The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) recently organised the Kuala Lumpur Orchestra Festival Forum (FOKL), held on 3 and 4 June 2025 at the Mayor’s Courtyard, Jalan Tangsi, Kuala Lumpur.
Organised as a strategic prelude to the broader Festival Orkestra Kuala Lumpur (FOKL) season in June, this two-day forum brought together policymakers, city leaders, regional cultural institutions, and orchestra practitioners to deliberate on the future of orchestral arts in Malaysia and the ASEAN region.
Themed “Inclusivity and Sustainability”, the forum aimed to explore progressive approaches to orchestral development that not only preserve cultural excellence but also expand access, empower communities, and strengthen socio-economic frameworks through the arts.
Admission was free, and Certificates of Attendance were issued to participants who completed both days of the programme.
The Kuala Lumpur Orchestra Festival Forum featured a series of high-level panel discussions, moderated dialogues, and networking sessions focusing on three core objectives:
- To deepen understanding of the orchestral economy and highlight the critical role of inclusivity and sustainability as foundational principles for its growth.
- To identify tools and strategies that can be implemented by governments, institutions, and civil society to ensure widespread cultural and economic benefits;
- To facilitate cross-sector collaborations that ensure the long-term resilience of Malaysia’s orchestral and broader cultural ecosystem.
This timely initiative comes as Malaysia assumes the chairmanship of ASEAN, making Kuala Lumpur a natural convening point for dialogue on cultural policy, heritage-driven development, and regional collaboration.
The Esteemed Panellists Included:
- Isabella Pek – Head of Music, Kuala Lumpur City Hall
- Masaki Mochizuki – Executive Director, Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras
- Jiang Taihang – Orchestral Music Reviewer, Beijing, China
- Boonyarit Kittaweepitak – Director, Bangkok Metropolitan Brass Band
Additional distinguished panellists from government agencies, orchestral institutions, and arts leadership networks across Southeast Asia were also in attendance.
The FOKL Forum also served as a curtain-raiser for the Festival Orkestra Kuala Lumpur, a citywide orchestral celebration taking place throughout June 2025. The festival will showcase a curated programme of performances by local and international orchestras, youth ensembles, and traditional music groups, reflecting Kuala Lumpur’s ambition to become a regional nexus of musical and cultural excellence.
This integrated approach—combining policy dialogue with live performance—demonstrates DBKL’s commitment to promoting warisan (heritage) tourism, creative city branding, and the development of a vibrant, inclusive cultural economy that resonates beyond the concert hall.
