The Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) is a National Project of Excellence and comes under the purview of the Ministry of Education. The orchestra is a non-profit organisation and is funded entirely by the Ministry of Education.
On its 21st Anniversary, April 2001, the then Singapore Youth Orchestra (SYO) was renamed the Singapore National Youth Orchestra. The SNYO is singular in its quality, makeup and promise in Singapore today.
The SNYO is well regarded as the premier national orchestra for young musicians, with some 200 members from 75 educational institutions in Singapore. SNYO members benefit from the extensive training they receive from professional tutors from the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. The SNYO has a record that includes an impressive repertoire, overseas guest conductors and performers, collaborations overseas with international youth orchestras and participation in international concert festivals. Over the years, many outstanding musicians have passed through the ranks of the orchestra and become prominent professional musicians in their own right.
Besides promoting aesthetic appreciation in the schools and to the community, the SNYO has also participated in several international music festivals, most recently, the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival at which the orchestra received excellent reviews.
In May 2010, the LANXESS SNYO Classic programme was announced. This new initiative is a three-year mentorship and cultural exchange programme developed by LANXESS with the SNYO. Each year, LANXESS recommends and sponsors a professional musician to work with the orchestra through master classes, rehearsals and performances with the full orchestra at a public concert. The collaboration includes a cultural exchange programme where outstanding SNYO members are selected annually to participate in study trips to North America or Europe, where they will receive lessons from top classical musicians.
To further enrich members’ musical experiences, and create a warm, friendly and vibrant learning environment, the SNYO Students’ Committee with the Management Board work together in developing the orchestra into a family where all grow together as both musicians and individuals, whilst sharing a common passion for music.
SNYO is active in promoting works by Singaporean composers. The orchestra has commissioned and premiered numerous works by Bernard Tan, Chen Zhangyi, Er Yenn Chwen, Ho Chee Kong, John Howard, Leong Yoon Pin, John Sharpley, Joyce Bee Tuan Koh, Kelly Tang, Philip Tan, Phoon Yew Tien, Robert Casteels and Tsao Chieh.