Amanda Toh
Erhu
Amanda's erhu journey began at nine, inspired by her school music teacher's performance of a Chinese song. Under the mentorship of Shen Qin, an Erhu musician from the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), she quickly showcased her talent by securing third place in the Junior category of the National Chinese Music Competition (NCMC) within a year. Her passion and discipline led to consecutive first-place finishes in the Junior (2016), Youth (2018), and Senior (2020) categories of the NCMC and Singapore Chinese Music Competition (SCMC). In 2022, Amanda's masterful rendition of Liu Wenjin’s "The Brave Spirits of the Snow Mountain" earned her the SCMC Grand Category championship and the Audience’s Choice Award, marking the first time a participant achieved both honours. On the international stage, she secured first place in the Junior category of the Dunhuang Cup-NAFA Singapore International Erhu Competition (2019) and third in the Open category (2022).
Recognised for her artistry, Amanda has shared her erhu journey and competition insights on Capital 958 FM on multiple occasions. She represented the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra (SNYCO) at the 2019 Hong Kong Youth Music Camp and performed a concerto "Chusong" with the SCO the same year. Her leadership within SNYCO progressed from Section Principal of Erhu (2022) to Co-Concertmaster (2023).
Committed to sharing Chinese music globally, Amanda has collaborated with producers from Canada, Israel, Finland, and Italy. Notably, she contributed to Canadian artist Murray Grant's album "first…listen" and assisted NotePerformer in developing a virtual erhu instrument, blending the instrument's rich heritage with contemporary music production.
Beyond her performances and collaborations, Amanda is committed to nurturing the next generation of Erhu musicians. She actively mentors aspiring musicians,equipping them with the technical skills and expressive depth required to master the instrument. Through her dedication to education, she hopes to inspire a new generation of musicians to embrace and innovate within the world of Chinese music.