The NUSChoir

@thenuschoir TheNUSChoir

Formed in 1980, The NUSChoir is an award-winning youth choir. Through performing and competing annually in a wide spectrum of events, the choir brings their music to audiences both local and foreign, committed to promoting excellence in choral music.

 

Every March, the NUSChoir stages its annual concert, Varsity Voices, performing an extensive range of repertoire that features choral music, both old and new. Aside from its annual concert, the choir also performs for audiences outside NUS and Singapore in performances, festivals, and competitions. In addition, the choir showcases a repertoire of Christmas carols every December at numerous hotels, high society clubs, and shopping centres.

 

The choir has participated in international competitions overseas and garnered numerous gold awards across various categories, such as those from Fiesta Choralis, Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, and World Choir Games.
In 2016, The NUSChoir participated in the world-renowned Taipei International Choral Festival 2016, for which only five international choirs were invited. The NUSChoir is honoured to have performed alongside the National Taiwan University Choir at the famous Taipei National Theatre and Concert Hall for this concert, attended by world-acclaimed composers from Asia, such as Zechariah Goh and John August Pamintuan. In addition, the choir was part of the International Joint Concert held in Japan, 2017, where it performed alongside Osaka Prefectural University, Kyoto University, and Osaka University at the Itami Hall, collectively forming a 200-strong choir. The NUSChoir has also performed a solo concert at the Kyoto City International Foundation Hall.

Under the baton of Nelson Kwei, Singapore’s premier choral director, The NUSChoir continues to scale greater heights of musical excellence, expanding its repertoire to encompass more diverse and challenging choral works.

Key Past Events

2023 Annual Concert, Varsity Voices: When I have Sung my Songs
2023 NUS Arts Festival Closing Show, Promise of a Future with NUS Symphony Orchestra
2022 “Do Your Own Module Initiative” Concert: Dear Heart
2022 Annual concert, Varsity Voices: Take Again Our Homeward Road
2021 Anniversary Concert, Many Waters Cannot Quench Love
2020 A Voyage of Songs International Choral Festival
2019 Annual concert, Varsity Voices: Riddles
2018 Guest performance at Times Higher Education (THE) World Academic Summit 2018
2018 NUS Arts Festival Closing Show, Ode to Joy with NUS Symphony Orchestra
2018 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, United Kingdom
2018 Annual concert, Varsity Voices: Palette
2017 Japan International Joint Concert
2017 Annual concert, Varsity Voices: Temporis
2016 Taipei International Choral Festival
2016 Annual concert, Varsity Voices: Odyssey
2016 ExxonMobil Campus Concerts highlight, Tales
2015 Yale International Choral Festival
2015 United Nations Headquarters, New York City
2015 Annual concert, Varsity Voices: Stars (35th anniversary concert)
2015 Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts, Savage Land – An Opera in Concert; in collaboration with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra

Awards and achievements

2019 Group of the Year, Tan Ean Kiam Arts Awards
2018 Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod – Second place (Youth Category), Fourth place (Mixed Category), Second place (Open Category) and Choir of the World (Pavarotti Trophy)
2018 Group of the Year, Tan Ean Kiam Arts Awards
2018 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod – Second place (Youth Category), Fourth place (Mixed Category), Second place (Open Category) and Choir of the World (Pavarotti Trophy)
2017 Outstanding Community Service Award, Tan Ean Kiam Arts Awards
2017 Silver Award (Arts & Culture), NUS Student Achievement Awards
2016 Taipei International Choral Festival
2015 Yale International Choral Festival at Yale University
2014 World Choir Games in Riga, Latvia Gold medals in 3 categories (Sacred Music, Contemporary Music, and Folklore Music)
2013 NUS Student Achievement Award (Group)
2012 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod Champions in 3 categories (Youth, Folk Song, and Mixed Choirs)
2010 NUS Student Achievement Award (Arts & Culture)
2010 Festa Choralis, 5th International Choir Festival in Bratislava Gold Award with perfect scores in both the Open Mix category and Jazz category

Nelson Kwei

Choral Director and Resident Conductor

Mr Nelson Kwei, the premier choral director of Singapore, is an internationally acclaimed conductor, conservatorium lecturer, editorial advisor, international adjudicator, music arranger and vocal clinician in the music scene. He is a Fellow from the London College of Music, and holds a Licentiate in singing from the Guildhall School of Music, and an Advanced Post-Graduate in Choral Conducting from the Royal Academy of Music (London). He is currently an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

 

Since 1993, he has been bestowed numerous awards, including the esteemed ‘National Youth Service Award’, the ‘Culture Award’ in 1999 as well as the prestigious ‘Meritorious Award’ from COMPASS Singapore in 2011.

 

Mr. Nelson Kwei has led his choirs to more than 200 international Gold awards in festivals such as World Choir Games and Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. His expertise in the field has led to him being invited to several top international choral festivals and competitions as both an adjudicator and clinician.

 

Presently, he is the artistic advisor of Singapore Choral Directors Association, the Artistic Director of Singapore Music Festival and Singapore Choral Festival, and the Vice-Chairman of Singapore Musician Society. He is an executive member of the National Arts Council’s Advisory Board for Choral Development in Singapore, the NAC external assessor for music, as well as the artistic director of prominent international choral competitions, ‘A Voyage of Songs’ and ‘Asia Cantate’. Mr. Kwei has also been invited as both clinician and adjudicator in many top international choral festivals and competitions including the World Choir Games Series. Currently, he is the conductor of many schools, colleges, a university and semi-professional choirs in Singapore that have won numerous national and international accolades. He was also responsible for mentoring more than one-third of Singapore’s choir conductors.

 

Under Mr Nelson Kwei, The NUSChoir continues to reach new heights in choral singing and win numerous international accolades.