A Virtuoso's Classic Game Plan

Internationally acclaimed Singaporean comes home to help young musicians here venture onto the world stage.

- Gabriel Tan

He enters the room in a smart cream blazer and jeans. His hair is tousled, but it’s as though every strand is where it should be. A polite smile and then a firm handshake. Darrell Ang exudes presence, and naturally so. He is, after all, a Grammy nominee. And to think the Singaporean is only 36 years old.

Ang has come a long way since hearing the first strains of classical music at the age of four. Twelve years later, he packed his bags for St Petersburg and Yale, where everything fell into place.

His virtuoso conducting has since garnered awards. His Zhou Long Chen Yi: Symphony “Humen 1839” with the New Zealand Orchestra was nominated for best performance at last year’s Grammys. But the highlight, so far, is a clean sweep of the three top awards – the Grand, Audience and Orchestra prizes – at the 50th Besancon International Young Conductor’s Competition in 2007.