ENSEMBLES 2008
Nanyang Polytechnic Wind Orchestra
Established in 2002, the Nanyang Polytechnic Symphony Orchestra (NYPSO), comprising both the wind and string sections, has grown both in size and repertoire to become the first polytechnic symphony orchestra in Singapore.
Our Wind Orchestra made its public debut at the 1995 NYP Graduation Ceremony at the Kallang Theatre. It went on to stage the inaugural "SINFONIA" public concert at the Singapore Labour Foundation Auditorium in December 1995. This was followed by its maiden trip - an enriching 7-day Hong Kong Music Exchange tour and in June 1997, the Orchestra undertook an 8-day Thailand Music Exchange Tour hosted by Chiangmai's Premier Montfort College Band. As the Orchestra grew in strength and experience, it became a familiar sight at performances held at public venues like the Esplanade, Singapore Botanic Gardens and the Orchard Youth Park.
As with the other student clubs in NYP, the Orchestra has been encouraged to engage the community, in this case through music, and do their part for charity. Since its inception, the Orchestra has performed at various charity events. Some of these include the fund raising Hospice Charity Concert in April 1999, that saw them raise about $8,000 in support of the hospice patients in Singapore. They were also invited to perform at the Singapore Esplanade Concert Hall in a charity concert entitled "Music from the Hearts 2003" in aid of the Community Chest.
Following the Tsunami tragedy in December 2004, many NYP students and staff were looking out for ways in which to do something for the communities ravaged by the disaster. For the Orchestra, their attention naturally turned towards their upcoming concert in February 2005. Despite that fact that they only had about a month to go before the concert, the Orchestra, with the support of the staff and students of the Polytechnic pulled their resources together to raise more than $20,000 for this cause. Sinfonia 2005 was very well received by the wide-ranging audience comprising students, staff and industry guests.
The Orchestra has managed to sustain their community service efforts and performs regularly at community events, in particular, those that involve senior citizens. More recently, they have embarked on a music exchange programme with several secondary school bands, in an effort to reach out and promote interaction amongst student musicians.
Thanks to the support of NYP's senior management, the Orchestra continues to enjoy opportunities to enrich their musical journey. The Australian International Music Festival held in Sydney in July 2004, provided members the once-in-a-lifetime chance to perform at the Sydney Town Hall, Darling Harbour and at one of the world's renowned arts performance icon venue, the Sydney Opera House.
The icing on the cake came a year later when the NYP Wind Orchestra competed in the prestigious 15th World Music Contest 2005, held in the Netherlands, Kerkrade. In the 2nd Division Harmony band category, the NYP Wind Orchestra was awarded the Gold Medal for her outstanding performance in the contest.
