THE HORN SECTION
Gavin Goh Alto Sax
Gavin, a music educator specializing in music pedagogy for cognitive development, is lead alto saxophone with the Thomson Swing.
He attained the Associate Diploma in Saxophone Performance from the Trinity College London amidst other musical qualifications of sorts. Chummy and big-hearted, Gavin's knowledge and passion is the formula behind the very practical know-hows behind the sound systems support which the band deploys for our gigs. His experience in both performing music and supporting live performances in technical aspects has him able to cope with any situation of a live performance, thereby earning himself good respect from fellow musicians as one who is more than a musician. Gavin performs actively in the local music scene, and is often seen at numerous weddings and private functions. He has performed with the Thomson Big Band, Singapore Armed Forces Central Band and is a founding member of The Summertimes Big Band. |
Stephen David Rufus Tenor Sax
Mr. Stephen David Rufus has been playing music professionally for the past 30 years. He majored in saxophone and has training in both classical and jazz saxophone. During the 1980's, Stephen was employed with the Singapore Radio and Television Station combo band. He obtained a distinction grade in the Diploma of Fellowship of London College of Music (Jazz).
Stephen has performed as a permanent member or as a support musician with some of the finest local groups and international artists such as Paul Simon, Asia Beat, Jeremy Monterio Jazz Band, Kit Chan and many others. His playing has also been recorded on numerous CDs as a session musician. He has represented Singapore in many jazz band performances in Japan, Canada, Australia, India, Mongolia and the Philippines. Today he performs regularly with the The Summertimes Big Band. A thoroughly accomplished musician, he performs with numerous groups weekly at various blues clubs and other venues all over Singapore and he tutors a handful of serious saxophone students. Stephen David Rufus is also the founding member of the experimental Gypsy jazz-rock fusion group "Flamenco Fusion". Besides teaching and performing, his strength is also in conducting and arranging for jazz/wind bands and music for small brass ensembles. Stephen has also contributed extensively to Tanglin's musical culture and concerts. |
Muhammad Khairunnizam B Amran Alto Sax
Khairunnizam performs full-time for the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band. Trained in classical saxophone, he also performs jazz, pop and fusion as well. He has also attained a Licentiate Diploma from the Trinity College of Music in Saxophone Performance.
Co-founding Saxophile, a saxophone ensemble whose repertoire includes Bach, jazz and local compositions, Nizam also performs with Saxpress, SQ4 Saxophone Quartet and the Capsule Project Band. His performance schedule has brought him to places such as Quebec, Brunei, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Saxophonists whom he had the privilege of learning from includes William Street, Jean-Marie Londeix, Tanaka Yasuto, Vincent Gnojek and Roger Greenberg. He was also recently featured as a soloist with the Kashiwa Municipal High School Symphonic Band (Japan) at the Esplanade Concert Hall. |
Jonathan Lim Tenor Sax
Jonathan performs full time for the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band. Trained in classical saxophone, he performs jazz, pop and fusion as well. Having received his Licentiate Diploma from Trinity College of Music with distinction (saxophone) in 2004, he leads as the Saxophone Section Leader, in charge of sazxophone training in the band.
He performs on all voices of the saxophone from Soprano to Baritone, co-leads the SAF Big Band and doubles on the Flute, Clarinet. He serves as the Band's Public Relations Officer as well. Wind Ensembles he had the privilege of performing with includes West Winds and the Singapore Wind Symphony. He co-founded SaxPress, a saxophone ensemble and continues to perform withThomson Big Band, Singapore Jazz Orchestra, SQ4 Saxophone Quartet, Broken Orange Fence (jazz sextet), Balinese ensemble Gamelan Asmaradana participating in various concerts and jazz festivals. |
Teo Boon Chye Alto Sax
Saxophone Extraordinaire. Probably among the most sought after saxophonist in Singapore, Boon Chye is no stranger to the local jazz scene, being an integral part of live music's vibrance in Singapore. Appointed as Yamaha Wind Artist since 2005, Boon Chye has since recorded and performed with international names such as Sandy Lam, Jacky Cheung, Aaron Kwok, Tony Leung and Stefanie Sun.
