Guest Performer: Howard Ng, Oboist

Howard Ng is a well recognised musician, creative producer, and arts manager in the South East Asian region. As a producer, Howard has created a great number of musical experiences for audiences in the region, including award winning performances of Ensemble Virama (Boh Cameronian Arts Award 2018). From 2014-2019, Howard was an annual grant recipient of the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music for the creation and administration of the Malaysian Wind Music Prize, which has led to substantial professional development and training opportunities for aspiring young musicians in the country.

In 2020, Howard was awarded 3rd Prize in the Elite Section of the Australasian Double Reed Society Online Competition. In the same year, Howard was invited to present at SEA Music Academy’s first ever symposium, “Teaching Music Goes On(line)”.

Since 2017, Howard has been working for Programming & Productions at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, a department that facilitates some 200 public facing events annually. In this capacity, Howard has curated multimedia projects, led marketing campaigns, programmed events, as well as execute productions for the Conservatory, working with artists such as Les Arts Florissants, Sir András Schiff, Masaaki Suzuki, Paul Lewis, Igudesman & Joo, Juilliard Quartet, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Eric Hoeprich, Wong Kahchun, Sophie Daneman, Margaret Leng Tan, Hans Kipfer, Gabor Takács-Nagy and many others.

As an oboist, Howard Ng has performed for audiences on three continents. He has performed as a soloist with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and its Youth Orchestra. Howard can regularly be heard at concerts of Ensemble Virama, where he is co-founder and artistic leader. He can also be regularly heard at concerts organised by Bachfest Malaysia around the country, where he serves as Principal Oboist. As an orchestral musician, Howard has also performed with Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Asian Youth Orchestra, Orchestra of the Music Makers (SG), Singapore Lyric Opera, The Philharmonic Orchestra (SG), Asean-Russia Youth Orchestra, Pro Musica Bangkok and many other ensembles.

From 2011-2013, Howard was Principal Oboist of the Malaysian National Symphony Orchestra, where he spearheaded the revival of the NSO Wind Ensemble. From 2015-2016, Howard served as a faculty member at the Silpakorn Summer Music School in Thailand.

Howard is also an avid promoter of the solo oboe repertoire. He has performed recitals in Bangkok (‘13), Dublin (‘13), Kuala Lumpur (‘11, ‘13, ‘14, ‘16), Singapore (‘11 & ‘17), Kota Kinabalu (‘16), and even virtually (‘20).

In Kuala Lumpur, Howard studied with Joost C. Flach & Yong How Keen at the UCSI University. He later studied with Rachel Walker and Carolyn Hollier at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (NUS) in Singapore. Howard has also studied privately with Bart Schneemann, and with Jane Marvine at the Asian Youth Orchestra (2010 & 2012). He has performed in the masterclasses of Hansjörg Schellenberger, Thomas Indermühle, Elaine Douvas, Jonathan Kelly, John Anderson, Peter Veale, and others. Howard also studied Business Administration with his father, Sabahan entrepreneur Edward Ng.