Leonard Tan (musician)
Leonard Tan, PhD né Leonard Yuh Chaur Tan; is an influential trinational-based, Singaporean music director, conductor, tubist, violinist, and music educator at scholastic, collegiate, conservatory, and professional levels.
Dr. 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, Indiana University Bloomington. 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, Nanyang Technological University. He is also the Principal Conductor of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra and Music Director of the Philharmonic Winds.
Formal education
Tan spent his early musical years playing the violin and tuba, and studied harmony with Singaporean composer Leong Yoon Pin (1931–2011). Following music studies at Raffles Junior College – where he studied with Constance Wong – he went on to earn a Licentiate diploma in orchestral tuba (LRSM) from the Royal Schools of Music and a Licentiate diploma in musical theory, criticism, and literature (LMusTCL) from Trinity College London. Prior to teaching and conducting, Tan was an active tubist, performing with ensembles, including the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the Singapore Opera Orchestra, the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band, the Desford Colliery Band, and the Singapore Stompers (Dixieland Jazz).