“A very promising young musician with a good sense of performance”.  Margaret Moncrieff

 

Melbourne-based Singapore cellist, Noella’s playing has been recognised for her ‘expressive sound’ (The Straits Times) and of ‘exceptional talent and innate musicality, one with superb technique and interpretation.’ (Sina.com.cn)

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An avid musician of artistic, improvisational collaborations and new music, 

Noella has premiered numerous works with composers, dancers and visual artists including a world premiere of Bernard Tan’s Cello Concerto, written for her receiving  wide critical acclaim. Noella has appeared with numerous orchestras and given many concerts both as a soloist and chamber musician globally across many prestigious concert venues including Buckingham Palace, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Kennedy Centre of Performing Arts, Southbank and Beethoven Haus. Noella is a member of Trio Anima Mundi and Ad Hoc Collective.

 

A multifaceted instrumentalist, highlights from 2017  include co-releasing an album of original music ‘Musical Chairs’, visual and new music projects with Ad Hoc Collective and Maya Dance Theatre amongst many other projects and performances. Formerly artistic co-director of a cross-cultural project celebrating Singapore’s 50th, Noella curated a series of concerts across Australasia.

 

Deeply passionate about using music to effect change, Noella founded ARTIF - Art It Forward (www.artit4ward.org) , a global art education initiative that seeks to bring creativity through the arts to underserved communities. She is currently building this program in Myanmar. Noella is an adjunct lecturer in chamber music at Melbourne Polytechnic and she also conducts the Fusion Ensemble (a cross cultural ensemble) at Lauriston Girls’  School.

 

Noella began learning piano at age 3 and the cello at 12. Accepted into Purcell School at 13, she has been a scholarship recipient of both Lee and Shaw Foundations, awarded the NAC Gifted Young Musician’s Award, Audi Young Musician, Lesley Alexander Prize for outstanding performance at the Royal College of Music, UK. Her teachers included her father Yan Yin Wing, Herminia Ilano, Pal Banda, Joyce Rathbone, Alexander Boyarsky and Erling Blöndal Bengtsson. Noella received a Double Masters in Performance and Chamber Music as the John P. Miller fellow at the University of Michigan, and was also awarded the Gustavé Rosseels Chamber Award. www.noella-yan.com