Singapore-Based 15-Year-Old Composer Nicholas Ni to Conduct Four Original Works in London

SINGAPORE, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At 15, Singapore-based composer Nicholas Yuxiao Ni has been commissioned to write original orchestral works for The Resonance Orchestra's concert at the Royal Academy of Music in London on 1 November. He will conduct all four pieces, including the world premiere of a new composition inspired by London's red foxes. The works will be performed alongside music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Sir Edward Elgar.

The commission grew out of a rehearsal with the orchestra in April 2026, when Nicholas worked directly with the musicians to understand their instruments and refine his scores. Following the collaboration, the orchestra invited him to develop four works for its November concert.

Nicholas began teaching himself composition at age 10 and has since developed his skills through international music programmes and collaborations with experienced composers. In 2026, he attended the Summer Program in Technology and Applied Composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied video game scoring under Professor Lennie Moore.

"We want to create opportunities for musicians to learn from one another, try new ideas and share their music with audiences. Alongside performing established classical works, it is important to give emerging composers the chance to hear their own music played by an orchestra and gain experience working with professional musicians," said Bingshuang Wei, Co-founder and Executive Director of The Resonance Orchestra. "It's been exciting to bring this programme together with artists including Hannah Roberts, Carlo Antonioli as well as Nicholas Ni. We are proud to present a mix of established classical works while also creating opportunities for the wider community to experience live music."

The 1 November programme includes Nicholas's original cinematic rescores of existing visual material: Marvel Fanfare, Space Cat Hob and The Rise and Fall of Globosome. The concert will also feature the world premiere of Vulpes, a new orchestral work inspired by London's red foxes, alongside Mozart's Symphony No. 31 ("Paris") and Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85.

Joining the orchestra are cellist Hannah Roberts, Jacqueline du Pré Professor of Cello at the Royal Academy of Music, and conductor Carlo Antonioli, Junior Fellow of Conducting at the Academy. The concert will bring together 37 musicians.

A second performance will take place on 3 November at the Claremont Project in London. The community-focused concert will feature a smaller ensemble performing works by Handel, Seitz, Gluck, Grieg and Mozart, followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience. Participating musicians include Yitta Zhang and Berry Wang, both Honorary Musicians of The Resonance Orchestra. Nicholas will serve as coordinator for this performance.

The Resonance Orchestra is a curated international project created and run by the International Artists Society (IAS). For more information, visit internationalartistsociety.org.

About The Resonance Orchestra

The Resonance Orchestra brings together musicians from different backgrounds to perform classical music, develop new works and collaborate across generations. Alongside established classical repertoire, the orchestra commissions original compositions and provides opportunities for emerging musicians to work with experienced performers. The organisation also plans community performances and music education initiatives to make classical music accessible to wider audiences. For more information, visit internationalartistsociety.org.

SOURCE The Resonance Orchestra