Eugene Seow

Bass

Award-winning multi-instrumentalist Eugene Seow embarked on his musical journey at the age of 6, learning classical piano. Displaying an innate gift for music, he subsequently learnt percussion at the age of 15, thereafter discovering the drum set at 17. Not content with this, Eugene's zest for lifelong betterment led him to self-teach the electric bass - and later the upright bass - a few more years down the road. During his residency in NYC, he became enamoured with a variety of world percussion instruments such as the tabla, pandeiro, congas, riqq, darbuka and more, practicing them religiously for a time. He has incredible versatility of music genres and in any ensemble whether it be big band, combo band, symphonic band, orchestra or even marching band. Eugene's virtuosity on a number of instruments lent well to his training and studies towards being an arranger and composer; he has written for an astonishing number of configurations which include Combo Bands, 5 Horn Jazz Bands, Jazz Big Band, String Quartet, Symphony Orchestra, A Capella, and even hybrid ensembles. When Eugene is not busy with musical endeavours, he can be found embracing wellness. The avid yogi is also a registered yoga teacher and can be found sharing his practice in studios around the neighbourhood. Eugene also has a passion for long distance running, having completed a number of half marathons – he believes that a healthy body is quintessential to sublime musical execution!

On top of being rich with real world musical encounters, Eugene is also highly qualified. Armed with Grade 8 Theory from ABRSM, he went on to accumulate 3 performances diplomas: a DipRSL in Electric Bass from RSL Awards, a DipABRSM in Piano from ABRSM and an LTCL in Drum Kit from Trinity College London. Eugene then attended the Berklee College of Music and graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Summa Cum Laude) degree, wielding dual Majors in Jazz Composition and Professional Music with a Minor in Music and Society (Global Studies track). Furthering his studies in New York City, Eugene attended the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College and obtained a Master of Music in Jazz Studies. He is heavily influenced by the jazz idiom, listening to both masters of old like Louis Armstrong as well as contemporary geniuses such as Brad Mehldau with great gusto. Outside of jazz, Eugene finds enjoyment in listening to the complex rhythms of flamenco and the intricate harmonies of fusion as well.

Eugene’s wealth of experience also extends to having shared the stage with some of the world’s most celebrated jazz musicians such as Samuel Torres (Second place winner of the Thelonius Monk International Jazz Competition), Terence Blanchard (5 Grammy wins and 13 nominations), Dr. Lonnie Smith (2017 NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship recipient) and Cecile Mclorin Savant (2010 winner of the Thelonius Monk International Jazz Competition) among others. He has also had the good fortune of studying with greats such as, but not limited to: David Berkman (harmony), Greg Hopkins & Michael Mossman (composition and arranging), Gary Burton (improvisation), Bill Charlap (ensemble), Mark Walker (drum set), and Rogerio Boccato (percussion). During his academic and professional career, Eugene has received numerous accolades: prior to even starting his musical studies, Eugene was chosen to perform at an ABRSM High Scorers Concert on Jazz Piano and was also a Singapore Drum Fest 2008 quarter-finalist. He eventually arrived at Berklee with 2 scholarships: the Berklee North American Scholarship Tour and Berklee Writing and Composition Scholarship. As time went on, he received both top awards from his majors: The Duke Ellington Award and the Benny Golson Award for jazz composition and The Pro Music Academic and Performance Excellence Award for professional music. He also received a commendable “top 5” award from the percussion department despite not being a performance major, The Steve Gadd Award. Eugene also has had works selected for the Best of Jazz Composition concert twice, as well as a string quartet work being chosen to be premiered by the Esterhazy Quartet. During his New York stint, he also made it as a Blue Man Group New-York Drum-Off Semi Finalist. Possessing the experience of performing at places like The Esplanade, Wally’s Jazz Cafe in Boston, Bar Next Door in Manhattan and many more, Eugene also has had his compositions and arrangements performed by laudable groups like the Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra and at high profile places such as Lincoln Centre.​

Eugene maintains a presence in the performance circuit while cultivating his career in academia at various institutions. The small pool of private students that he selectively keeps also brings him great meaning, for, indeed, a craft so well learned must be passed down for generations to come.