Learning the violin at the age of three and a half, Lester Kong has his parents to thank for the start of his music journey. The weekly travel from Jurong to Ang Mo Kio on public transport will always remain a fond memory.
Being a performer, conductor, and a teacher, Lester has built a name for himself in the music industry.
The co-founder of Vocalise and member of VOX (Singapore’s first pop-rock string quartet), Lester explains how the most special thing that came out of VOX is the setting of trend in Singapore.
Back then, a pop-rock string quartet was unheard of, especially one that plays on the front with a full rock band as backing.
When asked about his constant driving force to try new things, Lester shared that the satisfaction from achieving results pushes him to search for new opportunities, and the thrill from new ventures drive him to experience the different roles of a musician.
Despite being so heavily involved in the music industry, Lester has an interesting hobby too – coffee-making! Greatly influenced by his brother who owns the cafe “Double shot”, Lester finds peace in pulling shots and practising latte art.
However, being in this field comes with its challenges. With the virus outbreak, there is no denying the impact on the industry.
Lester commented that he is fortunate enough that parents and schools still trust and allow their child to continue with their enrichment programmes.
He is humbled to see orchestra members turning up in full attendance at their own will to make music together and is greatly touched by the great turn out for Esplanade’s “Beautiful Sunday” program last week (8th March) with all the stall seats filled!
With more emphasis on hygiene and personal well being, Lester believes we can all still enjoy normal daily lives.