Music From The Heart

Gerald Teo, one of the founding members of the acclaimed The Teng Company, talks about his love of music, teaching and paying it forward.

- Alywin Chew

RENOWNED CELLIST GERALD TEO WOULD NOT BE WHERE HE IS IN LIFE TODAY if not for the fact that he decided to, ironically, quit band when he was in Secondary One.

“During band practice, a student leader gave me a clarinet and simply told me to blow as hard as I could,” laughs the 36-year-old co-founder of The Teng Company.

“I obviously failed to produce a decent sound without any guidance. My lips were even swollen after two hours of trying! That was the first and last time I played a wind instrument. That was also what made me decide to quit.”

This experience, however, led Gerald to join the school’s Chinese orchestra instead. There, he learnt to play the cello, and eventually became so skilled at it that he went on to perform for the People’s Association Youth Chinese Orchestra and the Singapore National Youth Orchestra after completing his secondary school education.

Despite his passion for music, Gerald’s early ambitions were the same as those of his generation. Apart from the typical fields such as medicine, law and business, he also considered following in his father’s footsteps and becoming an engineer. He ended up as a teacher but quit the job after three years to pursue his musical interests.

Today, more than 20 years after he first picked up the cello, Gerald is highly accomplished and has performed at high-profile events attended by the Prime Minister and the President.

TENG DEBUTS