Composition Workshop
Held for the eighth time in the history of the Singapore Saxophone Symposium, the Composition Workshop aims to guide composers to write idiomatically and skilfully for the saxophone!
Participants for the Composition Workshop will be entitled to lessons with Americ Goh (Singapore) and Zechariah Goh (Singapore), and have their works professionally read and recorded by Singaporean saxophonists Joseph Chong, Johann Koh, Breyann Lennard, Luo Tianze, and Tan Yun Qu.
Register now at http://sgsax2023.peatix.com/. For more information, please email tcgoh@nafa.edu.sg.
About the composers
Americ Goh
Americ Goh studied composition at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts under John Sharpley, Goh Toh Chai, and Leong Yoon Pin. He later furthered his composition studies under Gerd Kühr, Pierluigi Billone, and Peter Ablinger at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, where he received his M.A. with distinction. He has attended composition masterclasses under Zygmunt Krauze, Georges Aperghis, and Beat Furrer. He is a humble recipient of the National Arts Council Arts Bursary (Overseas) from Singapore and the Musikförderungspreis der Stadt Graz.
Goh’s compositions are performed worldwide and were also broadcasted under the Austrian Radio Ö1 Zeit-Ton and Ö1 Konzert. His works are also heard in festivals such as the Musikprotokoll Graz, Loisiarte Festival, and the Jahrestagung der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Musikwissenschaft (ÖGMw). He represented Singapore in the 1st Asia-Europe Music Camp Im’PULSE and was composer-in-residence for the Singapore Wind Symphony Percussion Ensemble.
Goh is actively involved with art songs and is co-founder of The Art Song Consortium. His songs are often performed and are included in the repertoire for international art song competitions such as Franz Schubert und der Moderne and the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb. He also worked closely with choirs such as the Singapore Youth Choir and won first prize for mixed choir category and third prize for chamber choir category at the 3rd Choral Meeting of Giannitsa, Greece.
He is currently Programme Leader (Music Teaching) at the Faculty of Performing Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. His choral arrangements are published under Carus-Verlag and most of his other compositions are published under Edition Immlein. His Zeitpfeil Nr. 2 was performed by Ensemble Reconsil and recorded under Orlando Records.
Zechariah Goh
Zechariah Goh Toh Chai is Head of Composition Studies and Principal Lecturer at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, and a composer of music ranging from choir, symphonic band, wind ensemble, chamber music to large scale orchestral works. He worked on his Doctorate degree majoring in Composition under the guidance of Dr. Charles Hoag at The University of Kansas. At the same time, he studied Orchestration and Arrangement for Band under Professor James Barnes. Zechariah was also awarded the prestigious Anthony Cius Prize for outstanding student composer from the University of Kansas for the academic year of 2001 and 2002.
Zechariah is frequently commissioned to write music for symphonic bands and choirs. Since the 1990s, his choral works have been premiered in Singapore as well as winning many international competitions in countries including Austria, Brazil, Germany, Greece, China, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and USA.
Zechariah has been commissioned by musicians and music groups such as the SYC Ensemble Singers, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore National Youth Orchestra, The Philharmonic Winds, The West Winds, University of Kansas Wind Ensemble, the National Arts Council of Singapore, Tanjong Katong Secondary School, Timothy Reynish, Professor Vince Gnojek, Shane Thio, EDQ Wind Quintet, the Amigo Saxophone Quartet, Shyen Lee, Jennifer Tham, Nelson Kwei, The Singers, The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, The Diocesan Boys’ School Choir, The Diocesan Girls’ School Choir, Chamber.Sounds, Victoria Chorale, Victoria Junior College, Tampines Junior College, CHIJ (Toa Payoh), River Valley High School, the Amadeus Choral Society, the CCA Branch of the Ministry of Education, and Ding Yi Music Company.
Zechariah is also an active speaker at international music conferences such as the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE), International Society for Music Education (ISME), and Asia-Pacific Symposium on Music Education Research (APSMER). He was also invited to judge international choral and band competitions such as the Voyage of Songs and Taiwan Band Director’s Association Band Competition.
For his artistic excellence in the field of music, Zechariah was conferred the Young Artist Award (Music) in September 2003 by the National Arts Council, Singapore. The award was presented by the President of the Republic of Singapore at the Istana. Zechariah also received the Artistic Excellence Award from COMPASS in 2013, and the Distinguished Alumni Medal from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 2014.