Meet Yvonne
Hi there! My name is Yvonne Teo, and I'm a Singapore-born composer and pianist. My musical journey started at age four, when, having seen my brother play the piano, I begged my parents for lessons as well, and started them as soon as I had my fourth birthday. At five, I started making tunes up at the piano, and that's where my relationship with improvisation and composition began.
One of my earliest memories was of falling in love with the theme of Braveheart, written by the late renowned composer James Horner. It was 2007, when music streaming had started to become accessible, that I finally heard it again, years after my first encounter with that piece of music, and I recall that inexplicable sensation of coming home as I listened to the somber wail of the bagpipes -- even with no claim of Scottish heritage.
But it wasn't until Peter Jackson's The Lord of The Rings and Howard Shore's accompanying score that I truly appreciated the awe-inspiring coalescence of story and music. When I did, my heart was set -- I was going to compose music for films.
To this day, I'm filled with awe while watching films and TV shows, and playing video games, experiencing how music comes together so perfectly with other mediums to tell a story.
We are all made up of stories, after all. Even when working on my own personal projects, improvising or composing, I set out on a new journey: to tell a new story, or one that's been told many times, but can yet be retold from a new perspective, in a new way. It never gets old.
Selected Works
Archival fever
(2018-)
Podcast
Archival Fever aims to recover narratives, treasures, and life stories from undeserved obscurity.
Executively produced and hosted by Caroline Barta and Amy Vidor
Music composed by Yvonne Teo
THE PURPLE SYMPHONY
The Purple Symphony is an inclusive orchestra comprising talented musicians with and without special needs. Its members play a range of Asian and Western instruments from five key musical sections: Strings (Plucked), Strings (Bow), Wind, Percussion and Choir.
It is a ready avenue for musicians to learn and share music with one another and their audiences, support inclusion, and celebrate and demonstrate their abilities and excellence they can achieve together.
Home Medley by Various Artists
Colours of the Wind by Alan Menken
Dance of the Little Swans by Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Music arranged by Yvonne Teo
Testimony (2017)
Poetry and music
Commissioned by the Arts House in Singapore, a tête-à-tête between a musician and a poet. Collaborating both in form and content, these artists will take to the stage to perform original works. Much like successful fusion cuisine, there is a natural harmony between the rhythms of poetry and music. Musicians bring their own eclectic genres to the poet's table, resulting in a tasting palette that is rich with intertwined layers of meaning.
Poetry written by Theophilus Kwek
Music composed by Yvonne Teo