Our History

Formally established in 1979 as the NUS Concert Orchestra under the directorship of Paul Abisheganaden, the Orchestra’s beginnings can be traced back to the 1920s in the form of a Chamber Ensemble. In 1995, the Orchestra was inaugurated as the NUS Symphony Orchestra under the helm of Music Director/Resident Conductor Maestro Lim Soon Lee.

Bringing music to the university community and the public, NUSSO performs regularly on campus and off campus at venues such as shopping malls, the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Istana Park and the National Library Plaza. Apart from annual formal and informal concerts, the Orchestra also performs in more intimate chamber groups for external commissioned performances. NUSSO has also performed at official functions including the World Trade Organisation First Ministerial Conference Concert Preview at the Sentosa Musical Fountain, the NUS Convocation Dinners and the President’s Scholarships Presentation Ceremony.

NUSSO has had several notable collaborations , including the accompaniment of late Hong Kong artiste Leslie Cheung at the MediaCorp All-Star Charity Event, Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow, Dick Lee’s Man of Letters, the Singapore Idol finals 2004 and 2006, and the accompaniment of a 300-strong choir comprising performers from Southeast Asia at the Yellow River Cantata concert in 2005. The Orchestra has also rehearsed under prominent guest conductors Professor Hikmet Simsek of the Ankara Conservatory Orchestra, and the late Shalom Rondly Riklis of the Tel Aviv Orchestra.

Besides being actively involved in the local music scene, NUSSO has also performed extensively overseas. The first group from Singapore selected to perform at the 1998 Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland, the Orchestra was describe by The Evening Express as “Something Special from Singapore.” Since then, NUSSO has participated in the 8th Japan International Youth Musicale in Shizuoka, Japan, in 2000, the 12th Australian International Music festival at the Sydney Opera House in 2001, and an exchange and performance at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2004, and was once again invited to participate in the 2005 Aberdeen International Youth Festival.

Offering its members artistic instruction by professional tutors and countless opportunities to travel and perform, the Orchestra, with its dedicated alumni, continues to hone its skills, constantly raising its standard and pushing the limits of artistic maturity and expression, while promoting appreciation for the arts in Singapore.