Strike The Right Chord

By turning a violin into a boundary pushing instrument, Josh Kua is igniting a musical revolution.

- John Ng

Some instrumentalists tell stories, some provoke emotional reactions. For Josh Kua, it is about converging the feelings of the past with the present. “I like to recall what it is that moves me about the piece or song. While I’m ‘in the zone’, I also gauge my audience’s response to my performance and the atmosphere of the room. I adjust factors such as my dynamics and stage presence in order to bring as many people as possible on the musical journey.”

“If I have more room to improvise during a performance, I like to fully immerse myself in the moment and just let go. Some of my best moments on stage are when I forget everything and bare myself and my feelings through my playing. One of the beauties of being an instrumentalist is the lack of lyrics, which leaves the audience open to experience and interpret the music in a truly unique, personal way,” he opines with a smile. Kua’s music spans from fantastical and out-of-this-world to an eloquent blend of instrumentals with a focus on strings, demonstrating a distinctive style and talent that distinguishes the musician-cum-model.

Kua graduated with a double degree in law and commerce, but it was not until late 2015 that the Malaysia-born Australian began pursuing a full-time career as a professional musician. “I decided it was about time to get serious, and soon after, I started recording and held my first solo concert at KLPAC,” he shares. His determination and ambitious attitude toward achieving his goals propelled him to take it a step further, making a conscious (and calculated) decision to relocate to Shanghai last year.