​Trained privately in  classical music since he was six, Ivan went on to perform as a solo classical guitarist.  The former journalist took a hiatus from the newsroom to represent Singapore's premier string quartet, the T'ang Quartet.  He resumed as a project manager for the Quartet in 2022 for their 30th Anniversary Season. Ivan has also promoted emerging talent such as Asian Contemporary Ensemble to raise awareness for classical music to a wider audience, with performances at the Arts House and Esplanade as well as tours at schools, libraries and at volunteer welfare organisations.

In 2016, Ivan was a guest musician performing at Zouk Singapore with the UK's No. 1 classical recording artiste – accordionist Martinyas Levickis at Yellow Lounge. It is a 20-year-old movement that aims to introduce classical music to audiences outside of the traditional concert hall setting.