Joel Chua

Joel Chua is a Singaporean musician, arranger and composer.

Since graduating from Ara Arts (formerly CPIT) in Christchurch, New Zealand, Joel has performed in a multitude of countries at music and improv festivals across Southeast-Asia as well as India, China, Australia and New Zealand.

An alumnus of the esteemed Mosaic Jazz Fellows mentorship program (previously known as Bright Young Things), Joel was enlisted into the Singapore Armed Forces Music and Drama Company (SAF MDC) where he performed regularly in front foreign dignitaries as well as local leaders including late-Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, President Halimah Yacob and many more.

As an active member of the local music scene, Joel has performed with a diverse array of Ethnic acts, from Raghajazz (Indian Classical Fusion) and TENG Ensemble (Chinese-Western Fusion) to Hai Definition (Middle Eastern Fusion) and consequently has been featured on Lianhe Zaobao,Tamil Murasu as well Berita Harian (National ethnic news publications), aside from other local TV, radio programs and news publications.

Venturing beyond his Jazz roots, Joel is associated with pop acts including Shak and the baits, Gareth Fernandez as well as Nathan Hartono, where he was music director for a TV-series theme song medley segment of the Star Awards 2018 (Chinese local TV awards ceremony).

As an arranger and composer, he has worked with Shabir (local singer-songwriter and Kollywood film scorer), arranging for the TENG ensemble as well as guitar arrangements for local schools such as Anglo-Chinese School (Junior), Montfort Junior School and River Valley High school, performed at the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF, a national arts presentation festival for youth).

Occasionally, Joel has also involved himself in music writing and education, crafting the National Arts Council-approved, Arts Education Program (NAC AEP), “Construction of Music” and contributing as a writer to The Esplanade’s MOE-NAC Performing Arts Based Learning Programme. He has also written program notes for Esplanade Mosaic Headliners such as Arturo Sandoval and Pat Metheny, as well as SIFA debutant, Jacob Collier back in 2018. At home, he has worked with the Puppini Sisters (toured with Michael Buble) on a close Harmony workshop in the Esplanade Concert Hall, while he has also conducted workshops and masterclasses in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.

Most recently, Joel has been expanding his skillset to include production having done most of the videography and audio production for a music variety show on national TV featuring icons such as Ramli Sarip, Rahimah Rahim and Dick Lee.

Joel currently manages Sonare Music School, while maintaining his active involvement in music, arts and education both in Singapore and around the region.