NUS Symphony Orchestra

The NUS Symphony Orchestra (NUSSO) is a youth orchestra comprising musicians from all faculties, united in their love of music and will to share it with audiences. As an education-centric youth orchestra, it strives to cultivate a culture of excellence amongst members to making classical music more accessible and relevant. Ultimately, the Orchestra aspires to create a community of orchestral music advocates who will contribute to the sustainability of our art form.

NUSSO can trace its humble beginnings to the 1920s as a chamber ensemble. It was formally established in 1979 as the NUS Concert Orchestra under the directorship of Paul Abisheganaden, before being inaugurated as the NUS Symphony Orchestra under Music Director and Resident Conductor Maestro Lim Soon Lee till Mar 2023.

As part of its commitment towards excellence, the orchestra offers its musicians artistic guidance by professional tutors and countless opportunities to perform. Through its challenging repertoire, the orchestra continues to hone its skills and raise its standards by pushing the limits of artistic maturity and expression. NUSSO delivers our promise to providing accessible and relevant orchestral music through our regular free outreach concerts, including performances held at Singapore Botanic Gardens and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. NUSSO has also performed extensively overseas, embarking on tours and festivals in Italy, Austria, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia.

NUSSO has had many collaborations with distinguished figures, from guest conductors including Professor Hikmet Simsek and the late Shalom Ronly Riklis to the renowned Swiss alphorn soloist Jozsef Molnar. In 2018, NUSSO collaborated with the NUS Choir to perform Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in the closing show of the NUS Arts Festival. Most recently in June 2019, the orchestra worked with the Konzerthaus Berlin Audience Orchestra and Singapore Wind Symphony Percussion Ensemble to stage joint performances in Berlin and locally at Victoria Concert Hall.

Key Past Events

Awards and achievements