Chan Xin Tong is a young musician who is deeply enthusiastic about fusion music (the combination of different music styles). She started learning the piano from her mother around the age of four. She then picked up the traditional chinese instrument Guzheng in primary school. Due to the influence of both western and eastern instruments, she learnt to adapt to and appreciate different genres of music and slowly developed a passion for fusion music.

As a student of the Dunman High School
Music Elective Programme (MEP), she enjoys
performing music with her musician friends.
She wrote a fusion Guzheng and piano work named ‘Trapped’ (2019) which premiered in her school’s annual MEP concert. She is also a member of Dunman High School’s prestigious Chinese Orchestra, where she plays in the Guzheng Ensemble (which is part of the Chinese Orchestra). In 2019, she took on the role of Sectional Principal of the Guzheng Ensemble where she guided her ensemble musically and led her ensemble to attain the ‘distinction’ award at the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF). These experiences in Dunman High often revolve around playing in music ensembles which enabled her with skills to work closely with different people to perform music together.

Academically, in addition to her study of A-level music at the H2 (Higher 2) level, she also took music as a research subject at the H3 level, which are intended for students interested in pursuing the subject at a deeper level and specialisation. She was then awarded the Music Elective Scholarship by the Ministry of Education of Singapore in 2020.

Xin Tong also actively participates in music competitions to gain more performing experiences and further her skills. In 2013, she participated in the National Piano and Violin Competition, where she was chosen to attend a masterclass by piano professor Gennady Dzyubenko. In 2020, she participated in the 5th Steinway Youth Piano Competition and Singapore Chinese Music Competition (SCMC). Other than participating in classical music or traditional chinese music competitions, she also writes pop songs with her friends for fun, and entered the 6th “Xin Kong Xia” National Schools Xinyao Songwriting Competition (2020) co-organised by the CPCLL (Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning), Jurong Pioneer Junior College, Lianhe Zaobao and TCR Music Station.

Xin Tong is known for her sensitivity towards sound and expressiveness when playing music. In her time spent at the SPACE2B sound meditation studio, she experimented with creating different soundscapes using the unique instruments there. Under the guidance of Christina Nikolovski, she was trained to play the Crystal Bowls, Singing Bowls and Gongs in a meditative setting.