Award-winning baritone Howard Wong began vocal studies under Benjamin Luxon CBE whilst studying for his Bachelor and Master degrees at university. A scholarship then enabled him to pursue further studies at London Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he graduated with Distinction. Since then, opera, oratorio and recital appearances have taken him to The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, The Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall and other notable venues throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Particularly noted for his interpretations of C20th English composers, he has appeared in all major English song festivals and has recorded a CD music by Gerald Finzi which MusicWeb International described as: ...singing that is confident, assured and mature, reaching an intensity that many singers can’t.
Howard Wong has conducted a number of choirs, beginning with a spell as Chorusmaster and Assistant Conductor for the prestigious Chelsea Opera Group, where his predecessors have included conducting giants such as Sir Roger Norrington, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and Richard Hickox. Since moving to Dubai, Howard has led the Dubai Singers in seminal works such as Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem and Orff’s Carmina Burana. He is the Chorus Director of the National Symphony Orchestra of the UAE where he has prepared choruses of different sizes for performances ranging from Film music to Arabic popular songs to concerts with Andrea Bocelli, as well as more traditional repertoire.
Howard Wong founded his first orchestra during his very first year at university and has subsequently continued to develop his passion and skills as a conductor with numerous orchestra and ensembles in a diversity of repertoire ranging from Baroque Music to Contemporary works alongside some of the most exciting performers of today. He is currently the Chief Conductor of the Middle East Orchestra where he recently appeared with the orchestra at Dubai Coca-Cola Arena with violinist, Giovanni Andrea Zanon and Dubai Opera House with violinist, Chloe Hanslip for In-Classica International Music Festival, organised by SAMIT Productions.
Howard Wong has led Music Departments at numerous prestigious International Schools for over a decade where he has been developing music beyond the academic curriculum. He has directed ensembles of all manner and actively promoted his strong beliefs of Inclusivity in Music. As a private singer teacher, his students have achieved excellent results in examinations and competitions, many have gone onto exciting careers in the Music industry. Howard has adjudicated international competitions for organisations such as The Association of English Singers & Speakers and given many masterclasses and lecture-recitals for institutions such as Cambridge University. Howard is deeply committed to music education and seeks to offer everyone the opportunities to explore music wherever possible.