About Republic Polytechnic Wind Symphony (RPWS)
The Republic Polytechnic Wind Symphony (RPWS) began its humble musical path on 1st August 2003 as part of the school’s Centre for Culture and Communication’s multi-faceted cultural activities by their own RP students.
Conductor
Muhamad Yusri Bin Mohamed Ali is currently serving in the Singapore Armed Forces as the Director of Music of the SAF Central Band and concurrently the Chief Instructor of the SAF Band. He enlisted into military service in December 1993. He joined as a Trumpet player and in 1996, attained the Licentiate Diploma for Trumpet Performance from the London College of Music. In that same year, he was accepted to attend the Asian Youth Orchestra Camp and Tour. During the camp, Yusri studied trumpet with Professor Edmund Cord from Indiana University (US) and played under the direction of the late Maestro Sergiu Commissiona.
In 1997, Yusri was selected to attend the UK Bandmaster Course at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall in Twickenham. While he was there, he studied conducting with Major (Retired) Roger Swift and Lieutenant Colonel Stuwart Watts who was then the Principal Director of Music of the British Army. In the final year examinations and competitions, Yusri won the Principal Director of Music Prize for Conducting and the Graham Wallace Prize for the Best Overseas Student Bandmaster. Upon returning to Singapore in December 1999, Yusri was appointed the Director of Music of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Band B.
In 2004, Yusri was appointed the Chief Instructor of the SAF Band. This appointment allowed him time to focus on developing training doctrine for the development of Military Musicians and at the same time concentrate on fine tuning his conducting ability. Yusri attended several conducting masterclasses with Hardy Mertens (NL), Timothy Reynish (UK), Mick Dowrick (UK), Robert Ponto (US), Stephen Peterson (US), Mallory Thompson (US), Douglas Bostock (GB), James W. McRoy (US), Shuichi Komiyama (US), Robert W. Rumbelow (US), Gary Green (US) and H. Robert Reynolds (US).
In July 2005, Yusri participated in the 10th International Conductors Contest in the Netherlands. In the competition, he conducted two local community bands and the Marine Band of the Dutch Royal Navy. Yusri reached the finals and eventually won the Bronze Baton.
In May 2007, Yusri attempted the Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM) Diploma in Music Direction examination and passed with a Distinction.
Yusri was appointed the conductor of the Republic Polytechnic Wind Symphony (RPWS) in August 2006. Since taking over the band, RPWS has performed five full concerts, travelled to Taiwan and Hong Kong and attained 2nd placing in the First Division of the Inaugural Singapore International Band Festival in July 2008.
Updated 10 Apr 2010
