Biography
A graduate of King’s College, London and PhD in composition (University of Buffalo), Singaporean composer HOH Chung Shih generates a body of work described as one that “explores unique perspectives on space, time, physicality, process, and ultimately performance, with these often taking on structural importance in ways that are often at odds with normative (perhaps Western) concert music paradigms.” “His scores often draw from notions of irrationality and inconceivability” tied to Buddhist views. “Several scores foreground the relationship between body, breath, movement and instrument (Parts [series of 3 works: 2012-13], Reef Weave [2020]), allowing the organic negotiation of body and space to reveal the structure of the music.”
Hoh couples his interest in Classical Chinese culture, through his study and research on Guqin (Chinese 7-string zither) [Hoh, 2021; 2023; 2025], with his interest in music-making communities across cultures. Working in Singapore, a major crossroad on the globe, Chung Shih's art has been “unique within the Singapore context” with “rich and thoughtfully implemented social engagement through interactions with performers and the public,” an art making that “is not entrenched in solipsistic self expression, subsumed by concept and methodology.”
Extending his approach to music-making to the larger community of practitioners, he has also served as the President of the Composers Society of Singapore since 2016.
His works has been featured worldwide, notably at Music at the Anthology Festival,USA; 38eme Rugissants, France; SSO Singapore New Music Forum; Osterfestival Tyrol, Austria; Radar Festival, Mexico; June in Buffalo, USA; Romanischer Sommer Köln, Germany; International Computer Music Conference, Spain; LA ACM SIGGRAPH 25th Anniversary Concert, USA; Zepplin 2008 Sound Art Festival, Spain; Musicacoustica 2008, China; NUS Arts Festival, Singapore; Slow Sound Festival, USA; Sound and Music's The Cutting Edge, UK; Contemporary Music Festival, Malaysia; Soundscapes After Dark, Hong Kong; Thailand Composition Festival; Asian Music Festival, Japan; Yogyakarta Contemporary Music Festival 2010, Indonesia; Southeast Asian Contemporary Music Festival, Indonesia; Asian Composers League Conferences and Festivals; Young Composers in Southeast Asia Competition and Festival, Thailand; A Festival of Multichannel Sound, Hong Kong; Hanoi New Music Festival; Vietnam; The SeaShorts Film Festival, Malaysia; Solo International Performing Arts Festival, Indonesia; Puente Festival in Chile.