LIEN Boon Hua

“Conductor Boon Hua Lien impressed with Kodály’s vivid fairy tale world, Dohnányi’s sometimes grotesque humor, and no less the brilliant colors of Ravel’s spinning waltzes. Liberated, confidently conducted, he felt and enjoyed the diversity of the works.”

“Having listened to his comments and observed his cooperation with the band, I conclude that at this stage his knowledge of the scores was excellent, too, because he was reaching quite deep into the matter of both pieces, especially the one by Shostakovich. It seemed to me he was interested in the colours of this darkness, but he was also taking care of the sound balance between individual groups of instruments. The orchestra played very well for him. ”

“His joy of conducting and authenticity of experiencing music was ravishing – I refuse to believe that it could have been pretended.

In general, this is a very joyful musician, able to do a lot, seeming to know a lot. He shows everything that should be shown, he keeps the discipline of the performance. [...]

And then there was only the symphony, conducted with an emotional temperature, briskly, interestingly. How emotional he got when he was going through the dark moods present in this piece. The orchestra played excellently for him. I think that emotionally they were with him, but then you just can’t play “Pathétique” in any other way. [...]

This performance of our well liked guest from far Singapore was very successful and valuable!”

“The orchestra was just as impressive under the baton of prize-winning guest conductor Lien Boon Hua.

The dance rhythm of [Josef Strauss’ Sphärenklänge Walzer and Johann Strauss’ Tritsch-Tratsch Polka] was lovingly captured and this continued with Bedrich Smetana’s Die Moldau. [...] The Bohemian spirit that pulsed through this splendid showing was robust yet sensitive.”

“Your performance showed a real understanding of the language and the form of the piece, and I appreciated the lack of any hint of narcissism or melodrama, temptations that too many of us fall prey to when dealing with music of such profound depths of emotion. Bravo.”

“I had the pleasure of working with Boon Hua Lien on the premiere of my piece “Unravelings” in April 2015. Lien is both an efficient rehearser and a careful observer of detail. Having conducted two of my pieces, Lien has developed a very natural way of phrasing my music; his subtle nuances in timing produced beautiful expressive shapes. Lien’s warm personality quickly created a good rapport with the musicians of the Eastman Graduate Sinfonietta, and the musicians responded with determination to perform the intricacies in their parts and follow his sensitive interpretation.”

“It was a true pleasure working with Boon Hua Lien on a performance of my orchestral work, “Gibellina.” He engaged with my score with a keen sensitivity to detail and deep respect for my intentions. In his performance, he masterfully highlighted nuances in orchestral color and elicited an impassioned rendition from the musicians.”

“Boon Hua Lien’s talent on the podium is immediately evident the minute he steps onto the podium. Having watched him rehearse and perform Eric Nathan’s music (in all of its intense complexity) convinced me that he is a major talent in the making. I can’t wait to see how he makes his mark in the musical world. We’ll all benefit from having him on the podium.”

“Working with Boon Hua Lien made me feel well respected as a composer because my music was treated as if it were part of the established repertory. He studied my music thoroughly, paying utmost attention to every single note to find out its meaning from various angles. Not only did he perform my piece with precision and detail, he also created his own interpretation to it.”

“Boon Hua Lien navigated the very difficult ensemble issues of my piano concerto with great skill and panache! I expect he has a wonderful career ahead of him.”