Cello

Hailing from Kuala Lumpur, cellist Elizabeth Tan has been a familiar face in the Southeast Asian music scene for over two decades. She began her professional career with the Singapore Symphony, and has served as principal cellist of the Singapore Festival Orchestra. In 2010 she joined the Malaysian Philharmonic and in 2024 was appointed Assistant Principal Cello.

In 2007 Elizabeth took first prize at the HSBC Classics String Competition. Solo appearances include the Dvořák and Haydn C major cello concertos with Penang Philharmonic, Haydn D major with Kamerata KL and NUS Symphony, Saint-Saëns No. 1 with NUS Symphony, and Elgar with the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and Orchestra of the Music Makers.

On the chamber music front, Elizabeth has performed with the More than Music concert series in Singapore and alongside the T'ang Quartet. With MPO colleagues she has presented chamber outreach concerts in East and West Malaysia, Vietnam and Japan.

Elizabeth was part of the historic inaugural cohort at Singapore's Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, where she graduated with first class honours under Qin Li-Wei and was teaching assistant to his studio. She has also studied with Hans Jensen at the Meadowmount School of Music in New York.

For many years Elizabeth has championed music education, co-founding the KL String Project and guiding young talents of the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. She finds her greatest joy in sharing the gift of music with the next generation.