Some love stories begin in cafés or classrooms. For Curie and Jongwoo, it began in rehearsal rooms, choir trips and on the same stage. Before they became husband and wife, they were simply two singers finding their place in a growing community.

Both trained musicians, they first crossed paths at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, but it was through Dr. Darius’ choirs — VOCE Men’s Choir and VOCO Singapore Ladies Choir — that their friendship truly took shape. As the two choirs collaborated, toured and slowly evolved into what we now know as Voices of Singapore, so too did their relationship.

This Valentine’s Day, we sit down with the couple to reflect on love, music and how singing together in VOS has shaped not just their careers, but their lives.

Meet the Couple

For readers who may not know you yet, how would you introduce yourselves — both as musicians and as people?

JONGWOO: I’m Jongwoo Baek, a Korean classical tenor living in Singapore. I coach young singers and perform in local events and productions. Singing has been a part of my life for almost 20 years. I started in Tanjong Katong Secondary School Choir and later joined choirs like the Victoria Junior College Choir and The Vocal Consort. Today, I continue my passion for choral singing with the VOS Youth Choir. Outside of music, I’m a photographer, golf enthusiast and a loving husband.

CURIE: I’m Roe Curie, a Korean born in Singapore and currently the Senior Marketing Manager here at Voices of Singapore. I’ve been singing in choirs since primary school and now sing with both VOS Youth Choir and VOS Ladies Choir. Outside my day job, I’m also a collaborative pianist, a singer in my K-pop band, MOHANO, and my husband’s photography and golf partner.

Where Music First Connected Them

You first knew of each other at Yong Siew Toh, but only became real friends through Darius’ choirs. What do you remember about those early VOCE and VOCO days?

CURIE: I had just graduated from university and was excited to commit to a choir again. Darius had been my conductor in secondary school, so I was excited to reconnect with him and be a part of VOCO. We rehearsed weekly at Waterloo, and I remember it was such a nice, cosy space to make music together.

JONGWOO: I joined VOCE after a few years of focusing mainly on solo singing, and it immediately felt like joining a big family because everyone was so welcoming. At the same time, Curie was in VOCO. We weren’t close yet, but being part of these parallel choirs gave us shared experiences that brought us together.

CURIE: We had several combined projects with VOCE, so some rehearsals were done together. Jongwoo and I also became closer friends with people around our age, and our friend groups naturally converged through those combined rehearsals.

From Choir Friends to Life Partners

You spent four years as friends before getting together. What kept you in the “just friends” zone for so long?

JONGWOO: Well, life got busy. During the COVID period, we hardly got to meet. Maybe once a year to catch up.

CURIE: We both had just started working too, so between work and other commitments it wasn’t easy to meet up a lot.

JONGWOO: Also, we weren’t single at the same time, and later I had to do my National Service in Korea in 2022. Even so, we remained friends and stayed in touch.

Was there a moment when you realised your relationship might become something more?

JONGWOO: It happened during my first vacation break from the Korean army. Unlike in Singapore, I couldn’t book out every weekend and could only come out once every few months. During that first break, Curie happened to be in Korea too. We planned to meet once, but had such a good time that we met again to celebrate my birthday.

I realised we had so much in common - both of us are Koreans who have lived in Singapore for a long time and we both loved music, so we understood each other well.

CURIE: Yeah, it suddenly felt very natural :)

What about singing together helped bring you closer?

CURIE: I think there’s something special about making music with people. During rehearsals and performances, we all connect on a deeper level through music. And I think there’s something extra special about singing together because it’s more vulnerable — your voice is part of your body, unlike an instrument — so it’s a different kind of openness.

JONGWOO: It’s not just the rehearsals and performances too. We spend time chatting, eating before and after rehearsals, sharing about our weeks and our lives. Sharing those moments on and off stage makes our friendship stronger.

CURIE: Of course, I didn’t join choir to find a husband! I joined for the music and the friendships. But it’s a lovely bonus that I get to sing with friends regularly, and an extra bonus that I met my now-husband there. I guess you could say Dr. Darius and VOS were our unintentional matchmakers!

Singing Together in VOS Youth Choir

You now sing together in VOS Youth Choir (VYC). What’s different about rehearsing and performing as a couple?

JONGWOO: We get to share every moment of music-making: learning repertoire, joking around, exchanging little insider stories with friends. Curie often plays the piano for the choir and I really appreciate her musicality and how she shapes each song. Watching her play makes me feel proud and connected in a different way.