Above all, the accomplished musician resounds humility and a chummy personality that quite makes him the affable jazz local musician whom Singapore is proud of. |
Gilbert Lim Baritone Sax
Gilbert is the Assistant Band Sergeant Major, Concert Master and Drum Major of the Singapore Armed Forces Ceremonial Band. He has attained his Associate Diploma in Saxophone and continues his passion of educating young minds about the beauty of music by out-reaching in academic channels to young musicians in Singapore.
Having performed at international festivals and venues, Gilbert's musical career has brought him to places such as the Wonjoo Tattoo International (Korea), World Youth Wind Orchestra (Austria) and Carnegie Hall (New York). Gilbert is currently furthering his education at the National Institute of Education (Nanyang Technological University) and also teaches at Bedok North Secondary, Unity Secondary, Fuhua Secondary and Chung Cheng High School (Main) schools. |
Kenneth Lun Trumpet
Kenneth Lun graduated from the prestigious Peabody Institute of the John Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, USA with a Bachelor of Music (Major in Trumpet Performance and Minor in Jazz Trumpet).
Kenneth won highly coveted positions with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra, Peabody Concert Orchestra (Principal Trumpet), Peabody Jazz Ensemble (Lead/Solo Trumpet) as well as the Peabody Wind Ensemble (Principal Trumpet). Since coming back from the USA, Kenneth has played with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Brass Quintet, and has appeared as soloist with the Philharmonic Winds. Kenneth is also an experienced and one of the most sought after trumpeters for Broadway musical productions. |
Benny Goh Trumpet
Benny currently serves as Principal Trumpet of the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band. He also actively performs with music groups such as Brass Kinetics!, The Regal Brass Quintet and Sparkwinds.
Benny has also performed with ensembles like the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Wind Symphony, West Winds, The Philharmonic Winds, Bugis Village Brass Band and the Magnetic Band. Benny's experience in jazz music has brought him around the world, learning from and playing alongside jazz masters such as Wynton Marsalis, John Thomas (Glenn Miller Orchestra), Jim Rotondi, Pat Harbison (Uni. Indiana) and with world renown big bands Count Basie Orchestra and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. |
Shannon Chng Trumpet
Shannon has gone one full circle in the Singapore band scene, having played with so many of the nation's top-notched ensembles. Currently a full-time musician with the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band, Shannon has also performed with the Singapore Wind Symphony, National Institute of Education Symphonic Band, Singapore Youth Orchestra and West Winds - Band of the Bukit Batok Community Club.
Shannon's quiet fervor of music is felt most by his colleagues, being the supportive section-mate and friend who is most willing to extend his photography talents whenever needed. Shannon is happily married to Claire, also a close friend of members of the band, and particularly loves the song "Rainbow Connection". |
Kelvin Kong Trumpet
Kelvin Kong has been playing the trumpet since high school, a circumstance which followed him all the way through to National Service and enlistment into the SAF Central Band, whereupon he discovered jazz.
Starting out as a lead trumpeter of Thomson Swing Big Band, he began his roots of jazz in big band swing music, and continued his jazz love affair with the eventual forming of Nic Blue, a jazz quartet of his own - as vocals and solo trumpet. Kelvin is also lead vocal with The Summertimes Big Band and the Summertimes Hotshots - which was recently invited as the opening act of Esplanade's Jazz in July series when Kelvin performed a Chet Baker tribute. |
Christopher Yong Trumpet
Christopher began his music training in Maha Bodhi School Concert Band playing the french horn and later switched to the trumpet while studying in Bedok North Secondary School. Greatly inspired by his band directors and with the encouragement of his parents, he went on to further his music education. He is currently pursuing a Diploma in Music Performance (Trumpet) at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.
Christopher has performed with The Philharmonic Orchestra, Singapore Lyric Opera Orchestra, NAFA Orchestra, NAFA Swing Orchestra, NAFA Wind Band, NAFA Brass Band, The Philharmonic Winds, OBOG Winds Symphony, Mus'Art Wind Orchestra, Brass Collective Quintet, Brass Press Quintet, Just Brass Ensemble and Trumptet Trumpet Quartet. His teachers include Jon Dante, Jun Ikebe and Kenneth Lun and David Smith. |
Dale Cheong Trombone
Dale started playing the trombone during his secondary school days. He was subsequently a member of the Singapore Wind Symphony where he held the position of Principal Trombone and achieved 1st Prize in the Division 1 of the World Music Contest at Kerkrade, Netherlands. Dale is a graduate of Oklahoma City University where he performed with the Bass School of Music Symphony Orchestra.
