Starting out essentially as a self-taught musician, former Physics teacher Toh Ban Sheng completed two master’s degrees in Choral Conducting and Voice from the United States, with the support of the National Arts Council Bursary. Toh has since come to be recognised as an eminent conductor and music educator with an illustrious track record, having garnered more than 70 gold awards at international and national competitions.
An active member in the international choral scene, Toh is a highly sought-after adjudicator, clinician and guest-conductor both in Europe and Asia. He has also written for the International Choral Bulletin and has had his music published in the United States. His choirs have won numerous Grands Prix, Category Champions and Special Jury Prizes in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia, and he has been honoured with the Conductor’s Prize seven times. With Raffles Singers, he presented two concerts successfully at the 11th World Symposium on Choral Singers in Barcelona.
At home in Singapore, Toh’s choirs have twice won the highest national accolade of Best Choir of the Year Award. He has also served as a Music Specialist with the Ministry of Education. Among many other notable appointments, he conducted the 800-strong National Day Parade Combined Choir at the National Stadium which was broadcasted live on television. His recent work as a Chorus Master for the performances of Mahler Symphony Nr. 2 and Beethoven Symphony Nr. 9 was raved by reviewers from The Straits Times. In recognition of his artistic achievements and contributions in the Singapore music arena, Toh was conferred the Young Artist Award in 2006 by the National Arts Council and the Honorary Member of the Choral Directors Association of Singapore in 2016. He is also the founding member and the Continental Ambassador of Asia of the International Choral Conductors Federation.
He is currently the director of four award-winning choirs in Singapore schools and junior colleges, in addition to directing the Raffles Singers and Amoris Singers. Since 2014, he has been serving as the Artistic Director of International Choral Festival Orientale Concentus held in Singapore. He is also currently the Artistic Director and Founder of the Resonance of Singapore, Singapore’s first non-profit organisation helmed by a professional choral ensemble. His self-titled biography, The Accidental Conductor, was published in 2010. The Choral Series under his name with Earthsongs Music Publication (USA) was launched in 2012. He has also written for the International Choral Bulletin and has had his music published in Europe. Having taught conducting and given masterclasses in Asia, Toh hopes to impart his experiences to the next generation of choral conductors.
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