Violist & founding member of S'pore's T'ang Quartet, 60, passes away from cancer

Lionel Tan, a violist and founding member of Singapore's T'ang Quartet, passed away at the age of 60 on May 31.

The quartet posted a tribute to him on Facebook, saying, "You have fought a good fight, rest well."

In a reply to a comment, they shared that Tan had passed away in the evening "after a long fight with cancer".

Contributions to local classical music

Tan founded the T'ang Quartet in 1992 with his elder brother, cellist Leslie Tan, and two violinists, Ang Chek Meng and Ng Yu Ying.

They met through the Singapore Youth Orchestra in the 1980s before they decided to form the quartet.

According to Singapore Infopedia, they were the first professional string quartet formed in Singapore, and has four albums to their name.

The group sought to popularise classical music so that it can be enjoyed and appreciated by a wider audience.

They gained a solid following and acclaim, performing at a sold-out concert at the Victoria Concert Hall in 1993, and receiving the Artistic Excellence Award for the classical music category in 2008.

Performing abroad, they also won praise in London, where they performed in 2005, and then was invited by the BBC to record for its World Recital Series in 2006.

"He left a legacy"

Shortly past midnight on Jun. 1, Leslie Tan penned an emotional tribute to his younger brother on Facebook.

Looking back on their relationship since childhood, he shared that he had always looked up to his brother, whom he described as more adventurous, fun, and athletic than he was.

"Tonight Lionel beat me to it again," he wrote. "He should not have departed before me but he did."

"We shared a few lifetimes together performing, teaching and sharing. He left a legacy that I am so proud to be part of."

On Tan's final night, the elder brother recalled that he was both vulnerable and considerate, telling him to take care of the family.

He bid his younger brother "good night" and said, "We will see each other again".