Tian Hui graduated in 2001 with a BMus in Composing and Conducting. Currently he is the Music Director of the Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra and Lectures in Music at Mount Holyoke College. In addition to this he conducts the Orchestra and Voices of the East Indies, back at his homeland of Singapore.
What is the best thing about your job?
“I feel very fortunate that I am able to make a living as a Musician! I think that has got to be the best part of what I am doing. I have just come out of a concert singing a Handel programme as part of the Yale Choral Artists with William Christie conducting, at Carnegie Hall. That was just one week after my own Carnegie Hall debut conducting the Young People's Chorus of New York. Whether it is exploring new music or revisiting old favourites, I get so much joy from working in and with Classical music!”
How did studying at Birmingham help you find your career?
“The diversity of experiences and opportunities at Birmingham, both at the University and the city at large was a transformative one for me. I was deeply moved by some of the music I heard as a student, and grateful to have had my eyes and ears open to whole new worlds of possibilities. Much of my subsequent work has been built upon those experiences. I think that with so many opportunities, it is important to take advantage of all that the programme has to offer: experiment, savour and enjoy them all! Having done that, finding one's niche and giving it a lot of focus and attention is the great challenge that often provides one with the foundation on which to build a life of music beyond university.”