At VYC, Darius also includes choreography and I often end up copying her because she’s so natural while I’m less confident. She also supports me emotionally. If I have a solo part, she’ll tell me I’m doing great and encourage me. Being a couple in a choir adds a deeper layer of connection for us because we share the process and encourage each other along the way.

CURIE: I love that I get to do what I’m passionate about without having to sacrifice couple-time…because we’re both doing what we’re passionate about together. We also share the same group of friends and in VYC, it feels like we belong to a larger community as a couple.

How does being part of a larger VOS community shape your relationship?

CURIE: It helps us look outward instead of only focusing on each other. Before I got married, I thought that marriage life would mean that our lives would mainly revolve around each other. Being in VOS showed me that marriage is also about contributing to the people around us together.

JONGWOO: We also build friendships that extend beyond choir. We celebrate each other’s birthdays, go for weekend walks at East Coast Park, grab dinner together and support each other at concerts, like when I watched Curie perform with the VOS Ladies Choir. Another special thing about the VOS community is that it gives us experiences we wouldn’t get in a regular choir, like exchanges with VOCES8 and the New Zealand Youth Choir, or performing in concerts unique to this community, such as the VOS Festival. Sharing these experiences with the community has definitely deepened our bond as a couple.

Jeju, Home and Community

In 2025, you travelled to Jeju with VOS Youth Choir for the Jeju International Choir Festival. Why was that trip particularly meaningful?

JONGWOO: Jeju felt like coming home to sing. It was actually my first time performing in Korea, and doing so at a prestigious venue like the Seogwipo Arts Center made it more special. Hearing choirs sing in Korean allowed me to focus on the meaning and emotion, rather than technique or pronunciation like how I’ve been trained to do in Italian, German, French or Latin. I even cried listening to Gyulbit Women’s Choir sing 아련 (Nostalgic). It was my first time crying while listening to a choir. Being able to show our friends around and also translating for Darius’ presentation made everything more personal.

CURIE: I think the trip was extra meaningful because I was just having so much fun translating for our friends, bringing everyone around, letting them try all the amazing food in Jeju. Personally, I was nervous playing the piano on “home ground”, surrounded by so many established Korean musicians. I kept wondering if I’d be able to live up to the prestige of the performances. But VYC was so supportive. I wouldn’t have gotten through the concerts without them.

What did it feel like to represent Singapore in Korea?

Curie: It was such an interesting feeling. We were representing Singapore - our home - in Korea - our other home. I felt proud to bring something unique from the Singapore choral scene to the festival, and proud to be participating in an amazing international festival organised by a Korean choral organisation. I still can’t believe we had a choir exchange with the Philippine Madrigal Singers and the Vancouver Youth Choir at the festival. It honestly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience made possible by VOS.

Jongwoo: Music has always been a space where I feel at home, so being on stage in Korea felt no different from performing in Singapore. Of course, being there in February, singing in the winter weather, added a sense of novelty and excitement to the experience. But what stayed with me was how music dissolved the idea of “here” and “there.” On stage, what mattered was sharing something sincere.

Love, Music and the VOS Family

If your love story had a soundtrack, what piece would it be?

JONGWOO: It would be “A te, o cara” from Bellini’s I Puritani. The aria speaks of quiet certainty, choosing someone with sincerity and devotion. That resonates with us because our relationship grew patiently over time. We were friends first, had seasons apart and long gaps during my national service. There wasn’t one dramatic turning point, just a steady sense that everything was leading us to the right moment. Like the aria, it’s about a love that is selfless, patient and grounded in trust.

CURIE: Wow. That’s such a true opera-singer answer that I feel like I should just pass after that!

What advice would you give couples thinking of joining a choir together?

CURIE: Just do it! It’s magical to connect through the emotional, universal language of music. If you’re looking for a larger community to be part of together, a choir is a wonderful place to start.

JONGWOO: And you don’t need to be perfect singers. What matters is putting your emotion into the music and supporting each other. Choir gives you musical growth, friendships and memories. Sometimes it even helps you meet someone important in your life.

In one sentence, how would you describe Voices of Singapore from your journey together?

JONGWOO: Music becomes friendship, and friendship becomes family.

CURIE: Life-changing!

More Than Music: A Valentine’s Story from the Voices of Singapore Family