FOUNDER, director & Principal
JOSEPHINE KOH BA(EM), ARCM, FTCL, LMusTCL, LTCL
Current Profile at a Glance
Past Positions:
Josephine Koh is a Bösendorfer concert pianist based in Singapore. Her early musical training includes voice, piano performance under Ong Lip Tat, composition and orchestration under Leong Yoon Pin – in the French tradition of Nadia Boulanger. She soon graduated as Fellow of Trinity College London, and with Licentiate in Compositional Techniques respectively. She continued to pursue professional training in piano with Maestro Vincenzo Balzani in Milan – Italy, leading to her active participation at various international piano competitions. Upon being conferred Associate of the Royal College of Music (ARCM) in London, she began to perform extensively in Europe and Asia, both as a soloist and in ensemble settings. In 2009, Josephine Koh was appointed ambassador for Bösendorfer Pianos of Vienna, Austria.
- Concert Artist of Bösendorfer Pianos
- Director and Principal of Josephine Koh Piano Academy
- Managing Director and Resident Author of Wells Music Pubishers
- Festival and Artistic Director of Joyeux Music International - Wells Music Holdings Pte Ltd.
- Music Director and Conductor of Joyeux Sinfonietta
Past Positions:
- Music Director and Conductor at National University of Singapore (2000-2019)
- Music Lecturer at La Salle-SIA College of the Arts (1990-1992)
Josephine Koh is a Bösendorfer concert pianist based in Singapore. Her early musical training includes voice, piano performance under Ong Lip Tat, composition and orchestration under Leong Yoon Pin – in the French tradition of Nadia Boulanger. She soon graduated as Fellow of Trinity College London, and with Licentiate in Compositional Techniques respectively. She continued to pursue professional training in piano with Maestro Vincenzo Balzani in Milan – Italy, leading to her active participation at various international piano competitions. Upon being conferred Associate of the Royal College of Music (ARCM) in London, she began to perform extensively in Europe and Asia, both as a soloist and in ensemble settings. In 2009, Josephine Koh was appointed ambassador for Bösendorfer Pianos of Vienna, Austria.
As a 21st century pianist, Josephine Koh was awarded 'Most Distinguished Musician' by the IBLA Foundation at the 24th International Music International Music Competition (2015); Laureate Diploma Winner at the International "Bartolomeo Cristofori" 2015 and Laureate Third Prize Winner at the "Gloria and Polyphonica" 2016 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her mentors notably include Tatyanna Lupikina, Dimitrii Schirin (St Petersburg), Michael Bulychev-Okser (USA), and Yuri Didenko (Moscow). With various appearances as concerto soloist with orchestras in Europe, her musical development continues with the great Russian masters - Vladimir Ovchinnikov and Dimitry Baskirov. The wealth of experiences led to the founding of Joyeux Music International which launches its first International Competition for Pianists in 2020. (For information, see https://www.joyeuxmusicinternational.com/). Josephine Koh is also the juror of various international piano competitions.
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In the field of Orchestral Conducting, Maestra Josephine Koh served as Artistic Director and Conductor at the Centre for the Arts, National University of Singapore (NUS) from 2006 to 2018. Having studied conducting under Denise Ham and George Hurst in the UK and later, with Ovidiu Balan in Romania at the International Conductors’ Academy (2011-12), Josephine Koh was instrumental in mentoring orchestral music arrangers in Singapore and providing educational support to musicians in the Singapore Arms Forces (SAF Band). Apart from conducting the award-winning NUS Harmonica Orchestra, her roles then under the NUS-CFA Talent Development Programme included structuring training programmes for undergraduates and directing various multi-media concerts and arts events. Maestra Koh’s local and overseas conducting appearances include accompanying vocal, instrumental works and creative theatre productions. In recent years, apart from concerts with the Bacau Philharmonic Orchestra, she conducted at the Alion Baltic International Music Festival 2018. Back in Singapore, she founded Joyeux Sinfonietta in 2019, a unique orchestra which specializes in accompanying soloists in concertos and vocal works.
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Ms Josephine Koh’s formative career in education started as a music tutor at the National University of Singapore and also lecturer of piano technique, harmony and counterpoint at the LaSalle - SIA College of the Arts. She became the Principal and Director of Josephine Koh Music Studio in the mid-1990s where she structured her educational programmes based on European conservatory ideals. Over the years, her teaching methodologies successfully trained several young talented pianists, aspiring music teachers and professionals. With musical excellence that prevails, Josephine Koh Piano Academy (since 2018) is renowned as a distinctive music school in Singapore that produces outstanding students and numerous diploma graduates. In keeping with the nation’s efforts to develop the arts, Ms Koh was invited by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports to speak at the ‘Personal Work-Life Effectiveness Seminar’. She continues to share her knowledge and experiences as a guest speaker at music events, masterclasses, seminars for music teachers and adjudicate piano and music-related competitions.
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Many musicians and students would have known Josephine Koh as the author of the popular theory series Practice in Music Theory Grades 1-8. An alumnus of Raffles Girls’ Secondary School and Raffles Junior College (now known as Raffles Institution), Josephine Koh graduated with Bachelor's degree in English and Management from The Open University (UK). In 2006, she became the Managing Director and Resident Author of Wells Music Publishers - a publishing house which produces materials that instil value in music education. Josephine Koh's signature publications are sold worldwide, used by students in preparation for music and entrance exams. A proficient speaker and presenter, Ms Koh often conduct seminars and workshops for music teachers in the Asia region. Her published works include:
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Practice in Music Theory (Grades 1-8)
Practice in Music Theory for the Little Ones (Books A & B) Rhythmatics Musical Forms and Terms Understanding Orchestration, The Orchestra and Its Instruments, Teachers' Choice, Selected Piano Repertory and Studies (copyrighted for ABRSM piano exams) Scales & Arpeggios-Fingering Method (Grades 1-8) Quick Study Practice for Piano Diploma Exams |
Josephine Koh as Jury in 14th International Chopin Competition in Hartford USA in 2023
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Related Links
1. Life as a Concert Pianist in Singapore, View PIANOMANIA by Dr Chang Tou Liang
Click link : Singapore's Bösendorfer Artist JOSEPHINE KOH Piano Recital
2. Centre for the Arts, National University of Singapore
- NUS Harmonica Orchestra , click link Publicity video 2010
Click link : Singapore's Bösendorfer Artist JOSEPHINE KOH Piano Recital
2. Centre for the Arts, National University of Singapore
- NUS Harmonica Orchestra , click link Publicity video 2010
YouTube Videos
