Our people

Meet our people

Our educators bring ensemble experience, leadership on stage and a passion for community music.

Led by Music Director Louis Yeo and Conductor Yeo Jie Yuan, both of whom hold Master's degrees in Music Education and Music Leadership, our team guides learners towards performance through collaboration, not just solo drills.

Unlike schools that focus on individual lessons and exam preparation, TWA invites you into a musical journey that's communal, expressive and centred on the stage. You don't just learn music here; you live it, share it and perform it together.

A TWA conductor leading a sectional rehearsal for Finale 2026

The conductor leading TWA woodwind players in rehearsal

Louis Yeo, co-founder and music director, conducting a TWA band rehearsal

Co-founders

Our co‑founders

The Wind Academia was co-founded by two conductors and music educators, Louis Yeo and Yeo Jie Yuan. Both hold Master’s degrees in music, and together they lead TWA’s bands and faculty.

Louis Yeo

Co-Founder and Music Director

Louis Yeo is a conductor and music educator based in Singapore, known for his collaborations with internationally acclaimed musicians and ensembles. He is Resident Conductor of the National Institute of Education Winds (NIE Winds) and the Nanyang Polytechnic Symphony Wind Orchestra, and Associate Conductor of the Nanyang Polytechnic Symphony Orchestra.

He has led ensembles across Singapore, the United States and Japan, and has collaborated with multi-Grammy Award winner Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra. He has also worked closely with composers including Eric Whitacre, Philip Sparke and Frank Ticheli.

Louis holds a Master of Music (Education) from Kansas State University, where he specialised in music education with a focus on wind band conducting. He continues to inspire musicians of all ages, in Singapore and beyond.

Yeo Jie Yuan

Co-Founder and Conductor

Yeo Jie Yuan is a conductor and music educator with a Master of Music Leadership from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore. He is Associate Music Director of the PassionArts AudioImage Wind Ensemble, and teaches at Woodlands Ring Secondary, Maha Bodhi Primary and Bendemeer Primary schools.

In over 16 years of teaching and conducting, he has led school and community bands to Certificates of Distinction at the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation and Gold Awards at international band festivals. He is a regular conductor and clinician at band festivals in Singapore and Malaysia.

Jie Yuan sees wind bands as a way to build a close, lasting community, with a supportive home for musicians of every age and background.

Our team

Behind the scenes

Weona Lim

Marketing Manager

Weona is a clarinettist who combines performing with work behind the scenes. She has played in solo recitals, chamber ensembles and orchestras, and coordinates concert logistics and programming for The Wind Academia and Musicians' Initiative.

She also serves on the committees of international competitions such as the Singapore International Piano Competition and the Incheon Music Competition. A final-year student at NAFA, she balances artistry and management to create well-run, meaningful musical experiences.

Professional musicians

Faculty

Woodwind

Lee Wen Xiang

Woodwind Specialist · Flute

Wen Xiang is an experienced music educator and flautist. He holds a Master of Education (Music) from NTU-NIE and a First Class Honours Bachelor of Education (Instrumental and Vocal Teaching) from NAFA-RCM, where he received the Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal for the most outstanding degree graduate.

He teaches several school symphonic bands and is an Adjunct Lecturer and Winds Coordinator at NAFA's School of Music. He hopes to inspire students to contribute to Singapore's music scene, with values and character at the heart of his teaching.

Huang Xing Yang

Oboe

A graduate of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Xing Yang has performed with The Philharmonic Orchestra, Wayfarer Sinfonietta, Musicians' Initiative and the Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra. He is dedicated to nurturing each student's potential and personal growth through music.

Ryan Wee

Saxophone

Ryan graduated with a performance diploma from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts under Michellina Chan. He plays in several community bands and saxophone ensembles, and loves sharing the thrill of saxophone and ensemble playing with new musicians.

Tan Jing Kai

Clarinet · Flute

Jing Kai began his musical journey at the Yamaha Music School and is studying for a Diploma in Music at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. He has performed with the National Youth Winds, Singapore Wind Symphony and AudioImage Wind Ensemble.

That range of ensembles shapes his adaptable, empathetic teaching, so he connects with learners of every background and ability.

Yap Fang Yi

Clarinet

Fang Yi is a clarinet educator who teaches primary and secondary school wind bands alongside one-to-one lessons. She builds strong fundamentals while nurturing musical expression, so lessons are engaging and meaningful.

A final-year undergraduate at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts on full scholarship, she brings a reflective approach to teaching and hopes to inspire confidence, discipline and a lasting love of making music.

Xavier Tan

Saxophone

A NAFA diploma graduate and saxophonist, Xavier is passionate about teaching and sharing the art of saxophone playing. He has mentored many young students in Singapore alongside a performing career with a range of well-known ensembles.

Brass

Ng Jun Jie

Trombone

A trombonist from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Jun Jie was recently a featured soloist with the Anglo-Chinese School Wind Orchestra and performs regularly with The Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of the Music Makers and nWinds. He makes music accessible with simple, intuitive ways to teach and talk about musical ideas.

Nur Imaan

Trumpet

Imaan is a trumpeter graduating with a Bachelor of Music (Honours) from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts with the Royal College of Music. She has performed with The Philharmonic Orchestra and Musicians' Initiative across a wide range of concerts and repertoire.

Her thoughtful, adaptable teaching builds both technique and musical expression, so learners grow confident and engaged.

Shawn Yap

Tuba

Shawn holds a Bachelor's degree in Tuba Performance from Zurich University of the Arts and is Associate Principal Tuba with the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band. He was principal tubist of the ASEAN-Russia and Asian Youth Orchestras, has won soloist competitions, and played in the Orchestra Collective, which took top honours at the 2012 Singapore International Band Festival.

Tay Wei Yuan

Euphonium

A Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts graduate, Wei Yuan performs with the Lion City Brass Band, Philharmonic Winds and Ventus Band. He has travelled widely to hone his craft and loves sharing music with everyone he meets.

Percussion

Akhilesh Vellavan

Percussion

Akhilesh is a music major at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and plays in a range of ensembles. He finds fulfilment in coaching and sharing the joy of percussion with students of all ages.

Keyon Toh

Percussion · Drumset

Keyon is a percussion major at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. He plays in ensembles and teaches drumset and percussion to students of every age, bringing his passion for music to both his performing and his teaching.

Piano, guitar and pop

Mark Ang

Piano · Drumset · Pop ensemble

Mark is a music educator, percussionist and composer with a Diploma in Music Composition from NAFA and an ABRSM performance certificate. He teaches piano, drumset and percussion to all ages, adapting to each learner with his own arrangements of pop, rock and classical music.

With experience composing for ensembles and competitions, and in concert organisation and stage management, he connects technical skill with real performance.

Prasad Siva

Guitar and bass

Prasad is a guitarist studying for a Diploma in Contemporary Music at LASALLE College of the Arts. He teaches electric, acoustic and bass guitar to all ages and levels, across genres, to suit each student's interests and goals.

His lessons build strong technique, rhythm, phrasing and improvisation on a clear grasp of theory, in a supportive space that grows confidence and creativity.

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