INTRODUCTION

The WYCW provides conductors with the opportunity to learn the Art of non-verbal communication. There is no age limit for participants and conductors from all fields are encouraged to participate in the workshop.

The WYCW 2023 edition will feature guest conducting tutors, Dr. Robert J. Ambrose from Georgia State University, and Mr Kai Hong Yeung from the U.S.A. You can read their profiles below. Active participants will have the opportunity to attend lectures on Conducting and Music, conduct various ensembles and receive practical conducting guidance from both conducting tutors. All Conducting participants will receive a Certificate of Attendance at the end of the workshop. This year WYCW is supported administratively by Up Grade Up Skill Consultancy Services.

DATES

16 June 2023 (Friday) to 20 June 2023 (Tuesday)

SCHEDULE

Day 1

• 3:00pm: Reporting time @42 Waterloo Street
• 3:15pm – 5:00pm: Opening introductions and goal setting
• 6:00pm – 9:00pm: Welcome dinner

Day 2

• 1:00pm: Reporting time @Goodman Arts Centre
• 1:30pm – 5:00pm: Conducting session with The Clarinet Club
• 5:00pm – 5:30pm: Discussion and Review
• 5:30pm: End of Day
• 6:00pm: Dinner (Optional)

Day 3

• 1:00pm: Reporting time @MusoSpace
• 1:30pm – 5:00pm: Conductig session with Singapore Wind Symphony (SWS)
• 5:00pm – 5:30pm: Discussion and Review
• 5:30pm: End of Day
• 6:00pm: Dinner (Optional)

Day 4

• 2:30pm: Reporting time @42 Waterloo Street
• 3:00pm – 5:00pm: Discussion on Chamber repertoire and Conducting
• 5:00pm – 6:30pm: Dinner
• 7:00pm – 10:00pm: Conducting session with nWinds
• 10:00pm: End of Day

Day 5

• 9:45am: Reporting @Republic Polytechnic
• 10:00am – 12:00pm: Lectures
• 12:00pm – 1:30pm: Lunch
• 2:00pm – 4:15pm: RP Wind Symphony Open Rehearsal with Clinicians
• 4:15pm – 5:30pm: Dinner
• 5:30pm – 8:45pm: Conducting session with RP Wind Symphony
• 8:45pm – 9:00pm: Closing remarks

REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum 18 years old with NO AGE LIMIT.
• Some instrumental ensemble conducting experience.
• Open to ALL nationalities, local and international. Assistance with accommmodation will be provided to international participants upon request.

REPERTOIRE

Ensemble: The Clarinet Club (TCC)

• Marriage of Figaro Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart/Lucien Cailliet
• First Suite in Eb by Gustav Holst/Matt Johnston
• Second Suite in F by Gustav Holst/Matt Johnston

Ensemble: Singapore Wind Symphony (SWS)

• Jalan-Jalan by Shin’ya Takahashi
• The Milky Way Express by Hayato Hirose
• In Times of Triumph by James Swearingen
• To A New Journey by Naoya Wada
• Ghost Fleet by Robert Sheldon
• Prologue Majestia by Shuhei Tamura
• Robinson Crusoe by Bert Appermont
• Among the Clouds by Brian Balmages

Ensemble: nWinds

• Serenade No. 12 in C minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Petite Symphonie by Charles Gounod

Ensemble: RP Wind Symphony

• Awakening by Dana Wilson
• Ross Roy by Jacob De Haan
• English Folk Songs Suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams
• Halcyon Hearts by Katahj Copley
• Boreal Pines by Cait Nishimura
• Our Cast Aways by Julie Giroux

FEES AND REGISTRATION

(A) Active Participants: $650 (SGD) includes welcome dinner and full participation.
(B) Observers: $30 (SGD) (only for the Day 5 due to venue. Access to lecture, open rehearsal, and conducting session with the RP Wind Symphony).

Registration will remain open until fully subscribed. Payment details will be provided upon registration. To register, please click below:

REGISTER

PROFILE OF CONDUCTING TUTORS

Conductor Robert J. Ambrose enjoys a highly successful and diverse career as a dynamic and engaging musician. His musical interests cross many genres and can be seen in the wide range of professional activities he pursues. Dr. Ambrose studied formally at Boston College, Boston University and Northwestern University, where he received the Doctor of Music degree in conducting. Dr. Ambrose currently serves as Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Georgia State University a research institution of over 53,000 students located in Atlanta.

