson has also travelled with Singapore Chinese Orchestra on various trips overseas consisting of places in China, Korea, Europe and Edinburgh.
During December 2007, Wilson travelled with the Manjusri Secondary School to Qing Dao, China for a cultural exchange and immersion program. Wilson later successfully conducts the combined orchestras, namely Manjusri Secondary School Chinese Orchestra and Qing Dao No. 39 Middle School Chinese Orchestra with Manjusri Wu Shu Team on the school concert performance that’s held annually in Qing Dao.
Wilson have been teaching schools and picked up the baton since 2005. Under his baton, he successfully staged numerous full house concert with schools and Cheng San Chinese Orchestra. Wilson led the schools he conducted to victory during the biannual Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) and maintain high standards ever since.
Wilson is presently the huqin instructor for various secondary schools, junior colleges, Singapore Management University (SMU) and Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). Wilson is also the conductor of various secondary schools and was appointed the Guest Conductor of Singapore Management University (SMU) on 2025. He’s also the Music Director of Cheng San Chinese Orchestra since 2017 and the Music Director / Conductor of the newly formed Singapore Institute of Technology Chinese Orchestra (SITCO).
