Mr Shilong Ye
Conductor (On Leave)
Born in Shenzhen, China, Shilong Ye started piano at the age of 4 and conducing at the age of 12. He took up oboe and viola towards the end of his primary school years, and joined a concert band and two orchestras during his high school years. His love for music was especially shown in choral conducting during his high school years in China. On one occasion he conducted 600 students in a school arts festival. In 2004, Shilong entered the China National Youth Arts Competition and received a golden prize on final stage in English singing.
He came to Australia in 2005 and later finished Year 12 with the highest score in Music at Narrabundah College.
Beginning in 2006 Shilong studied the viola as a major and violin as an elective with Tor Fromyhr at ANU School of Music. He studied conducting with Max McBride and Dominic Harvey between 2007 and 2009, and he conducted the ANU School of Music Orchestra in a concert in September 2009.
Later that year Shilong was asked to fill in for conductors of the James McCusker Orchestra and Canberra Youth Orchestra under Canberra Youth Music, one of the major community music organizations in Canberra. Dominic Harvey and Rowan Martin Harvey are the chief conductors for these orchestras, and they have been respected mentors while Shilong was building his conducting skills within this organization. Shilong made his conducting debut with Canberra Youth Orchestra in 2011 at Lyneham High School Performing Arts Centre, conducted Slavonic Dances Op. 46 No. 5, 7 & 8 by Antonín Dvořák.
In 2009, Shilong was appointed as the Musical Director for Tuggeranong Valley Intermediate Band. Since 2011, He became the Musical Director for the Tuggeranong Valley Concert Band as well as the Intermediate Band. Shilong is committed to taking these bands to the Canberra community. He successfully conducted the Tuggeranong Valley Combined Band during the Lanyon Christmas Carols with the Sing Australia Choir lead by Colin Slater in 2009 before a reported audience of 3000. In 2013 Shilong led the Tuggeranong Valley Concert Band in the Australian National Eisteddfod and he received the “ACT Music Educators Network Conductors Encouragement Award”. He also maintained a record of the bands giving popular performances at local festivals such as Floriade, Tuggeranong Festival, Moon Festival and Tharwa Fair.
Since 2010, Shilong became the Musical Director of Rhythm Syndicate choir and he successfully led the group in the 30th, 31st & 32nd Merimbula Jazz Festival. Rhythm Syndicate sings mostly Jazz and Gospel music, with a mix of other genres including popular music and other arrangements for choirs. The group under Shilong celebrated its 20th Anniversary with a concert at the Belconnen Arts Centre in December 2010, attended by around 300. In 2011, Shilong took Rhythm Syndicate to the Australian National Eisteddfod and came second in the ACT Community Choirs category. In 2012, Shilong took Rhythm Syndicate to Canberra Theatre and performed before a full house in a concert celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Australia-China diplomatic relationship, performing 6 songs including two of which were in Mandarin. The performance was a huge success and Rhythm Syndicate has since proven to be capable of singing unique repertoire, including Chinese songs.
In 2010, Shilong was invited to be the Musical Director for Musica Da Camera Chamber Orchestra and conducted their 2nd concert season that year. Repertoire selected for that concert ranged from Baroque to 20th century music and the performance from the group was well received both in Canberra and in the nearby township of Braidwood. Shilong was then invited back to conduct Musica Da Camera for their last concert season in 2011.
In 2012, Shilong was appointed as the conductor for Canberra Youth Music String Ensemble. The ensemble performed a wide range of repertoire such as 1st movement from Mendelssohn’s String Symphony No.2 in D, arrangements of Bartok’s Romanian Dances and Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Corelli’s Christmas Concerto. Canberra Youth String Ensemble had performed on various stages in Canberra and the group won the Bands & Orchestras Silver Level for the Australian National Eisteddfod in 2012.
An audition for the Symphony Services International in 2011 has led Shilong to attend the mastercourses as an auditor with Christopher Seaman in 2012. The program covered repertoire such as Symphony No.7 by Dvorak, V by Carl Vine, Symphony No.88 by Haydn, Finlandia by Sibelius, Dumbarton Oaks by Stravinsky, and Violin Concerto No.2 by Prokofiev. The training has allowed Shilong to gain an insight into running professional orchestra rehearsals and the invaluable experience of learning from Maestro Christopher Seaman. Shilong participated another SSI program The Beat Starts Here in April 2013 led by Maestro Harry Spence Lyth and conducted a small ensemble of professional players covering repertoire such as Symphony No.1 by Beethoven, Symphony No.5 by Schubert, Mother Goose Suite by Ravel, Histoire du soldat by Stravinsky, and Concerto for Orchestra by Bartok.
As a performer, Shilong has been active in various events held in Australia. He was the principal violist of Canberra Youth Orchestra between 2005 and 2007 and he toured with the orchestra to Sydney Opera House during the 2007 Australian International Music Festival. He performed in 2009, 2010 and 2011 at the Canberra International Music Festival, and was involved in Australian premieres such as The Russian Seasons by Leonid Desyatnikov and Schubert Symphony No. 10 & 11 (conducted by John Harding), playing violin and viola. Shilong sang Chinese songs during the 2009 and 2014 National Multicultural Festival and he has often appeared as a solo vocalist in local celebrations of Chinese traditional festivals.