# Leonard Tan > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Leonard_Tan > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Leonard_Tan.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Tan > Source revision: 1349244464 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Leonard Tan** is a trinational-based, Singaporean music director, conductor, tubist, violinist, and music educator at scholastic, collegiate, conservatory, and professional levels Tan was awarded the National Institute of Education-Nanyang Technological University Overseas Graduate Scholarship to pursue a PhD in music education and conducting at the [Jacobs School of Music](/source/Jacobs_School_of_Music), [Indiana University Bloomington](/source/Indiana_University_Bloomington).[1] His primary conducting mentors at the Jacobs School of Music were David Effron, Arthur Fagen, and Stephen Pratt, while his primary music education mentor was Estelle Jorgensen. In 2013, he was appointed assistant professor of music at the [National Institute of Education](/source/National_Institute_of_Education), Nanyang Technological University. He is also the Principal Conductor of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra from 2014 to 2018 and music director of the [Philharmonic Wind Orchestra](/source/Philharmonic_Wind_Orchestra). ## Education Tan spent his early musical years playing the violin and tuba, and studied harmony with [Singaporean](/source/Singapore) composer Leong Yoon Pin (1931–2011). Following music studies at [Raffles Junior College](/source/Raffles_Junior_College) – where he studied with Constance Wong – he went on to earn a [Licentiate](/source/Licentiate_(degree)) diploma in orchestral tuba (LRSM) from the [Royal Schools of Music](/source/Associated_Board_of_the_Royal_Schools_of_Music) and a [Licentiate](/source/Licentiate_(degree)) diploma in [musical theory](/source/Music_theory), [criticism](/source/Music_criticism), and literature (LMusTCL) from [Trinity College London](/source/Trinity_College_London). ## Career Prior to teaching and conducting, Tan was an active tubist, performing with ensembles, including the [Singapore Symphony Orchestra](/source/Singapore_Symphony_Orchestra), the Singapore Opera Orchestra, the [Singapore Armed Forces Central Band](/source/Singapore_Armed_Forces_Band), the [Desford](/source/Desford) Colliery Band, and the Singapore Stompers (Dixieland Jazz). Tan's conducting studies included work with: - The [St. Petersburg](/source/Saint_Petersburg) Chamber Philharmonic under [Leif Segerstam](/source/Leif_Segerstam) (conductor of the [Helsinki Philharmonic](/source/Helsinki_Philharmonic)) - Alexander Polischuk (Distinguished Professor at the [St. Petersburg Conservatory](/source/Saint_Petersburg_Conservatory)) - The Academic Orchestra Zurich under Johannes Schlaefli (Swiss conductor and pedagogue, Musikhochschule Zürich, which, in 2007, merged to become the [Zurich University of the Arts](/source/Zurich_University_of_the_Arts)) - The [University of Minnesota](/source/University_of_Minnesota) Symposium Wind Orchestra under Craig J. Kirchhoff (born 1949) - The [University of North Texas College of Music](/source/University_of_North_Texas_College_of_Music) Wind Symphony under [Eugene Corporon](/source/Eugene_Corporon) ## Appointments Tan's numerous appointments include Conductor of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, Singapore National Youth Sinfonia, and National University of Singapore Wind Symphony. In addition to his conducting engagements, Tan has served as music teacher at the [NUS High School of Math and Science](/source/NUS_High_School_of_Math_and_Science), where he taught music theory and history, music theory teacher at the [Singapore Armed Forces Bands](/source/Singapore_Armed_Forces_Bands), lecturer in conducting at the [LASALLE College of the Arts](/source/LASALLE_College_of_the_Arts) and lecturer in band training and direction at the [Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts](/source/Nanyang_Academy_of_Fine_Arts). He has presented lectures / workshops at the University of Hawaii, University of Kansas, University of the Pacific, Indiana University, and [Nanjing University of the Arts](/source/Nanjing_University_of_the_Arts). Tan has conducted [Singapore Symphony Orchestra](/source/Singapore_Symphony_Orchestra) musicians in a Singapore-Japan Composers Exchange Concert, [Singapore National Youth Orchestra](/source/Singapore_National_Youth_Orchestra) musicians in the "[Ong Teng Cheong](/source/Ong_Teng_Cheong) Concert," as well as several performances with the Philharmonic Winds.