Singaporean student bridges gaps in Chinese orchestra

Muhammad Iman Mohamed Irfan understands only the most basic of Mandarin words — like lian (practice) and zhun bei (get ready) — but he has already performed solo parts on stage with a Chinese orchestra.

The 18-year-old is the only non-Chinese member of Temasek Polytechnic Chinese Orchestra in Singapore and the only bamboo flute, or dizi, player in the current cohort.

He is helped by his conductor, who is used to communicating in Mandarin but makes an effort to repeat his instructions in English for Iman.