Board of Directors
Sonia Ng
A lawyer with a life-long connection to classical music.
Educated primarily in the UK as a qualified barrister, Sonia has decades of commercial legal experience in UK, USA, Malaysia and Singapore, serving in various capacities including Head of Legal, South-East Asia in one of the world’s largest private companies.
Beyond her legal career, Sonia is an enthusiastic cellist with a focus on supporting cancer charities, where she has had the privilege of performing with VINS quartet for the ARC Children’s Centre, using the power of music to bring comfort and healing to children with cancer. She was a member of Chamber Players and The Philharmonic Orchestra, where she had the opportunity to foster connections with talented musicians and contribute to a growing vibrant music community.
Sonia leverages her expertise and passion to contribute meaningfully to strategic planning, fundraising efforts and advocacy initiatives of The Musicians’ Initiative. She is driven by a strong desire to make a tangible impact to the lives of the young and future generations of aspiring professional musicians by empowering them to grow, thrive and excel in their artistic pursuits and to achieve their full potential on world stage.
Cynthia Goh
Cynthia Goh, a lawyer with over 20 years of legal experience and currently a practising lawyer specialising in capital markets and mergers and acquisitions in Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP, embarked on her musical journey at the age of 6 when she first laid her hands on the piano keys. What followed was a remarkable trajectory of talent and dedication that would see her rise to prominence in the world of classical music.
By the age of 11, Cynthia had already achieved the ABRSM Grade 8 certification, followed by the LTCL (Licentiate of the Trinity College of Music, London) at the age of 14. By 17, she was admitted as a Fellow of the Trinity College of Music, London (FTCL) in piano performance.
Cynthia’s early years were marked by a string of victories in numerous music competitions. Notably, she clinched the 1st prize in the 4th National Music Competition’s Piano Junior Section in 1983 (organised by the then Ministry of Culture and the Singapore Musical Society), as well as 2nd prizes in the 5th and 6th National Music Competition’s Piano Senior and Open Sections in 1985 and 1987 respectively.
Her exceptional performance in the Piano Senior category earned her the honour of representing Singapore in the Asia Pacific Piano Competition for Youth in Taiwan in 1985.
Throughout her youth, Cynthia has continued to garner accolades and recognition for her musical talents. In 1987, she emerged as the 1st runner-up in the inaugural Rolex Music Performance Awards Competition which was organised by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Her most recent achievement came in 2022 when she secured the first prize in the Youth-At-Heart category of the 6th Steinway Youth Piano Competition.
Cynthia’s performances have captivated audiences worldwide through solo and joint recitals. At the age of 8, she showcased her compositional flair at the 1981 Junior Original Concert in Japan, with her own composition “Tarantella” which was chosen from a pool of over 22,000 entries from all over the world. Her talent was further showcased as Singapore’s representative at the Pacific Wave Youth International Music Festival in Vancouver, Canada in 1986, and in 1987, when she was featured in the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation’s Young Talents Programme on television.
Cynthia has tackled a diverse repertoire, including piano concertos by composers such as Beethoven, Saint Saens, Grieg, and Rachmaninoff. From interpreting the works of Beethoven and Saint Saens to the complex compositions of Grieg and Rachmaninoff, Cynthia has demonstrated an unparalleled command of the piano, captivating audiences with her emotive performances.
Throughout her musical odyssey, Cynthia has been guided by mentors such as Mrs. Janet Ang, Mr. Gan Choo Kheng, and the late Mr. Ong Swee Chuan. Currently, she continues to refine her craft under the tutelage of Prof. Boris Kraljevic, ensuring that her musical journey remains an ever-evolving and enriching experience.
Cynthia Goh’s legacy is not merely one of musical excellence but also of unwavering dedication and passion for her craft, supported by her love for music. She hopes to be an inspiration to working professionals who love music and piano playing to continue to pursue their musical passion.
Nelius Strydom
Nelius has over 26 years’ experience in the financial service industry including C-level leadership roles with large international players in the industry. For the past 10 years he has worked in the InsureTech space and has been instrumental in driving financial product adaption and engineering for the digital age. Leveraging his competencies in new business and financial product development, as well as risk management, he has developed data analytics tools to drive distribution, pricing and efficiency across the insurance lifecycle. Having spent time as a CPO he has an in depth knowledge of product development frameworks and innovative technology solutions. He has transformed several traditional development centres into product focused teams.
Charles Chen
Charles is the founder/managing partner of Charles and Partners and also a lecturer at the Singapore Management University. With a background in Accounting and Economics, he began providing financial consulting and accounting services to SMEs in 2014. Charles has set up projects with clients in various industries to enhance their financial management, optimise their group tax position and operationalise company processes. Charles is committed to grooming consultants of the next generation to not only be well-versed in accounting, but also in the areas of legal, taxation and strategy.