In 2004, he joined a bunch of local big band lovers to form the Side Show Big Band (now City Swing). His love for swing began to grow when he began learning the lindy hop in 2006 and was inspired by the energy of when music and dance are brought together. His swing inspirations of whom he had taken lessons from include the late Frankie Manning, swing legend & musician Dawn Hampton, Stephen Mitchell and trombonist John Allan. Over the past decade, Dale has performed with ensembles such as the Singapore Wind Symphony, Hong Kong Jazz Federation Big Band, Singapore Armed Forces Central Band, West Winds, Oklahoma City University Symphony Orchestra and the Double-O Big Band (US). He was also Principal Trombone of Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra from 2003-2009. Most recently, he had played for Elton John (London 2007) and Lando Bernal's Big Broad Band at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre for Big Band Festival 2010. He is also band leader of the J.N. Big Band and continues to arrange dates where lindy hoppers and swing music meet. |
Deric Tay Trombone
Once a member of the Singapore Youth Orchestra, Deric started playing in a brass band when he was 7. He has dedicated much of his time playing at ensembles such as the Thomson Big Band, Side Show Big Band (now City Swing), Kim Seng Wind Symphony, Singapore Poly Concert Band, Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra and SAF Central Band.
Deric has also guest-performed with SOKA, NUS, West Winds, and the Paradigm Wind Ensemble. Hooked on jazz since his teenage years, it was only recently that Deric started exploring and playing jazz. As he juggles with his full-time marketing job and music-making, Deric has since committed only to The Summertimes Big Band. You could hear him explaining how he self-suspects a stained-with-jazz-for-life attitude. Struggling against his addiction to jazz, Deric has since picked up open-water diving - and not forgetting his never-ending attempts at coercing his buddies to check out this whole new world he has found underwater. |
Martin Goh Trombone
Martin got hooked onto music making when he first picked up a trombone at the age of 13. Since then, his enthusiasm saw him playing with numerous wind bands and orchestras.
Martin's first encounter with jazz music was during his high school days when he played in the inaugural performance of the Sideshow Big Band. Since then, his love for jazz has seen him embarking on an ever-learning journey, working with jazz-lovers both locally and internationally. He has performed with the Singapore Armed Forces Bands, Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Youth Wind Symphony, Anglo Chinese Wind Orchestra, Side Show Big Band, JazzNuts Big Band and the National Institute of Education Symphonic Band. Currently an events-entertainment organizer, Martin is trying to spread the love of big bands to the public and to bring big bands to places. |
Tan Thiam Hee Trombone
Thiam Hee held the position of Principal Trombone with the SAF Central Band from 1994 to 1998. He also serves as trombonist with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (freelance), Singapore Festival Orchestra, Singapore Wind Symphony, The Philharmonic Winds and The Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. Thiam Hee also perform with the Jeremy Monteiro’s Big Band, Omniform Band with Greg Lyons, and Danny Koh’s Big Band.
Thiam Hee was selected to tour with the first World Youth Symphony Orchestra in 1991 and has also participated in many prestigious music festivals and competitions such as The World Music Contest in Netherlands, International Chamber Music Competition in Norway, Asia Pacific Band Director’s Conference in Hong Kong and international jazz festivals in Japan, Canada and Singapore. He is also the recipient of several artistic accolades including the Singapore Symphony Orchestra – Public Service Commission Scholarship, Trinity School of Music High Scorer's Award, and Silver medalist - International Chamber Music Contest in Norway. |
Keith Damien Koe Bass Trombone
Keith picked up the trombone while studying at the St. Patrick's School. All in between was history.
He currently serves as Principal Bass Trombonist of the Singapore Armed Forces Band. Keith attained a Distinction for his Licentiate (Recital) Diploma in Trombone Performance from Trinity College, London and was also invited to perform for the TCL's High Scorers Recital Concert. Keith is very active as a trombonist, having performed with the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra (Principal), The Philharmonic Orchestra, Orkestra Melayu Singapura, Mus'Art and Moulmein Wind Symphony. He has also participated in the annual Regional Malay Music Awards and other regional trombone events. Keith is currently the President of the Trombone Society of Singapore and the Singapore Trombone Choir. He was also invited to conduct the Nanyang Polytechnic Alumni Winds for their Inaugural Concert. |
THE SUMMERTIMES BIG BAND
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All Rights Reserved
