Band Fusion

The second part of the SIBF 2026 story spotlights chamber and youth platforms across Small Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Division 3, and Division 2A. Groups like Sri KL Flute Ensemble and SemPer highlighted the importance of individual precision and peer mentorship, while Division 3 gave primary and junior ensembles from Singapore, China, Malaysia, Chinese Taipei, and Hong Kong an international stage to build musical confidence. Division 2A featured strong performances from Malaysian high school bands, including Tshung Tsin Wind Symphony, Foon Yew High School Kulai, and Muar Chung Hwa High School. For these students, navigating intense rehearsals and cross-border travel proved that the festival's true value lay in teamwork, lasting friendships, and shared artistic growth beyond the scores. "From this experience, I have learned far more than just music; I have learned perseverance and the true meaning of teamwork. Only when we trust, support, and work in harmony with each other can we create beautiful music." - Hoon Xin Yu, Foon Yew High School Kulai https://thebandpost.com/2026/08/sibf-2026-the-shared-journey-part-two/

Saturday, 22 August 2026 Victoria Concert Hall, 4pm $25 https://www.sistic.com.sg/events/lite_coda2026 CODA XVIII: Silver Juibilee celebrates 25 years of Raffles Winds Since 2001, Raffles Winds has given former members and friends of the Raffles schools’ bands a home to reconnect and share our music with the world again We’ll be celebrating with music that has accompanied generations of Raffles Winds musicians from beloved band works like English Folk Song Suite, Orient Express, and the Seventh Night of July, to Princess Mononoke reminding us of the enduring magic of film music, and Amber Dream closing the evening with pure groove & fun Tickets available NOW and they’re free with your SG Culture Pass!

Friday, 21 August 2026 Victoria Concert Hall, 7.30pm $40, $30, $20 https://ticketing.sso.org.sg/sso/booking/SOT2634-2 Written when he was a 25-year-old student at the Sibelius Academy, Rautavaara’s A Requiem in our Time won such praise that it prompted none other than Jean Sibelius himself to recommend him for a scholarship to Julliard. Ron Nelson’s Resonances I embraces chance and spontaneity, while Aulis Sallinen’s Palace Rhapsody weaves neo-Romantic lyricism into modern soundscapes. The concert culminates with Friedrich Gulda’s rollicking Cello Concerto, scored for a Mozartian wind ensemble fused with a jazz rhythm trio, blending classical virtuosity with playful unpredictability. The concerto alternates seamlessly between “jazz, a minuet, rock, a smidgen of polka, a march, and a cadenza with two spots where the star cellist must improvise.” And the star: SSO’s very own cellist Jamshid Saydikarimov. Featuring Ivan Meylemans, conductor Jamshid Saydikarimov, cello* Winds and Percussion of the SSO Programme Resonances I – Ron Nelson. arr. Meylemans (Singapore Premiere) A Requiem in Our Time, Op. 3 – Einojuhani Rautavaara (Singapore Premiere) The Palace Rhapsody – Aulis Sallinen (Singapore Premiere) Concerto for Cello and Wind Orchestra, Op. 129* – Friedrich Gulda

Thursday, 20 August 2026 Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Ensemble Room 2, 7.30pm FREE Ilan Morgenstern conducts a low brass masterclass, working with YST students to refine their musical performance. The session is open to the public to attend and observe, offering the opportunity to experience the professional expertise of veteran artists as well as the learning process of young musicians up close.

Through the unfiltered reflections of musicians, conductors, and student leaders from Singapore, Malaysia, and beyond, this three-part story honours not just the performances, but the enduring friendships and passion forged along the way. The 10th Singapore International Band Festival (SIBF) 2026 celebrated musical excellence across its Concert Division and Division 1 at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. Concert Division ensembles, including AudioImage Wind Ensemble, Singapore Wind Symphony Youth, and Taiwan’s Youka Wind Ensemble, presented ambitious symphonic programs. Meanwhile, tertiary groups from Singapore and Malaysia in Division 1 navigated intense rehearsals and international exchanges, uniting through a shared dedication to artistic growth and community. "Regardless of the final outcome, I believe the experience itself was a success because of the friendships we strengthened, the lessons we learned, and the memories we created together. It reminded me that music is not only about achieving excellence, but also about the people you share the journey with." - Priya Chuang, Secretary of Singapore Wind Symphony Youth (SWSY) https://thebandpost.com/2026/08/sibf-2026-the-shared-journey-part-one/

LegACy 2026 brings together the Anglo-Chinese School Wind Orchestra (ACSWO) members and the newly appointed Year 1 batch of the ACJC Concert Band. Under the direction of conductors Tarun Jayaram (ACSWO) and Jade Lim (ACJC Concert Band), the musicians bridge past and present through a diverse repertoire - transitioning from grand, complex wind band works in the first half to energetic jazz standards and combined ensemble pieces in the second. Beyond showcasing musical versatility and local compositions by ACSWO members, the showcase serves as a vital mentorship platform. Navigating separate rehearsal schedules and complex logistics, the combined ensembles demonstrate the strength of the band’s community and its commitment to passing knowledge on to incoming members. "Grounded in Gustav Mahler’s famous sentiment that legacy is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire," the committee reflects that with the music, LegACy26 hopes to leave a lasting impression of the effort of past, present and future members of the ACSWO and ACJC Band family. https://thebandpost.com/2026/08/preserving-the-fire-inside-acswo-legacy-2026/

