Professor Nelson Kwei
Professor Nelson Kwei, the premier choral director of Singapore, is an international acclaimed conductor, conservatorium lecturer, editorial advisor, international adjudicator, music arranger and vocal clinician in the music scene. He is a Fellow from the London College of Music, has a Licentiate in singing from the Guildhall School of Music and Advance Post-Graduate in Choral Conducting from the Royal Academy of Music (London).
In 1993, Professor Kwei was honoured with the “National Youth Service Award”, the highest Youth Award in Singapore, in recognition of his significant contribution in the field of choral art. In 1999, he was awarded with the “Culture Award” by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and in 2001, the Rotary Club honoured him as the “Ambassador of the Arts” for Singapore. In 2011, COMPASS Singapore has awarded him with the prestigious “Meritorious Award” in view of his outstanding artistic achievement and contribution to the nation.
On the international level, Professor Kwei won the prestigious “Outstanding Choral Director Award” two years in a row at the International Choral Competition in Germany, 1998 & 1999 and also the “Best Conductor Award” at the Petr Eben International Choral Competition 2002 & 2004 in Prague. In recent years, he has led his choirs to 8 Gold Medals including 3 Choir Olympic Champions in the World Choir Games held in Bremen, Germany & Xiamen, China. His choir was also the first Asian choir to win the Grand Prize & Audience Prize at the prestigious Concorso Corale Internazionale held in Riva Del Garda, Italy. In 2008, he was also conferred the “Conductor Prize” in the recent 10th edition of the internationally acclaimed choral competition.
Currently, he is an executive member of the National Arts Council’s Advisory Board for Choral Development in Singapore, the NAC external assessor for music, the Honorary Chairman of the Choral Directors’ Association (Singapore) and the President of the Singapore Federation for Choral Music. Internationally, he is the First Vice-Chairman of the Asian Youth Choir Council, an international federation for choirs and conductors, as well as the Artistic Director of “A Voyage of Songs” and “Concentus Orientale”, both prominent international choral competitions. Professor Nelson Kwei is also invited as both clinician and adjudicator in many top international choral festivals and competitions including the World Choir Games Series. Currently, he is the Conductor of many prestigious schools, colleges, university and semi-professional choirs in Singapore that have won numerous national and international accolades.