Gu Wei (b. 1991) is a Singaporean composer whose music has been described as having ‘warmth of real splendour'. Having lived in China, the U.K., the U.S. and Germany, he draws his influences from a wide range of sources and is a composer demonstrating versatility in his style and idiom.

 

Gu Wei’s music has appeared in various occasions in Singapore and around the world, including performances and commissions by Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Alarm Will Sound, Singapore Wind Symphony, Peabody Symphony Orchestra, American Guild of Organists, The Philharmonic Winds, ADDO Chamber Orchestra, AudioImage Wind Ensemble, Princeton Pianists Ensemble and musicians of the JACK Quartet. Prizes received for his music include first prizes in WBAS Wind Band Composition Contest 2018, Macht Orchestral Composition Competition 2017, second prize in Prix d'Eté Competition 2016, and winner of the ‘Singapore Compose!’ Competition 2015. While studying overseas, his music has also been featured in festivals such as the Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik Darmstadt 2016, New Music On the Point Festival 2017, Etchings Festival 2018 and UNK New Music Festival 2020.

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Besides being a composer, Gu Wei is also a pianist who holds a Licentiate Diploma from Trinity College London. He is particularly interested in the toy piano recently, and have performed several times in Singapore and USA on the toy piano, focusing on contemporary repertoire written for it. In addition, Gu Wei is a founding member of the Play-Play Toy Ensemble, a New York-based ensemble which performs music written for toy instruments.

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Gu Wei is currently reading a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Composition at Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University with a full scholarship in the form of a graduate assistantship in music theory. He attained his Master’s degree in Composition and Music Theory Pedagogy at Peabody Conservatory, where he was also inducted as a member of the music honour society, Pi Kappa Lambda. He attained his Bachelor’s degree in Music at King’s College London, where he also received the Purcell Prize and Sambrooke Exhibition in Music Prize for academic excellence. His main composition teachers include Kevin Puts, Oscar Bettison, David Smooke, Rob Keeley and Zechariah Goh.

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Visit his website here: https://www.guweimusic.com/.