A seasoned trombonist who has performed with several respected local music companies and orchestras, Hendrik Kwek has spent much of his life in pursuit of musical excellence. Beyond that, his commitment to contributing to Singapore’s vibrant music scene has led him to take on conducting, led by a strong dedication to nurturing and guiding the next generation of musicians.
Hendrik’s musical journey started at the age of 8 years old, when he learnt the trombone. He experienced much growth in his secondary school years through the mentorship of dedicated educators like Mr. Adrian Chiang, Mr. Alan Kartik and Mr. Daniel Yiau, whose passion and involvement pushed him towards being the best he could be. They also provided him the encouragement he needed to participate in groups like the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) and Philharmonic Youth Winds, which further expanded his horizons in music.
However, it was not until Mr. Tan Wei Boon, his junior college trombone tutor, scored him an invitation to perform with the Orchestra of the Music Makers (OMM) that he became certain about his career in music. Describing his experience with OMM as “transformative”, it helped him to cement his plans of going to the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM) to pursue undergraduate studies and eventually a Masters’ in Trombone Performance.
In his final year of undergraduate studies, Hendrik played in an orchestra during a masterclass with renowned conductor Gerard Schwarz, who conducted Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. The experience proved instrumental in steering him towards conducting:
“I heard the sound of the orchestra changing entirely when he started conducting. Seeing that he could alter the sound, direction and energy of a whole orchestra without even making a sound, I understood the impact of a conductor. Because of that experience, my curiosity and interest towards the magic of conducting sparked.”
Hendrik’s love for conducting was further developed when he took a module in Advanced Conducting by Dr. Lien Boon Hua during his postgraduate studies, where he learnt score study and practised conducting an ensemble every week. Fast forward to today – Hendrik is currently Band Director at Clementi Town Secondary School, Pasir Ris Crest Secondary School, and Tampines Secondary School.
When conducting young musicians, Hendrik strives to strike a balance between discipline and fun to create a positive and supportive space for optimal learning. He shared that young musicians tend to struggle with self-confidence, both in their playing and learning. Moreover, many have no prior music experience, so the band is their first introduction to music. Thus, he firmly believes that ”encouraging and equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to improve” will promote independence in learning to help students reach their fullest potential and experience the transformative power of music education.
As he prepares his bands for the 2025 Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation, Hendrik takes a meticulous and systematic approach. He first studies the score thoroughly by analysing aspects such as chord progressions and phrase markings before deciding how specific passages should sound. Finer details such as the fingering of certain notes do not escape his eye. This deep understanding of the piece helps him quickly identify issues and provide targeted solutions to his bands. Since he plans practice schedules in detail, his students often receive clear direction and instructions, which help rehearsals become more goal-oriented and efficient.
Witnessing his students’ growths is what keeps Hendrik going. He acknowledges that the initial years in band pose a steep learning curve to students, especially to those with no prior music background. Due to this, many beginners feel stressed or overwhelmed, and some even consider quitting within the first year. However, by the time these students graduate, they often reflect on how much they have matured as both musicians and individuals. In his words, “Seeing them go from having no music experience to becoming capable musicians, and knowing that I contributed to their development, is the most meaningful part of my role as a conductor.”
One challenge in particular that Hendrik faces is adapting his teaching approach to the different demographics and mindsets of his students each year. As students’ abilities and attitudes are highly varied between schools and batches, he has to constantly innovate and come up with new methods to engage and unite the band. Rather than rely on previous techniques which may have become ineffective over time, he remains flexible and responsive to the evolving needs of the students.
Finally, Hendrik believes that young musicians considering a career as a conductor must always seek out opportunities to conduct, whether it is with small ensembles, wind bands, or orchestras. In his opinion, it is only through real experience on the podium that one’s conducting skills can be refined. Another piece of advice he offers is for one to continue playing in groups and observe other conductors. This way, they would experience conducting from a player’s perspective, have a deeper understanding of what musicians need and know how to better communicate with the ensemble.
Cherlyn is an educator who enjoys teaching and mentoring young people. She plays the clarinet, drum set and piano.
The first instrument she learnt was the piano from the age of 6 to 16 - a typical trajectory in the life of a stereotypical Asian kid. This opened the doors for her to study higher music as part of the Music Elective Programme, which broadened her perspectives about music history and world music. She picked up the clarinet when she joined her secondary school band, and later played in her university wind band. An advocate of lifelong learning, she started drumming when she became a working adult.
Cherlyn strives to be a Jack-of-all-trades and master of some, and is on the lookout for the next challenge, skill or field of knowledge to dive into.