Seow Yibin | Prestige 40 Under 40 2022 -

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Seow Yibin | Prestige 40 Under 40 2022

39, oboist and associate conductor of Singapore National Youth Orchestra

Ever since his father taught him to play the piano when he was five, Seow Yibin has led a life dedicated to classical music. At 13, he picked up

the oboe, and decided he preferred the dynamics of playing in a band.

“There was no clear reason for my choice to study music, but it was born out of a constantly growing relationship with music. I just felt more and more burdened to share the music in my heart with others,” says the alumnus of Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore and Musik-Akademie Basel in Switzerland.

However, for Yibin, sharing music is more of a joy. It is even one that he wants to pass on to future generations of musicians, evidenced by the fact that he not only works with professional orchestras the likes of the Chester Philharmonic Orchestra and Stockport Symphony Orchestra in the UK, but youth ones as well.

During the pandemic, his efforts were validated by the performances of his students. In 2021, the Singapore Youth Festival (SYO) for wind bands went on as scheduled, but because of pandemic restrictions, practice groups were split into smaller ones. With limited time to conduct every group, Yibin used this opportunity to empower and train his student conductors. “It was extremely satisfying to see my student conductors courageously and skilfully rise to the challenge of leading their peers in performing in the SYO.”