Workshop: First Jazz Encounters in the Classroom

Composer, conductor, bassist Dr. Tony Makarome is Associate Professor at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (NUS). He studied at Berklee College of Music (composition) and received his doctorate from University of South Carolina (orchestral conducting). He was assistant conductor of the Columbia Lyric Opera (South Carolina), and music director of NUS Wind Symphony. His teachers include George Monseur, Attilio Poto, Robert Spano, Miroslav Vitous, Herb Pomeroy, K.R. Shyama, T.R. Sundaresan, R. Karthikeyan. He is currently a mridangam student of Guru Chettiharaveetil Haridas Sreekanth (Singapore Indian Fine Art Society).

His Indian music themed Jewel of Srivijaya (2019) was premiered by SSO. Other notable compositions include Rain Konnakkol (2018) premiered in Baltimore, What Pattern? (2016) in New York City, Scifi Lounge (2006) in Bangkok and Name with No Street in Shanghai and his opera, Faybulous at Pawley’s Island Music Festival. His arrangements of Seven Steps to Heaven and Asiana were performed by Singapore Chinese Orchestra and China Broadcasting Folk Orchestra (Beijing).

As a bassist, he performed with Louis Bellson, Quartet West (Ernie Watts, Alan Broadbent) amongst others. He is bassist/composer in the jazz-rock band, Varsha. He also performed as a mridangist in Chennai and Carnegie Hall and is a leading pedagogue of solfège and jazz. He has also published a popular article about konnakkol in music teaching in the Malaysian Music Journal. In 2019, he completed his diploma at the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society in Carnatic music studies (mridangam) and received the Vadya Visharad Award as top graduate of mridangam.