Wednesday 21 July, 2021

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NYCGB is delighted to welcome Siu-Wai Ng to the Board of Trustees.

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Originally from Hong Kong, Siu-Wai is a pianist turned organist, who has been immersed in music from a young age. She was a finalist at the Calgary International Organ Competition and Gottfried Silbermann Organ Competition, before taking up the cello as an adult. Siu-Wai is passionate about choral singing, has sung in a choir since she was 5 and is currently a member of the London Symphony Chorus. She is obsessed with music written by J.S. Bach.

Siu-Wai is a Partner and member of the Executive Committee at BlueBay Asset Management, a specialist fixed income investment manager and a Board Director of a number of investment funds in multiple jurisdictions from Luxembourg, Ireland to the Cayman Islands where her focus is on protecting investors’ interest. She is also an Investment Committee Board Member of the Salvation Army and a member of the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee of Social and Sustainable Capital, an impact investing organisation. Siu-Wai holds an M.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University, is a Chartered Financial Analyst, and an INSEAD certified International Director.

What sparked your interest in joining the NYCGB Board? 

Music has been a life-long passion and I have never stopped singing in a choir since I was 5! One of my fondest memories as a teenager was to be part of the school choir, where I was both a choir member and an accompanist. We participated in local and international singing competitions, travelling as far as Sydney and winning the gold medal there while having a tremendous amount of fun. I met many of my best friends in the choir while making music at a high level. I also learnt great discipline as juggling a lot of rehearsals with schoolwork was not easy – however I was doing something I loved, and I found a way. 

Therefore, when I was looking to develop my non-executive/board career in parallel to my day job, I wanted to join an organisation or a cause that I am passionate about. NYCGB really excites me as it offers young people amazing opportunities – collaborating with world class musicians, performing in famous venues and at important occasions. It reminds me of all the great memories I had as a choir member and I am so excited that young people from all backgrounds can experience the same - singing at a high level, making serious music, while meeting your besties at the same time. It’s certainly an organisation whose purpose I identify with, and I am proud to be part of it. 

 

What do you bring to NYCGB’s Board and what are your aspirations as a Trustee? 

As an ethnic minority from a humble background, I understand how singing in a choir at such a high standard may not occur naturally to many families as an activity to pursue. 

I hope my experience is a good example of how much space and potential there is for people from different backgrounds to participate in an activity which does not actually require a lot of capital outlay – we all have a voice and you can do it too! If you do not pursue a professional singing career afterwards, you can always show off your skills in Karaoke! 

While NYCGB is an artistic organisation, it also has the ‘boring’ bits about finance, investment, cashflows which I hope my financial background can be of benefit to. In particular there is currently a lot of focus on ‘ESG’ (‘environment, social and governance’) and my background in investment management on how to achieve and align with these goals will come into good use. 

Is there a particular moment that stands out for you in terms of your experience of being in a choir?

A significant moment in my choral experience was joining the Oxford Bach Choir when in university – I understood what ‘professional level chorus’ meant for the first time!

What’s your favourite piece of choral music?

My favourite piece of choral music: J.S. Bach – St. Matthew Passion (I have tears in my eyes every time!) Choral music that I have not sung but would dearly love to: J.S. Bach – motets and all his cantatas (will take a while…).

What other interests do you have?

In addition to music, my other ‘obsessions’ are tennis and wine…