Ms Samantha Chong has been holding the appointment of Music Director of several school bands. Under her baton, the bands have received Gold Awards at the Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging. Awarded a scholarship by the Singapore Public Service Commission to the University of Northern Colorado, USA, Ms Chong, has studied under renowned musicians such as Buddy Baker and Jack Robinson, and professors of conducting, Eugene Corporon and David Wallace. She graduated with the Bachelor of Music degree (Performance), and later on, the Master’s degree in Education (Music) from the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University.
Formerly a Trombonist with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and former Principal Trombonist with the Singapore Festival Orchestra, Ms Chong continues to be active in the music scene, and performs a range of music including classical, music from musicals, jazz, gospel and contemporary works with various groups. She is currently the Principal Trombonist of the Singapore Lyric Opera Orchestra and the Wind Stars Ensemble, as well as the band leader of WindWorkz: the Big Band.
A much sought-after music educator, she has groomed many lower brass players of the Singapore Youth Orchestra, the National University of Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and the Singapore Armed Forces Bands. She has also served as adjunct lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and the Singapore Raffles Music College.
In addition to all these, she presently serves as the Vice-President of the Trombone Society (Singapore) and is active as an executive committee member of the Band Directors’ Association (Singapore). She also conducts the Methodist Festival Orchestra and the John Wesley Choir of Wesley Methodist Church.