Beyond the spotlight: How one stage can shape a lifetime

It’s not the thunderous applause that has stayed with Kane Teo, who first stepped onto the Esplanade Concert Hall stage as a teenager. Instead, he remembers the scale of it: standing beneath the Concert Hall’s sweeping canopy, looking out at an audience far larger than anything he had known within his school walls.

Years later, Kane would return to that very same stage. This time, he stood there not as a shy choir member in a school ensemble, but as a conductor guiding a new generation of students through an experience he once had himself.

Kane Teo, who first experienced Limelight as a student, returned to the programme as a conductor guiding the next generation.

Kane’s journey captures what Limelight has sought to make possible since its debut in 2007. Presented by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and supported by Tote Board, the programme gives student performers the opportunity to move beyond their school halls and experience what it takes to perform on a professional stage. 

More than a performance

For Esplanade Head of Music, Christel Hon, Limelight was conceived not simply as an opportunity for students to experience the arts from the audience, but to take the stage themselves.

“We started by asking ourselves what we could do to bring students here, not just to watch performances, but more importantly, to experience performing themselves,” she recalls.

The performance itself is only one part of the experience. In preparing for the stage, students work alongside professional technical, sound and lighting crews, gaining first-hand experience of what goes into bringing a production to life.

The Esplanade Concert Hall then becomes a transformative training ground for students to develop key qualities like resilience and discipline that they carry with them through life.

As Christel reflects, "Limelight may be the only opportunity they'll ever have to perform in Singapore's national performing arts centre." 

For some, that experience continues to resonate long after they leave school.

Passing the baton 

Having first participated in Limelight in 2011 with Anderson Junior College Choir, Kane vividly remembers the anticipation of stepping onto the Esplanade stage. Those memories now shape the way he plans concerts for his own student choir ensemble.

Because he experienced it himself, he understands a truth that many overlook: a professional conductor may return to the Esplanade dozens of times throughout his career, but for many of his students, Limelight might be the only time they perform on such a grand stage.

That perspective influences how Kane structures his concert programmes. He intentionally creates moments for students to step into the spotlight through solos and smaller ensemble performances, believing that those moments of ownership often become the memories they treasure most.

Through the experience, his students may discover newfound confidence, while some others may even return after graduation to ask how they can continue performing or remain involved in the arts.

As the torch is passed on, Limelight has also expanded its footprint over the past two decades. What began as an initiative with six schools and 765 young performers has since grown to involve more than 1,000 students from over 10 schools every year, drawing 10,000 to 15,000 audience members including the performers’ friends and families.

Different paths, a lasting connection

For Terrence Wong, who performed at Limelight’s inaugural concert in 2007 as part of the Catholic High School Symphonic Band, the connection with music continued well beyond his school years.

In 2014, Terrence helped establish the Catholic High School Alumni Band, which made its debut on the Limelight stage that same year. This alumni-only ensemble has become a tradition the group continues to uphold today.

Today, Terrence is an arts administrator with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and also a freelance composer. His journey illustrates how early, meaningful access to high-calibre performance opportunities can grow into an enduring relationship with the arts.

But a lasting connection with the arts does not necessarily mean pursuing it professionally. Whether participants go on to be passionate advocates, mentors or audience members, they continue to contribute to Singapore’s cultural landscape.

Terrence Wong (far left) performing with the Catholic High School Symphonic Band at Limelight's inaugural concert in 2007.

Lessons that last beyond the stage

When Glenvicia Sim performed with River Valley High School at Limelight in 2011, it was her first experience on a stage of that scale, and the Concert Hall remains one of her most vivid memories of Limelight.

Glenvicia Sim (front right) performed with River Valley High School at Limelight in 2011. Today, she continues to pursue music alongside her career and other creative interests.

She described the Esplanade Concert Hall as "another member of the ensemble". Its acoustics challenged performers to listen more carefully, adapt constantly and make subtle adjustments in real time.

Glenvicia did not go on to become a professional musician; she studied economics and engineering. Yet, she credits her time at Limelight as instrumental to her character development, as the qualities of adaptability, problem-solving, and collaboration continue to shape both her personal and professional life. As a chorister with The Chorallective, music has also remained part of her life today.

Creating opportunities through the arts

Since 2007, Tote Board has supported Limelight as part of its efforts to make meaningful arts experiences accessible to young people and create opportunities for them to develop their confidence and discover new possibilities beyond the classroom through participation in the arts. 

Ms Tan Sin Nah, Deputy Director of the Grants Division at Tote Board, says, “We believe that the arts have an important role to play in helping young people develop into confident, curious and well-rounded individuals. Through programmes like Limelight, we want to make the arts available to students from different backgrounds and provide a platform for them to discover new interests, build meaningful connections and discover what is possible for themselves.” 

More than a decade after Kane first stepped onto the Esplanade stage as a student, he now stands on the other side of that experience — preparing another generation to take their place under the lights.

For some, that moment may lead to a life in music. For others, it may simply become an experience they carry with them long after the performance ends. Either way, the opportunity to step onto the stage can be the beginning of something that reaches far beyond it.