DanceNUS Chinese Dance NUS Dance Blast NUS Dance EnsembleNUS Dance SynergyNUS Ilsa TariNUS Indian DanceNUS Lion DanceMusicKent Ridge Harmonica NUS Chinese Orchestra NUS ChoirNUS Electronic Music LabNUS Guitar EnsembleNUS Harmonica OrchestraNUS Indian Instrumental EnsembleNUS Jazz BandNUS Piano EnsembleNUS RondallaNUS Symphony OrchestraNUS Wind SymphonyVisual ArtsNUS BoulevartExxonMobil Campus Concerts CrewOverview
Tutor's Bio
Robert Casteels
Music Director & Resident Conductor
Educator, conductor, composer, administrator, Dr Robert Casteels believes that these activities form an intertwined and kaleidoscopic part of music making.
Robert has conducted 50 professional orchestras in 20 countries with a repertoire of 600 works ranging from the early classics to contemporary music. He has conducted first performances of symphonic works and operas in festivals such as: 'Spoleto festival' (Charleston, US/ Spoleto, Italy/ Melbourne, Australia), 'Ars Musica' (Brussels), 'Focus' (New York), 'Wien Modern' (Vienna), 'Donaueschingen' and 'Berlin Biennale, (Germany). After graduating from the 'Guildhall School of Music of London' and the 'Juilliard School' in New York, Robert was staff conductor at the Brussels Royal Opera House and Head of conducting studies at the Brussels (Flemish) Royal Music Conservatory. At the Conservatory he also set up an opera studio that was a great success at bridging the gap between tertiary-level training and professional life. As Artistic Director of 'Sounds of an Ignored Landscape', a Belgian commercial production company, Robert conceptualised, raised seed capital and conducted chamber operas, that were broadcast on national television. In 2001 he was awarded the Christoffel Plantin prize, Flanders highest cultural award, for his cross-cultural research.
Robert took up permanent residency in Singapore in 1996 and citizenship in 2007. He has contributed tirelessly to Singapore's music scene, as member of various arts related committees, as Dean of the Faculty of Performing Arts at LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts, as Music Director of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra and as Artistic Director of 'I'mPULSE', Asia-Europe Foundation's first music camp held in The Philippines. Robert has premiered significant masterpieces in Singapore, such as works by Boulez, Ligeti, Takemitsu, Stockhausen and Varese. In April 2004, Robert was appointed the first Associate-in-Residence (Special Music Projects) by the Centre For the Arts, National University of Singapore. In 2004 he conceived and directed 'Music/Movies', a film-cum-concert festival, and in 2006 "Music and Architecture". Currently he works on a new project 'Music and Food' to be presented at the Old Parliament Arts House and Petronas Galeri in December of this year.
A composer in his own right, Robert has written a growing corpus of intriguing works that cross several cultures, genres and disciplines. Robert was commissioned by important institutions in Singapore, such as: ACM Empress Place, Arts Fest 99 and 06, City Garden Fund, Contemporary Asian Arts Centre, Institute of Policy Studies, LASALLE-SIA, MINDEF, MOE CCAB, NUS in 2000 and 2005, The Old Parliament's Arts House and Petronas Galeri KLCC in 2007.
