Muhamad Yusri

Muhamad Yusri Bin Mohamed Ali
M.Ed. (Music), Spec Dip (Orchestral Conducting), BA (Mus), LRSM (Military Band Direction), LLCM (Trumpet Performance), RMSM (Bandmastership)

Muhamad Yusri is currently a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Bands at the University of Minnesota. Recently, Yusri was appointed as the Principal Conductor of the Twin Cities Gamer Symphony Orchestra. Prior to stating his doctoral study, Yusri was the conductor of the Republic Polytechnic (RP) Wind Symphony (RP Wind Symphony). During his time at RP, Yusri started the Woodlands Young Conductors Workshop (WYCW) in 2009 to expose young conductors to the art of conducting and non-verbal communication. Yusri is a strong believer that the ensemble will perform and sound much better when the conductor knows what s/he wants  and knows how to communicate it across without talking too much.

Yusri began in music by playing the Trumpet at the age of 9 years old. In 1987 when he was 14 years old, he was accepted into the Singapore Youth Orchestra (SYO). He was appointed Principal Trumpet in 1989. In 1991, Yusri won the Woodwind and Brass Open Category of the National Music Contest.

In 1994, Yusri joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Band. He was appointed Section Leader in 1995. In 1996, Yusri attempted the Licentiate of London College of Music (LLCM) examinations and received 90% of the marks for his recital performance. In the same year, Yusri was accepted into the Asian Youth Orchestra (AYO). The summer camp brings together 100 young musicians auditioned from all over Asia for a 2-week rehearsal camp in Hong Kong and a month of touring.

In 1997, Yusri received the UK Student Bandmaster Course award to be trained as a Bandmaster at the prestigious Royal Military School of Music (RMSM), Kneller Hall, in London. Yusri graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Music) degree awarded by Kingston University and the Bandmaster Certificate from the RMSM. In the final year competitions, Yusri won the Principal Director of Music Prize for Conducting and the Best Overseas Student Bandmaster awards.

Upon his return to Singapore, Yusri was appointed the Director of Music (DOM) of SAF Band B. Stationed in Tengah Air Base, Yusri led the mostly National Service Full-Time Band to performances and parades for State and SAF ceremonies. Yusri has fond memories of marching down Orchard Road for the monthly Changing of Guards Ceremony at the Istana. Yusri led the band from 2000 to 2004. During this time, Yusri kept base with the local musical groups. Yusri joined the Thomson Big Band and was the Resident Conductor of the Singapore Wind Symphony (SWS) from 2001 to 2004.

In 2004, Yusri was appointed the Chief Instructor of the SAF Band Training Wing. In this role, he formulated the training programmes for musicians in the SAF Band. He also crafted training route maps and taught conducting, music theory, aural perception and music history to musicians in the SAF Band.

In July 2005, Yusri participated in the 10th International Conductors Contest, World Music Contest in Kerkrade, the Netherlands. In the competition, he conducted two local community bands and the Marine Band of the Dutch Royal Navy. Yusri reached the finals and won the Bronze Baton.

In 2007, Yusri attempted the Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM) in Music Direction. Yusri received a Distinction for the exam and has been informed by musicians of the SAF Central Band that when the ABRSM’s Hong Kong and Singapore Development Executive, Mr Bill Thompson, came to give a seminar to the SAF Band, he mentioned that no other attempts since was able to surpass the standards Yusri set during that exam in 2007.

In 2008, Yusri was appointed the DOM of the SAF Central Band. Yusri led the Central Band to successful performances both locally and overseas. Together with the musicians of the Central Band and artists from the SAF Music and Drama Company, Yusri shared Singaporean music and culture with people of Delhi, India (2007), Quebec CIty, Canada (2008), Nanchang, China (2009) and Bremen, Germany (2011).

Yusri attended several conducting masterclasses with Hardy Mertens (NL), Timothy Reynish (UK), Mick Dowrick (UK), Robert Ponto (US), Stephen Peterson (US), Mallory Thompson (US), Douglas Bostock (GER), James W. McRoy (US), Shuichi Komiyama (US), Robert W. Rumbelow (US), Gary Green (US), H. Robert Reynolds (US), Virginia Allen (US), Apo Hsu (TW), Tsung Yeh (SG), Peter Stark (UK), Emily Threinen (US), Rodney Dorsey (US), Joshua Tan (SG), Dr. Kevin Sedatole (US), Dr. Eric Wilson (US), Dr. David Thornton (US) and Dr. Arris Golden (US).

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