[2] His conducting repertoire ranges from early classics to such twentieth-century works as [Stravinsky's](/source/Igor_Stravinsky) *[The Soldier's Tale](/source/Histoire_du_soldat)*, and music by Singaporean composers Leong Yoon Pin, Goh Toh Chai, and [Kelly Tang](/source/Kelly_Tang). In a production of [Puccini](/source/Puccini)'s opera *[Madama Butterfly](/source/Madama_Butterfly),* he worked with an international cast, choir, and orchestra. As a tubist, Tan has performed with the [Singapore Symphony Orchestra](/source/Singapore_Symphony_Orchestra), Singapore Opera Orchestra, [Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra](/source/The_Philharmonic_Orchestra), [Desford](/source/Desford) [Colliery](/source/Colliery) Band (UK), Singapore Stompers ([Dixieland](/source/Dixieland)), [Singapore Armed Forces Tuba Quartet](/source/Singapore_Armed_Forces_Band) and the Regal Brass Quintet. As soloist, he has performed concertos by [Ralph Vaughan Williams](/source/Ralph_Vaughan_Williams), [Edward Gregson](/source/Edward_Gregson), [Derek Bourgeois](/source/Derek_Bourgeois), and music for tuba and electronic tape by Walter B. Ross (born 1936). He conducts brass and tuba clinics and coaches the [Singapore National Youth Orchestra](/source/Singapore_National_Youth_Orchestra) Brass Ensemble. ## Personal life In 2005, he had his first son, in 2007, he had his first daughter, in 2015, he had his second daughter.[citation needed] ## Honors - [National Arts Council](/source/National_Arts_Council_(Singapore)) *[Georgette Chen](/source/Georgette_Chen) Arts Scholarship* - [Rotary Club](/source/Rotary_International) Training Grant - [Lee Foundation](/source/Lee_Foundation) Scholarship, Raffles Junior College Creative Arts Award - Kripalani Arts Challenge Trophy - [Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music](/source/Associated_Board_of_the_Royal_Schools_of_Music) High Scorer's Award - [St. Margaret's](/source/St._Margaret's_Secondary_School) Partner-In-Education Teaching Award - [CHIJ](/source/CHIJ_Secondary_(Toa_Payoh)) Certificate of Commendation - World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles Conducting Scholarship to study at the [University of Minnesota](/source/University_of_Minnesota). ## Selected discography - *Sonata Profana* (CD), [NUS Center for the Arts](/source/National_University_of_Singapore) (publisher) (2004) OCLC [298367507](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/298367507) [Singapore National Bibliography](https://web.archive.org/web/20140728063200/http://snb.nl.sg/det_12716830.aspx) - Recorded 5 September 2002, [NUS University Cultural Centre Hall](/source/National_University_of_Singapore) - Leonard Tan, conductor, tracks 1 & 2 ## Selected publications - *Review of J. Scott Goble's 2010 book, "What's So Important About Music Education?,"* *Philosophy of Music Education Review* (journal), [International Society for Philosophy of Music Education](/source/International_Society_for_Philosophy_of_Music_Education), [Indiana University Press](/source/Indiana_University_Press), Vol. 19, Issue 2, Fall 2011, pps. 201–205 ISSN [1543-3412](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1543-3412) - *[Review of Bonnie C. Wade's 2008 book, 2nd edition, "Thinking Musically: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture,"](http://mej.sagepub.com/content/97/1/16.extract)* *[Music Educators Journal](/source/Music_Educators_Journal),* September 2011 ISSN [0027-4321](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0027-4321) - *A Comparative Analysis of Hindemith's and Persichetti's Band Symphonies From a Neoclassical Perspective* (masters thesis), [National Institute of Education](/source/National_Institute_of_Education), [Nanyang Technological University](/source/Nanyang_Technological_University) (2008) OCLC [317846253](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/317846253) ## References 1. *Alumni Records,* [Indiana University Bloomington](/source/Indiana_University_Bloomington) (June 2013) 1. *[The Philharmonic Winds in Concert: Review](https://pianofortephilia.blogspot.com/2008/12/philharmonic-winds-in-concert-review.html),* [The Straits Times](/source/The_Straits_Times), 9 December 2008 ## External links - [Philwinds: Music Director: Leonard Tan](https://web.archive.org/web/20090106035909/http://www.philharmonicwinds.org/philwinds_music_director.htm) - [St Margaret's Secondary Symphonic band, NUS Winds Philharmonic Winds Singapore](https://www.smsssb.blogspot.com/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Leonard Tan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Tan) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Tan?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.