Ong Jiin Joo’s Music Bio ’06

Recently I’ve received multiple requests for my bio, which makes me realize that I don’t really have one for my music life, and the so called “bio” on my website is really too verbose and hello-kitty for any formal thing. Instead of rewriting over and over again, I’m going to write it here once, hopefully it’ll be good for the next year or so.

Ong Jiin Joo
Ong Jiin Joo, a native Malaysian currently residing in Singapore is working at Singapore Computer Systems as a Technology Evangelist. He began playing the piano at age 4 and the trombone at 10. His has had no formal lessons in trombone, although his major influence came from Eric Lee Yin Fah, currently Principle Trombone with the National Symphony Orchestra, Malaysia.

Jiin Joo is currently playing in The Philharmonic Orchestra, the Singapore Lyric Opera Orchestra, and the Philharmonic Winds in Singapore. He has also been with the Singapore Youth Orchestra (now SNYO), Petaling Jaya Youth Symphonic Band and Peninsular Youth Symphony under the direction of Lim Yau and Eric Lee respectively. When he was in the United States doing his degrees, he also performed with the CMU Jazz Ensemble, the Stanford Symphony Orchestra, and the Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra. He has also freelanced with Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Kuala Lumpur Symphony Orchestra and Jonathan Lee (Li Zhong Sheng)’s touring band just to name a few.

Jiin Joo took up music arrangement through self-learning since the age of 13. He predominantly writes for the symphonic band and brass ensembles, and his works have been performed by bands including the Philharmonic Winds, Petaling Jaya Youth Symphonic Band, and many schools including his alma mater Hwa Chong Junior College Band, and Catholic High School Band (Petaling Jaya), who won the national Pesta Pancaragam in year 2000 together with his arrangement of P. Ramlee’s Bunyi Guitar. Ironically, his most heard work is in the Mandarin pop-music arena as part of a short stint with then yet-to-be famous Ah Niu in his Ah Niu Yu Ah Hua De Gu Shi, which won the best musical arrangement for the 1995 Halo Song Writing Competition. PJYSB has also performed his Malay Folk Symphony in 1997 at the Japan International Youth Music Festival, while the PYS toured peninsular Malaysia with his arrangement of the 1996 Olympic theme “Summon the Heros”. He has since worked closely with many music education groups like Nanyang Polytechnic Symphony Orchestra, Maris Stella Secondary School Band, Hwa Chong Institution and Anderson Junior College Band to provide customized sheet music, and contributes regularly to SibeliusMusic.com, online music publishing.

Is that a mouthful? I know, it’s long, but short is easy, just pick the sentences you like and leave the rest behind. Oh ya, the photo… that’s hard. I still haven’t cured my pimples yet. Will edit this post shortly to add the picture. Picture for bio. These probably won’t do…

or or

Turns out that this is the best one I can find:

Anyone wants to take a professional picture for me for free?


Some publicity before I end.

Concerts
  1. 8, 9 Dec: Singapore Lyric Opera’s All That Jazz : http://www.singaporeopera.com.sg/0002/0001.html#04
  2. 22 Dec: The Philharmonic Tuba Quartet A Touch Of Christmas: http://www.philharmonicwinds.org
  3. 21 Jan: The Philharmonic Wind’s An Evening with John Boyd : http://www.philharmonicwinds.org/

Come one come all! 🙂

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