Since its inception in 1968, the NUS Wind Symphony (NUSWS) has established itself as one of the premier wind orchestras in Singapore. Boasting an illustrious history, the wind orchestra places its emphasis on creating quality music with a wide range of quality repertoire of varying difficulty – from orchestral transcriptions to modern band music.

From its humble beginnings as a military band, NUSWS has since grown from strength to strength, playing works of increasing depth and sophistication under the baton of its Resident Conductor, PBM A/P Ho Hwee Long, as well as Associate Conductor, Mr Francis Tan.

As one of the pioneering bands in Singapore, NUSWS also aims to produce world class musicians who have a fine appreciation for the arts and who will lead the arts scene both locally and internationally. NUSWS performs two concerts every year Da Capo in October featuring freshmen talents, and InTempo, Singapore’s longest running concert series, in March and has participated in several music festivals and competitions overseas.

Key Past Events

  • 2010Participant and joint organizer of the first ever University Band Festival at Esplanade Concert Hall
  • 2014ExxonMobil Campus Concerts highlight Little Treats for Everyone
  • 2015 Megapalooza! at Supertree Grove, Gardens by the Bay
  • 2015 Annual concert Da Capo X
  • 2017NUS Arts Festival highlight InTempo 2017: Rise of the Transhuman

Key Past Achievements

  • 2010Recipient of the NUS Student Achievement Award (Arts & Culture)
  • 2011Represented NUS and Singapore at the Mid Europe International Wind Music Festival in Austria
  • 20163rd place in Division 1, Singapore International Band Festival

Social Media Links

UPCOMING EVENTS

TUTOR'S BIO

Ho Hwee Long

Music Director & Resident Conductor

Associate Professor Ho Hwee Long started conducting in 1967. He was a french horn player with the National Symphony Orchestra (1967-1967), and the founder and conductor of the Singapore Polytechnic Band and the National Theatre Symphonic Band. He was the Music Director of the Singapore Teachers' Band from 1986 to 1991. In 2008, A/P Ho was appointed Music Director and Resident Conductor of the NUS Wind Symphony. A faculty member since 1974 in the National Institute of Education, he is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor of the Visual and Performing Arts, and the coordinator and lecturer of the Special Diploma in Band Directing and Advanced Diploma in Band Directing.

TUTOR'S BIO

Francis Tan

Associate Conductor

Francis Tan received his music education from Indiana University and Australian National University, where he studied with several notable instrumentalists and pedagogues, including Steven Pratt and Douglas Stotter - Professors of Conducting at Indiana University, Daniel Perantoni - Professor of Tuba at Indiana University, Max Mcbride - Lecturer in Conducting and Steve Rosse - Lecturer in Tuba at Australian National University.

As the Associate Conductor of the NUS Wind Symphony, he has had the opportunity to design and develop a varsity band programme that enables students to maximise creativity in music performance, concert programming and concert management.

His diverse contribution to the music field includes involvement in the coaching, performance and community arenas. He was invited as conductor for Wind Bands Association, Singapore’s Joint Junior College and Polytechnic Band Festival both in 2011 and 2012; Assistant Conductor (2009-present) of Westwinds, Band of the Bukit Batok Community Club; Brass and Woodwinds Ensemble Instructor for Wind Bands Association, Singapore 2009; Junior College and Polytechnic Band Festival and Brass and Woodwinds Ensemble Instructor for Singapore Youth Wind Orchestra (2005). He was also Part-time lecturer for Tuba Performance, National Institute of Education, Singapore (2008-2012). He has been a freelance musician for the Singapore Lyric Opera Orchestra and Singapore Symphony Orchestra since 2005.

His ongoing professional interests has seen him participating in Maestro Douglas Bostock International Conducting Workshop, 2014 in Porto, Portugal; 2015 in Tokyo, Japan; as well as in various Band Director’s Workshops conducted by the Ministry of Education, as with the Band Director’s Association Band Convention, 2014, Singapore.