Recognized for his musical sensitivity and energized sense of interpretation, Adrian Chiang is quickly making his mark among Singaporean conductors for his inspired performances and versatility. Adrian was appointed Music Director of the Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra in 2016 and additionally serves as the Conductor of numerous Orchestras and Wind Ensembles in Singapore, namely in educational institutes such as Singapore Management University, Singapore Polytechnic, Anderson-Serangoon Junior College, Eunoia Junior College, Victoria Junior College, Catholic High School, CHIJ Toa Payoh, Maris Stella High School and Dazhong Primary School. He had previously led the Philharmonic Youth Winds for a decade, uplifting the group to become one of the more successful youth wind orchestras in Singapore.
A passionate advocate for new music, he has performed/commissioned the works of many living composers during his career and continues to do so with every performance he programs. The Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra (ACSO) is such a project that Adrian had spearheaded to focus on orchestral works written by Asian composers. ACSO prides itself on working with composers to infuse a variety of Chinese, Malay, and Indian instruments into a standard western symphony orchestra, very much like the fabric structure of what Singapore essentially is.
A recipient of the distinguished National Arts Council and National University of Singapore scholarship, Adrian attained his Master of Music degree at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM, NUS) with a major in conducting. He had previously graduated with a Bachelor in Business Administration from the National University of Singapore. Increasingly recognized for his committed advocacy of music education and his devotion to the art of conducting, he currently serves as an adjunct faculty at the YSTCM (NUS) where he currently teaches music conducting to all music undergraduates.
Prior to full time conducting, Adrian was the Orchestra Manager of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. He continues to exhibit his broad experience in administrating collective bargaining agreements and policies typical of orchestras as the General Manager of Singapore’s premier chamber orchestra, Resound Collective Ltd.
Adrian is currently serving the role of President of the National Instructors and Coaches Association (NICA) ever since 2019. NICA is an NTUC-affiliated association that was formed following an NTUC announcement to extend its reach to the freelancer community who are coaches and/or instructors in the fields of sports, outdoor adventures/learning, fitness, and wellness, visual arts and performing arts. He had also previously served as the President of the Band Directors’ Association (Singapore) from 2017 to 2022.
Adrian’s passion for conducting was borne through lessons and clinics with respected conducting figures such as Lan Shui, Yeh Tsung, Jason Lai, Jonas Alber, Luke Dollman, Sean Edwards, Allan McMurray, Douglas Bostock, Eugene Corporon, Robert Reynolds, Tom Lee, Richard Craig, Richard Floyd and Frank Ticheli. Other music teachers who have had a great influence in his developmental years included Mary Ang, Yeong Yoon Ching, Tan Chan Boon, and David Wong.