Low Shao Suan is an award-winning pianist, composer and songwriter. She obtained her Licentiate of the Trinity College of London (LTCL) and Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM) in Piano Performance under the tutelage of Mme. Yeo Bee Choo and Mr. Benjamin Loh respectively. She later obtained her Fellowship of the Trinity College of London (FTCL) in Piano Accompanying.
She went on to further her musical studies at the famed École Normale de Musique de Paris in France under the tutelage of the late Mme. Annie d’Arco and the late Mr. Julien Ridoret for piano, Mme. Chantal de Buchy for chamber music, and Mr. Ilton Wjuniski for harpsichord. While in Paris, Shao Suan won a number of prizes which included 1st Prize at the Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche Competition and 3rd Prize at the International Competition of U.F.A.M. for solo piano, and 1st Prize at the Claude Kahn Competition for piano duet with her twin sister, Shao Ying. She has also participated in masterclasses with Mr. Olivier Gardon in Paris, and Ms. Nelly Ben-Or in London.
Upon her return to Singapore, Shao Suan has performed numerous times as a two-piano soloist (together with Shao Ying) with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestros Choo Hoey, Lim Yao, Lan Shui, Lü Jia, Darrell Ang and Joshua Tan. The sisters have also performed as soloists with the Singapore Festival Orchestra with Maestro Virginia Martinez, the Hunan Symphony Orchestra with Maestro Xiao Ming in China, and the European Baroque Chamber Ensemble in Porto, Portugal. In 1999, the sisters were invited by the late President of Singapore, Ong Teng Cheong, to perform for him and his distinguished guests at the Istana.
As an active piano collaborator, Shao Suan has collaborated with well-respected musicians from all over the world such as violinists Siow Lee-Chin, Alexander Souptel, Takaya Urakawa and Jin Li; violist Marietta Ku; cellists Chan Wei-Shing and Song Woon-Teng; double bassist Jeff Bradetich; flautists José-Daniel Castellon, Jin Ta, Felix Renggli, Davide Formisano, Marc Grauwels, Roberto Alvarez, and the late Wolfgang Schulz; clarinettist Arnaud Leroy; saxophonists Claude Delangle and Christian Wirth; horn virtuoso Olivier Darbellay; trumpeters Joe Burgstaller, Adam Rapa, Willian Theis and Laurence Gargen; trombonists Jörgen van Rijen, Zacharay Bond, Shannon Pittaway, Allen Meek, Samuel Armstrong, Marques Young, Kevin Thomson and Fredi Sonderegger; and tubists Øystein Baadsvik, Roland Szentpali, Brett Stemple, Steve Rosse and Tim Buzbee. In 2003, Shao Suan was the rehearsal pianist for world-renowned violinist, Sarah Chang, and in 2008, together with violinists Alexander Souptel, Masako White, Takaya Urakawa and Yume Fujise, she performed for former Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, and his wife in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
As an avid composer and songwriter, Shao Suan’s pop songs have been sung by Asian pop singers such as Vivian Hsu (Taiwan), Mink (Korea/Japan) and Chen Yi Yi (Malaysia). Her pop song demo, All This Time, was the Winner (Melody Only category) at the 2021 UK Songwriting Contest. A few of her original instrumental compositions have won awards such as the Honorable Mention Award (Instrumental category) at the 12th USA Songwriting Competition (July Rendez-Vous for piano), Runner Up (Instrumental category) at the 2009 UK Songwriting Contest (Still for piano), and 3rd Prize (Category B) at the International Composition Competition “Maurice Ravel” in Bergamo, Italy (Sweet Dreams for flute, oboe & piano). Her music has been performed in countries such as Austria, Brazil, China, Italy, South Korea, Taiwan and USA, as well as aired on American, British and Canadian radio stations. Shao Suan’s music can be heard on local Classical radio station, Symphony 92.4FM.
Shao Suan and Shao Ying’s recording of Hong Kong contemporary composer, Kawai Shiu’s Jade Luster for two pianos was featured in his Kawai Shiu Streams and Seasons CD, released in December 2010. The sisters have also recorded Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Lan Shui, and this CD was released in July 2012. Shao Suan’s performance of Singaporean composer, Tan Chan Boon’s Osinatissimo op 31 with violinist, Lim Shue Churn was featured in his Tan Chan Boon: symphony no. 2 “Genese” in F# minor (1989-1995) CD, released in 2000.
In August 2014, Shao Suan and Shao Ying’s joint debut instrumental album, Romance in the City, featuring their original compositions, was released in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong under the Chinese label, Rhymoi. This album received the 2014 Artistic Performance Album of the Year award at the 10th Hi-Fi Album Awards 2014 in Guangzhou, China. The sisters launched their second album, Music Diaries, in January 2016. This album can be found at the National Library, and is available on Apple Music, Amazon Music and Spotify. Their third album, Summer Vacation, was released in May 2020 on Apple Music, Spotify, KKBox, Mymusic, friDay Music and Line Music, and this album was ranked no. 1 on iTunes’ Top 100 Classical Albums Chart, as well as no. 3 on iTunes’ Top Music Albums Chart in Singapore.
Shao Suan is a published composer with world-renowned Viennese music publisher, Universal Edition, as well as a member of the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS) and The Guild of International Songwriters and Composers (UK). She is also co-founder of local chamber ensemble, Ensemble de la Belle Musique (EBM).