ABOUT

Kenneth Tay (b. 1992) is a Singaporean composer, conductor, and choral music practitioner currently undertaking a PhD in Music Composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. His research focuses on the intersection of Western sacred music and Asian spirituality, exploring how these diverse traditions can converge within contemporary compositions to create meaningful and culturally rich musical experiences. He is currently supervised by Oliver Searle, Stuart MacRae and Zechariah Goh, and supported by the RCS Trust and Tan Kah Kee Foundation.

Kenneth’s music have been performed internationally by prominent ensembles including the Victoria Chorale, SYC Ensemble Singers, One Chamber Choir, EVOKX, Singapore Symphony Choruses, Voices of Singapore, Choir of King’s College Aberdeen, and University of Glasgow Chapel Choir. After his completing his first degree in political science from the National University of Singapore, he earned his MMus with Distinction at the University of Aberdeen, with a concentration in composition and choral music under the tutelage of Phillip Cooke and Paul Mealor. His music has garnered acclaim from reviewers, who have described it as “exciting and refreshing” (Alan Cooper), “original and harmonically engaging” (The Flying Inkpot), and “luminous” (The Straits Times). 

As a chorister, Kenneth has performed and toured extensively with numerous award-winning ensembles: the Victoria Junior College Choir, National University of Singapore Choir, Victoria Chorale, Voices of Singapore, Anglican Chamber Ensemble, Choir of King’s College Aberdeen, Chroma, Symphonia Choralis, Renaissance Singers, and deputises in many others. He has been featured as bass-baritone soloist in many choral competitions, winning gold medals with his choirs in the Festa Musicale (Czech Republic), Venezia in Musica (Italy), and World Choir Games (Latvia).

Kenneth is the founder and artistic director of the vocal ensemble, Basement Bunch, with a focus on the a cappella choral repertory across a wide variety of Western and Asian languages. He is presently based in Glasgow for his studies, where he is also Cantoris Bass in the University of Glasgow Chapel Choir, and music director of the University of Glasgow Medics Music Society.