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Annex C

Preliminary information on the 12^th WASBE International Conference and Conference Highlights. List of the 14 Bands Performing at the 12^th WASBE International Conference included.

Conference Highlights

During the 12^th WASBE International Conference, 14 international bands have been selected to perform at the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay. They hail from Asia, Europe and the United States, and include the world renowned Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra as well as the stunning Boston Brass.

The Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra (TKWO), founded in 1960, has since established itself as one of the world’s most accomplished orchestras.  It has performed all across Japan and Europe to wide acclaim and made headlines in 2001, performing 2 sold out concerts in Singapore.  Under the baton of highly-accomplished conductor Douglas Bostock, the TOKWO is set to astound audiences once again in July 2005.

A fresh brass sensation, the Boston Brass is setting new standards in entertainment, wowing audiences and critics alike.  The band has dazzled audiences in over 120 concerts and jazz festivals annually, all over the continent of America.  They have appeared on television and radio, and recorded several delightful albums, the latest being “Out of This World”, featuring heroic music for brass and organ.  The appeal of the ensemble lies in its lively repartee, touched with humour and personality, which bridges the vast ocean of classical formality to treat audiences to an evening of boisterous fun, exciting knowledge and an enthusiastic love of music, deftly exhibited by the five brash brass players.

The 14 bands performing are:

•         International Youth Wind Orchestra

From America and Canada:

•         The Boston Brass (USA)

•         University of Florida Wind Symphony (USA)

•         Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Canada)

From Europe

•         Stadtharmonie Zurich Oerlikon-Seebach (Switzerland)

•         JungeBlaser Philharmonie Von Nordrhein-Westfalen (Germany)

•         Frysk Fanfare Orchestra & JungeBlaser Philharmonie (The Netherlands)

From Asia

•         Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra (Japan)

•         Hong Kong Wind Philharmonia (Hong Kong)

•         Chinese Youth Corps (Taiwan)

•         The Central Band of the Japan Air Self Defence Force (Japan)

•         Singapore Armed Forces Band (Singapore)

•         West Winds (Singapore)

•         Singapore Youth Wind Orchestra (Singapore)

The 12^th WASBE International Conference will provide a platform for participants to learn and share their experiences with each other through a series of lectures, plenary sessions, workshops, masterclasses and listening sessions where composers will showcase new works.

There will also be an exhibition where service and product providers in the industry will showcase their products. New in the 2005 Conference is the inclusion of an Asian ethnic instrument supplier. Other exhibitors include instrument coordinators, music distributors, overseas music institutions and universities from around the world.  During the exhibition, there will be free workshops as well as autograph sessions with composers.

WASBE Singapore Chapter will also organise free performances at various parts of Singapore to bring wind music to the heartlanders.

A Singapore Wind Youth Orchestra, comprising the best wind players in Singapore, will be formed shortly for this conference and will make its debut early next year. 

Please visit http://www.wasbe2005.com for details.

Content Contributor: www.wasbe2005.com