When Lau Wen Rong joined the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), he described it as "living the dream." Now entering his tenth year on stage, that dream has matured into a legacy defined by artistic depth, mental resilience, and mentorship at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. Over seasons of weekly repertoire, his focus has shifted from technical precision to a nuanced awareness of tone colour and dynamic blending, sustained by mindfulness and self-compassion. Like many local musicians, Wen Rong’s journey began in the Singapore school band programme - a foundational environment that instilled lifelong habits of discipline and collective awareness. Honouring these roots alongside the lessons of his Juilliard mentor, Raymond Mase, he continues to champion the local music community while setting his sights on ambitious new horizons for this next chapter, including solo recitals, dream trumpet concertos, and an album pairing classic trumpet literature with Singaporean compositions. "The school band experience instills values that stay with you for a lifetime. It taught me that performing in an ensemble is the ultimate form of teamwork, where the music always takes priority over personal ego and true musicianship starts with listening. Developing the habit to actively listen, match context, and blend began in those early band rehearsals, and it remains the core of how I approach playing in a professional orchestra today." https://thebandpost.com/2026/08/a-new-chapter-lau-wen-rong-enters-his-tenth-year-with-the-singapore-symphony-orchestra/

Sunday, 16 August 2026 SOTA Concert Hall, 5pm $30, $25 https://tinyurl.com/acswo-legacy26 The ACS Wind Orchestra’s annual concert series is back with LegACy 2026! Join the Anglo-Chinese School Wind Orchestra for an evening of music, under the baton of Tarun Jayaram with: Olympica – Jan van der Roost Sinfonietta No.2 “Bells for Prayer” – Hirokazu Fukushima Come Sunday – Omar Thomas Lion King – Kazuhiro Morita Also featuring Jazz Band, ACJC Band, and Combined Band! Mark your calendars and secure your seats today! Ticket sales are now open

Saturday, 15 August 2026 Esplanade Concert Hall, 7.30pm $75, $55, $40, $30, $15 https://ticketing.sso.org.sg/sso/booking/SOT2633-1 A nation is defined in many ways, but its inner soul is made of music. The SSO National Day Concert brings together the works of Singapore composers past and present in our continuing journey to make music Singaporeans can recognise as our own. This year’s NDC features compositions from veteran composers Kelly Tang and Tsao Chieh, as well as young composers Sulwyn Lok and Germaine Goh, concluding with the winning compositions of the NDC 2026 Call for Compositions. Featuring Singapore Symphony Orchestra Musicians of the SNYO Lien Boon Hua, conductor Kevin Loh, guitar¹ Jonathan Ngeow, zhongruan¹ Linying, artist² Lily Goh, deaf artist-performer Kim Anne Tan, host Programme A Singapore Suite* (Winning work of NDC 2026 Call for Compositions; Made possible by the People of Singapore) Low Peng Guan Double Concerto for Guitar & Zhongruan: Three Dancers¹* Sulwyn Lok The Plains: Echoes* (Winning work of NDC 2026 Call for Compositions; Supported by BinjaiTree) Wong Cheow Cai Three Symphonic Movements* (With the support of the National Arts Council’s Cultural Medallion Fund) Kelly Tang Five Beginnings²* (Supported by NSL Ltd) Germaine Goh Finale (The Republic) from Singapore – Symphonic Suite for Large Orchestra (Dedicated to our Living Legacy Donors) Tsao Chieh

Saturday, 15 August 2026 Singapore Conference Hall Concourse, 6.30pm FREE Singapore Chinese Orchestra presents Music Tapas featuring Not A Clarinet Choir Get ready for a musical journey featuring two medleys of beloved Singapore National Day songs, alongside Václav Nelhýbel’s sonorous Chorale and Danza. NACC will also dive into the vibrant sounds of Japanese pop clarinetist Micina, with Scene of City and Glass Sea.

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY NATIONAL DAY! 🇸🇬 From our humble beginnings to our vibrant city-state, today we celebrate 61 years of independence, resilience, and strength. United as one people, one nation, one Singapore. Majulah Singapura! ❤️🤍 #HappyNationalDay #SG61 #MajulahSingapura

Friday, 14 August 2026 Yamaha Clementi Auditorium, 7.30pm $12.50 https://tinyurl.com/jayroon-clarinet-recital Chua Jay Roon presents her Clarinet Recital with Beatrice Lin (piano), Darrell Lim (piano), Youjia Chen (cello) Programme: ZIYANG WEN Immerse in Bashu 2, III. Jin Cheng Impression BEETHOVEN Trio Op. 11 DEBUSSY Première Rhapsodie also Mozart, Mantovani, Schumann, Poulenc and more!