Nelson kwei

Nelson Kwei (24 September 1963 -) is a prominent choral conductor recognised internationally. He is currently conductor of the Victoria Junior College choir, Meridian Junior College choir, Anderson Junior College choir, Victoria Chorale, Tanjong Katong Secondary School choir, Catholic High School choir, and Victoria School choir among others. An alumnus of Anglican High School and Temasek Junior College, he studied mathematics at the National University of Singapore and choral conducting at the Royal Academy of Music, London.

Mr Nelson Kwei, the premier choral director in Singapore, is an accomplished conductor, music arranger and vocal tutor in the music scene. Trained in the demanding art of vocal music since the age of eight, Mr Kwei has a Licentiate in singing from the Guildhall School of Music. He is currently the Artistic Director of 4 International Choral Festivals namely A Voyage Of Songs, Jubilate, Orientale Concentus and 21st Century International Choral Festival.

A familiar figure in the local choral scene, Mr Kwei started conducting at the tender age of 10 when he was selected to direct his school harmonica band, symphonic band and choir. It was the start of an illustrious career. As a student, he went on to conduct and sing for the Anglican High School Choir, the Temasek Junior College Choir and the National University of Singapore Choir. Upon graduation in 1985, he founded and conducted the Victoria Junior College Choir and Varsity Choral Ensemble.

In June 1990, the VJC Choir made history in the local music scene by being the first school choir to win an international choir competition at the “Welsh Eisteddfod”. Mr Kwei’s conducting style and interpretation of music were highly commended by the distinguished panel of judges. Since then, Mr Kwei have gone on to lead the Victoria Chorale, Anderson Junior College Choir , The Vocal Consort, Victoria School Choir, Catholic High School Choir, Tanjong Katong Secondary School Choir, National University of Singapore Choir and Commonwealth Secondary School Choir to clinch top prizes at multiple international choral competitions.

Mr Kwei was the first choral scholar from Singapore. He was awarded a prestigious scholarship in 1990 by the Ministry of Education resulting in a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Choral Conducting Studies for the Post-Graduate from the Royal Academy of Music in London. Upon his return, he was appointed as a Choral Project Officer with the ECA Centre, Ministry of Education. During his service with the Ministry of Education, Mr Kwei had conducted many choral workshops for choir teachers and took charge of many national projects.

Besides conducting and singing, Mr Nelson Kwei also composes and arranges songs. He was the 5th Prize winner in an Asian Song Writing Contest in 1981. He was also the winner of the National Anti-Drug Campaign Song Writing Competition in 1980 and 1981. His choral arrangements are frequently performed by choirs both locally and abroad. In 1993, Mr 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 1996, Mr Kwei was invited to be the Chorus Master for the International Grand Opera Production “AIDA” and the chorus was very highly commented for its splendid performances.

In 1998, Mr Kwei won the prestigious “Outstanding Choral Director Award” at the 3rd International Choral Competition in Germany. He is also the only Singaporean choral conductor who has received such honour.

In 1999, Mr Nelson Kwei was awarded with the “Culture Award” by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He later won his second international award “Outstanding Conductor Prize” at the 2nd International Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Choir Competition in Germany. All these international recognition has won him a place as a member of the Artistic Advisory Committee of the first ever Choir Olympic 2000 in Linz, Austria of which three of his choirs captured 2 Gold Medals and 4 Silver Medals in total. He is also a member of the Artistic Committee for the First Asia-Pacific Choral Symposium 2001.

In 2001, six of his choirs were awarded with the “Ambassador of the Art” Award for their outstanding achievement in international choral competitions. In November 2002, two of his choir received the Gold Diploma from the Petr Eben Advent International Choir Competition in Prague with Victoria Junior College bagging the grand prize of the competition, the Prize of Petr Eben and Mr Nelson Kwei was also awarded with the Best Conductor Prize of the Competition.

In 2003, Mr Kwei organized the 21st Century International Choral Festival in Genting Highland, Malaysia. This is the first international choral competition that was held in South-East Asia and it attracted more than 2000 Singers took part.

In 2004, Mr Kwei led Victoria Chorale and Victoria Junior College (VJC) Choir to five Gold Medals at the 3rd Choir Olympic in Bremen, Germany. VJC Choir was the first choir in Singapore to have won the Olympic Champion Title – the most prestigious award for choirs in the World. Later that year, Catholic High School Choir won a Gold Diploma as well as the overall champion at the Petr Eben Advent International Choir Competition in Prague under the baton of Mr Kwei where he won his fourth personal international best conductor prize.

In 2005, the 2nd A Voyage of Songs, International Choral Festival was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The festival attracted 1500 singers around the world with Estonia TV Children’s Choir travelling the furthest.

In 2006, VJC choir won the esteemed Audience Prize and GRAND PRIX AWARD in the 9th Riva Del Garda International Choral Competition, Italy. It is the first time an Asian Choir has won the grand prize and one of a few choirs in the world to win both the Audience Prize and Grand Prix Award together. Later in the year, The Vocal Consort became the first Asian choir to have receive 100% Full Marks in both the Superior Mixed Choir Category and Folklore in the “Festival of Songs” International Choral Competition, Olomouc, Czech Republic. Continuing his success in Europe, both Victoria Chorale and Anderson Junior College Choir went on to receive World Choir Games Champion in the “World Choir Games 2006” held in Xiamen, China.

The 3rd A Voyage of Songs, International Choral Festival was successfully held in Pattaya, Thailand in 2007 with choirs coming all the way from Australia, South Africa and Czech Republic. The same year saw him in Jakarta as Judge for the 1st Asian Choir Games.

In 2008, Mr Nelson Kwei led Anderson Junior College (AJC) choir and Catholic High School choir to the 10th Riva Del Garda International Choral Competition in Italy and was awarded 2 Categoy Winner, Audience Prize, GRAND PRIX as well as the festival’s Outstanding Conductor Prize. In June, he led Tanjong Katong Secondary School Choir and National University of Singapore Choir to 3 Gold Awards with full marks in the 2nd Grand Prix St. Petersburg International Choral Competition held in Russia. He was also invited as an adjudicator in the biggest choral event in the world, the 5th World Choir Games held in Graz, Austria.

Other than working as a free lance choral director, Nelson is frequently invited to give workshops and keynote lectures in international choral festivals / conventions as well as adjudicate in international choral competitions. He is also the Choral Advisor to Edition Music Contact, an international music publisher.

Nelson Kwei is presently a member of the National Arts Council Advisory Board for Choral Development in Singapore. He is also the Chairman of the Choral Directors Association (Singapore), President of the Singapore Federation for Choral Music and the First Vice- Chairman of the Asian Youth Choir Council, an international federation for choirs and conductors.