YST is pleased to announce the appointment of YST alumnus Jonathan Shin as Assistant Professor.

Jonathan’s appointment marks a new chapter in his longstanding relationship with the Conservatory. Since graduating from YST, he has remained closely connected with the community as Artist Faculty and through his artistic practice with YST Ensemble-in-Residence Lorong Boys.

As Assistant Professor, Jonathan will contribute to teaching and curriculum development, with a focus on fostering collaborative practice across the Conservatory. He will work closely with students, faculty and partners to develop artistic projects and learning opportunities that connect different areas of musical practice, while building relationships with practitioners and organisations across Singapore’s arts and cultural landscape.

A pianist, composer and improviser, Jonathan brings a wide-ranging professional and artistic practice to his new role. Alongside his work at YST, he will continue his artistic practice, bringing these experiences and perspectives into his teaching and engagement with the Conservatory community.

About Jonathan Shin 

Jonathan Shin (b. 1992) performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, as well as composes and improvises across multiple genres and styles. A prizewinner of Singaporean and international piano competitions, he has been awarded top prizes across all age categories of the National Piano and Violin Competition. At 16, he made his concerto debut with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra; the following year, Jonathan became the youngest winner of the concerto competition at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.

Jonathan began composing professionally in 2015, starting with his song cycle for countertenor The Other Merlion and Friends, which was critically reviewed as “probably the most compelling and worthwhile new work from any Singaporean composer in recent years.” (The Straits Times). In the last decade, his solo, chamber, vocal, and orchestral works have taken flight and lives of their own overseas. In 2024, his large-scale opera Beacon (Phase 1) premiered locally; it is in development towards a fully-staged production with The Opera People. More recently, Jonathan’s piano concerto Child of the Shore premiered to critical acclaim, with Bachtrack headlining it as “a Singapore landmark” and The Straits Times concluding that “a repeat performance cannot come soon enough.”

Jonathan collaborates closely as pianist and composer with many local and international ensembles ranging from instrumental outfits, youth and adult orchestras, choral groups to dramatic companies, with the sole aim of uplifting his community with his experience and music. He also conducts improvisation and compositional workshops, and coaches large-ensemble productions with tertiary and secondary institutions. He holds a doctoral degree in classical composition under the tutelage of Kevin Puts. He is a founding member of Singapore-based multi-genre quintet, the Lorong Boys.