prof. Toh Ban Sheng

Singapore

Starting out essentially as a self-taught musician, former Physics teacher Toh Ban Sheng completed two master’s degrees in Choral Conducting and Voice from the USA with the support of a National Arts Council Bursary. Toh has since come to be recognised as an eminent conductor and music education with an illustrious track record, having garnered more than 70 gold awards at international and national competitions. An active member in the international choral scene, Toh is a highly sought after adjudicator, clinician and guest-conductor. He has also written for the International Choral Bulletin and had his music published in the United States. His choirs have won numerous Grand Prix, Category Champions and Special Jury Prizes in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia, and he has been honoured with Conductor’s Prizes seven times. With Raffles Singers, he presented two concerts successfully at the 11th World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona. At home in Singapore, Toh’s choirs have twice won the highest national accolade of Best Choir of the Year Award. He has also served as a Music Specialist with the Ministry of Education. Among many other notable appointments, he conducted the 800-strong National Day Parade Combined Choir in 1999 at the national stadium on live telecast. In recognition of his artistic achievements and contributions in the Singapore music arena, Toh was conferred the Young Artist Award in 2006 by the National Arts Council. He is currently the director of five award-winning choirs in Singapore schools and junior colleges, in addition to directing the Raffles Singers and Amoris Singers. Since 2014, he has been serving as the Artistic Director of International Choral Festival Orientale Concentus held in Singapore. His self-titled biography, “The Accidental Conductor”, was published in 2010. The Choral Series under his name with Earthsongs Music Publication (USA) was launched in 2012.