Founded in 1981, NUS Harmonica Orchestra (NUSHO) has evolved from an instrumental ensemble to become a unique orchestra that incorporates other orchestral instruments, and now has an extensive repertoire ranging from oriental folk music to classical symphonic works to pop, jazz and film music.

NUSHO has a highly decorated history, regularly winning medals at the Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival, and performing in events such as the Singapore Youth Olympic Games City Celebrations. Always eager to do their part to inspire young musicians in Singapore, NUSHO has also organised the Singapore Youth Harmonica Festival twice.

Additionally, NUSHO firmly believes in providing a comprehensive and progressive music education for all its members, regardless of their music background. As part of this vision, NUSHO provides structured training programmes to equip and enable its members to perform to their very best. Senior members are also given opportunities to participate in both regional and international competitions.

Key Past Events

  • 2010Performance in Youth Olympics Games Singapore at Marina Promontory
  • 2015NUS ExxonMobil Campus Concerts highlight Impressions - Zest!
  • 2016Annual concert Soirée: In Commemoration of Mr Lee Kuan Yew

Key Past Achievements

  • 2010Gold Award in Open Harmonica Orchestra, 8th Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival, Singapore
  • 2011Tan Ean Kiam Arts Awards Group of the Year
  • 201219 medals at the Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival
  • 201411 gold medals at Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival

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UPCOMING EVENTS

TUTOR'S BIO

Ms Josephine Koh

Music Director & Resident Conductor

Ms. Josephine Koh is a Bösendorfer concert artist, theorist, conductor and music author. She received her professional training in piano performance in Milan, Italy under world-renowned adjudicator-pianist, Maestro Vincenzo Balzani in the 1990s. In 2006 she took up orchestral conducting under Denise Ham of the Royal Academy of Music and attended the Canford Summer School of Orchestral Conducting led by the late George Hurst. From 2011 to 2012, she represented Singapore at the International Conductors Institute of USA to conduct the Bacau Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania, under the mentorship of Ovidiu Balan, Charles Gambetta and Robert Gutter.

A graduate in English and Professional Management from the UK Open University, Ms. Koh is the director and principal of Josephine Koh Music Studio. As an internationally renowned author for her Practice in Music Theory series, her latest works published by Wells Music Publishers include Teachers’ Choice, Selected Repertory and Studies (based on ABRSM piano examination syllabi) and Understanding Orchestration, the Orchestra and its Instruments.

As the Music Director and Conductor of NUS Harmonica Orchestra since 2006, she, she structures effective courses and training programmes for NUSHO’s members. Under her guidance, the orchestra has undergone an innovative transformation with expanded repertoire of commissioned works and large-scale score arrangements. From concert hall settings to multi-media and operatic productions, NUSHO’s performances in recent years have taken the family of harmonica instruments far and beyond.