Founder and Director/ Guitar Ensemble Conductor
Dip. Music (LaSalle, Singapore), LTCL(UK) |
Mr. Michael Gaspar graduated from the LaSalle College of the Arts with a Diploma in Music in 1991. He also attained the Licentiate Teaching Diploma (Classical Guitar) from Trinity College of Music, London in the same year. He is currently pursuing the Fellowship, Trinity College of Music in Music Education.
Mr. Gaspar won the Grand Prix awards in the Singapore Guitar Festival 1985 and 1986 (Ensemble Section) and the Distinguished award in the Singapore Guitar Festival 1992 (Solo Classical Section) As a songwriter, he won the 1st Prize at the 1993 2nd Watabashi National Song-writing Competition, thereafter representing Singapore at the 1993 2nd Asian Watabashi Music Festival held in Seoul, South Korea. An accomplished and versatile classical guitarist, Mr. Gaspar has performed professionally as a soloist in concert recitals and with various musical groups in the local music and entertainment scene over the years. Since 1997, Mr. Gaspar has been renowned for the successes of many guitar ensembles under his charge, particularly with acclaimed standards in the Singapore Youth Festivals Central Judging of Guitar Ensembles. To date, a total of 22 Gold and Gold with Honours has been garnered by guitar ensembles under his musical direction and baton. Under the current SYF Arts Presentation since 2013, he continues to bring the guitar ensembles under his charge to impeccable standards with 10 distinctions attained by these guitar ensembles. The guitar ensembles are from: St. Joseph’s Institution - since 2006 Raffles Institution (Year 3 and 4) - since 1997 Raffles institution (Year 5 and 6) - since 2004 Anglo Chinese School (Independent) - since 2004 Victoria Junior College - since 1987 Paya Lebar Methodist Girls Secondary School - since 2002 St. Anthony's Canossian Secondary School - from 2000 - 2004 Chung Cheng High School (Main) - from 2004 - 2006 With his passion for music, the National Arts Council gave his pedagogical methods an endorsement under the Arts Education Programmes. In active partnership with the National Arts Council-Arts Education Programme (NAC-AEP) since 2002, Mr Gaspar continues to develop various music programmes which have contributed significantly to music education. These music programmes have received rave reviews from schools, junior colleges and polytechnics that have implemented them. “I Love My Ukelele”, a workshop programme and “Hawaii 5-0: Introducing The Beauty of Hawaiian Music, an assembly performance are his recent programmes that has contributed more to the variety of choices in arts enrichment for MOE schools. Having recently completed the NAC course on “Working and Facilitating the Learning of Children with Special Needs in the Arts” at the Social Services Training Institute, Mr. Gaspar’s guitar and ukulele programmes are now being facilitated in Special Education Schools namely, Pathlight School and Grace Orchard School. Mr. Gaspar currently leads and mentors a team of qualified guitar instructors who are contributing immensely to Singapore’s Guitar Ensemble community |
