Singaporean musical ensemble SAtheCollective has established a unique approach to collaboration and performance emphasising musical works that draw on many cultural traditions.

SAtheCollective at OzAsia Festival. Photo @ Chris Reid

Formed in 2011, SAtheCollective comprises core members Andy Chia on dizi (Chinese flute), vocals and electronics, and Natalie Alexandra Tse on guzheng (Chinese zither) and electronics.

Both were trained from an early age on their Chinese instruments — Andy Chia was the first professionally trained Chinese flutist in Singapore. Educator and researcher Natalie Tse’s doctorate concerned the experience of sound by infants up to 18 months old.

Both Andy and Natalie are concerned with the role of music in society and the capacity of the arts to encourage respect in ethnically diverse communities. They state on their webpage that, “SAtheCollective is dedicated to celebrating and honoring the diverse cultural heritage of our global community.”

They collaborate with various performers and ensembles on a wide variety of projects that involve the exploration of cultural traditions in contemporary society and can take the form of dance and theatrical productions as well as musical performances.

SAtheCollective first performed at OzAsia in 2017 and returned to Adelaide to...