Dr. Ambrose is in constant demand as a guest conductor and has performed on four continents.  Recent engagements include performances in Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan as well as across the United States.  In 2016, Dr. Ambrose was invited to spend ten days on tour as a guest conductor with the United States Army Field Band.  Ambrose is the only civilian in history to be invited to guest conduct a premiere American military band on tour.  This engagement led to the formation of the National Chamber Winds, a professional wind dectet based in Washington, D.C. for which he is Founder and Music Director.  Ambrose is also the Founder and Music Director of the Atlanta Chamber Winds and Ensemble ATL, ensembles comprising musicians from the Atlanta Symphony, Atlanta Opera, and Atlanta Ballet Orchestras.

Dr. Ambrose is Founder and Principal Guest Conductor of the Metropolitan Atlanta Youth Wind Ensemble (MAYWE), a highly-select high school honor ensemble consisting of musicians from throughout the Atlanta area.  During his nine-year tenure as Music Director, nearly 1000 high school students participated in the MAYWE program and the ensemble was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall on two occasions.

Dr. Ambrose has strong ties to the Finnish music community.  He is frequently engaged in that country as a guest conductor, teacher, master clinician, and lecturer.  Recent guest conducting appearances include the Finnish Navy Band, the Helsinki Police Band, the STM Summer Music Festival Wind Orchestra, the Rauma Wind Band, and the youth wind bands of Kokkola, Kotka, and Rauma.  He has taught conducting workshops in Tampere, Rauma, Kuopio, and Kokkola, and has served as a guest lecturer at the Central Ostrobothnian Conservatory and the Sibelius Academy.

Ambrose is a prolific arranger with nearly two dozen publications to his credit.  His transcriptions and editions are published by Presser Music, Murphy Music Press, C. Alan Publications, Fennica Gehrman (Finland), and Edition Tilli (Finland).  His transcriptions appear on several state lists and have been performed around the world. 

Kai Hong Yeung is an active conductor, clinician, and educator in the North America and Asia. Hong earned Master of Music degree in conducting at the University of Arizona. He also received a full scholarship to complete his first year of Doctorate of Musical Arts in conducting. His conducting mentors include Gregg Hanson, Robert Ambrose, Scott Stewart, Jerry Junkin, and Michael Haithcock.

Hong conducted the Republic Polytechnic Wind Symphony (Singapore), University of Nebraska-Lincoln Wind Ensemble (U.S.), Cornhuskers Marching Band (U.S.), University of Arizona Wind Ensemble (U.S.), Missouri State University Community Band (U.S.), Emory Wind Ensemble (U.S.), Atlanta Youth Symphonic Winds (U.S.), Metropolitan Atlanta Youth Wind Ensemble (U.S.), Eastern Music Festival Chamber Winds (U.S.), Hong Kong Young Musicians’ Wind Orchestra and Tak Ming Philharmonic Winds (Hong Kong). Hong collaborated with Steven and Misa Mead, David Maslanka, Colin Touchin, Dale Lonis and more renowned musicians. He also organized the first Inaugural Hong Kong International Wind Conducting Workshop and served as a clinician.

As a music educator, Hong works with ensembles span all types and ages. He taught conducting classes as well as private lessons in universities. Hong was a band director at Sidney High School where he taught the concert band. Under his baton, the concert band won first place at the Nebraska School District Music Contest in 2017 and 2018.​

Hong is currently working as a senior consultant at Deloitte. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance at Georgia State University, and Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He and his wife, Rachel Ho, are living in New York City.

PROFILE OF FOUNDER

Muhamad Yusri was a Bronze Baton winner at the 10th International Conductors Contest in Kerkrade, The Netherlands. He graduated from the Student Bandmaster course at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall in the United Kingdom, winning the Principal Director of Music Prize for Conducting. He served 18 years in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Band, rising through the ranks from a musician to becoming the Director of Music of the SAF Central Band. He is currently in his 17th year as the Conductor of the Republic Polytechnic (RP) Wind Symphony. He is also the founder and director of the Woodlands Young Conductors Workshop (WYCW) which began in 2009 to help conductors learn the Art of non-verbal communication. Muhamad Yusri holds a Master of Education (Music) degree from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and a Specialist Diploma in Orchestral Conducting from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).