Founder / Music Director / Principal Conductor
DAMIEN LIM YONG SENG
DipABRSM, NAC/NIE SpDip (Arts Ed), ATCL, ALCM, LGSMD (PPD), LRSM, FLCM, FRSA, M.Mus, D.Litt
Born into a family of musicians, Baba Damien received his early music training under the instruction of his late-Bandmaster Dad, Nicholas Lim. He was a member of the Singapore Schools Percussion Band & HeartBeat Percussion Band, then under Syed Ibrahim BHM (Percussion). He also studied the Yamaha electone organ with Maria Goh & Ronnie Tan, orchestral percussion with Lim Meng Keh, composition with John Howard (UK) & Eugene Dairianathan, conducting with John Hooper (Canada) & Chan Tze Law, handbells with Jun-Ichi Ozawa (Japan) & Kevin Ko (HK), & handbells+conducting with Emily Li (HK). He was also privileged to have had 1-to-1 masterclasses with Tamagoh (Drumset) & Evelyn Glennie (UK/Percussion), and conducting workshops with Maestros Tsung Yeh (Taiwan/SGP) & Toshikazu Yoshida (Japan).
Upon leaving Montfort Secondary School in 1993, Damien auditioned to be a member of the Singapore Youth Orchestra from 1994 – 1999 & was appointed Principal Percussionist in 1998. He also free-lanced for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Pops Orchestra & Singapore Chinese Orchestra and was a timpanist/percussionist with theatre musicals like ‘Chang & Eng’, ‘Beauty World’, ‘Fried Rice Paradise’, ‘ The Magic Box’, ‘ The Wizard of Oz’, ‘LKY’ & ‘Forbidden City’… He also conducted the band for Peranakan musicals like: Bibiks Go Broadway, Baba Nyonya Mari-Go-Round & Siapa Baba. Damien was Principal Timpanist / Percussionist with the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band from 1996 – 2002, a member of the World Youth Wind Orchestra in Austria in 2000 & the Deputy Conductor of the award-winning HeartBeat Percussion Band (Singapore) from 1998 - 2001. Damien also performs for pop concerts, accompanying Asian pop icons like David Tao, Kit Chan, Dick Lee, Olivia Ong & Taufik Batisah. He also performed under the batons of MAJ Tonni Wei, CPT Philip Tng, CPT Johnson Lee, Lim Yau, Choo Hoey, Lan Shui, Iskandar Ismail & Sydney Tan, just to name a few.
After 25 years of music making, Damien returned to school during the Covid-19 pandemic & currently holds a Masters in Music (2021) from the London College of Music (UK), University of West London, majoring in performance and teaching. He is currently pursuing his 2nd Master in Music (Leadership) at the National University of Singapore - Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.
He is conductor to 5 & advisor to 8 Primary & Secondary Schools Handbell Ensembles. His handbell teams, to-date, have achieved more than 31 SYF Distinctions, 9 Golds & 3 Gold with Honours awards for both Primary & Secondary School levels. Besides conducting handbells, he lectures at the Singapore Raffles Music College in Stage Management, Research Methods, Cultural Connections and Music Entrepreneurship.
Damien is also the Founding Festival Director of the SingBellz Fest, then-Singapore’s National Handbells Festival, Music Director for the Handbells Asia Festival 2010 in Melaka, Malaysia, as well as Music Consultant of the Asia International Handbell Festival 2009 & Consultant for the Singapore Handbell Festival 2018. More recently in 2018, he undertook the role of Music Director of the ExtraOrdinary Celebrations, a multi-disciplinary concert that celebrates inclusiveness and encourages collaboration between children with special needs and neuro-typical youths. He presently leads the ExtraOrdinary Light Orchestra (an ensemble comprising solely of persons with special needs) as its Music Director.
He is a regional handbell and percussion/drum competition adjudicator. In 2011, he was appointed Music Examiner with a Music Examinations Board and has made frequent appearances at the Asia Arts Festival in recent years.
In 2012, he assumed the appointment of Executive Director to the Handbell Ringers of Singapore Society (HRSG), and has led in the organising in 3 of the last 4 Singapore Handbell Festivals and also represented the HRSG as its nominated massed ringing conductor at the International Handbell Symposiums in Nashville' TN (USA) in 2022 & in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka (Japan) in 2024.
In 2007, Damien funded & founded the award-winning Ministry of Bellz (MOB), which was awarded the Gold with Honours at the Hong Kong International Handbell Olympics 2013. For his contributions to the local arts scene, he was nominated for the Singapore Youth Awards 2007, NAC Young Artist Award 2007 & 2011 & Spirit of Enterprise Award 2009. Damien is a recipient of the “Friend of the Arts Award” in 2012, 2014 & 2017 by the National Arts Council (NAC) as well as the “Exhibition Award” by the Trinity College of Music (UK) in 2005. He also received numerous awards from various schools for his active contribution in arts (music) education in the schools, including a “Most Inspiring Instructor Award 2014 & 2016” presented by Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) & the “Partnership Award” by PLMGS (Primary) more than 6 times.
In 2014, Damien was a recipient of the NAC’s funding to attend the 3rd intake of the NAC-NIE(I) Specialist Diploma in Arts Education at the National Institute of Education (International), and the 3rd intake of the NAC-SSI Working & Facilitating the Learning of Children with Special Needs in the Arts at the Social Service Institute. He concurrently began a career advancement to teach handchimes/coloured bells to persons with special needs in local special education (SPED) schools, after spending more than 26 years in mainstream schools. In 2022, he was a recipient of the NAC-SEPG funding to lead a team: to train and upskill the Ministry of Bellz staff, ringers and composers. This project resulted in the premiering of 10 new Singaporean handbell compositions by 10 young aspiring composers, and the discovery of 2 new Young Associate Conductors, from the ranks of the MOB. Under his mentorship, the young conductors produced and led the MOB-XV: Milestones concert in June 2022 at The Arts House, to a full-house crowd.
A well-travelled artiste/educator, Damien has performed, taught & conducted in no less than 25 countries, including UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Egypt, Turkey, France, USA, Brunei, Ireland, Austria. His signature workshop titles: PLINK PLANK PLUNK 1 & 2 (Malleting Topic) & GROOVE THE BELLZ WITH THE CAJON (Box-Drumming) are 2 popular sessions that still commands a demand, since its debut in 2011. In 2018, Damien established the MOB Publishing House, with its mission of “bringing Singaporean Handbell Music to the World”. His handbell-fusion arrangements of Di Tanjong Katong, It’s Time for Sayang Sayang (Love), PENG YAO / Friend of Mine & Bunga Sayang (My Lovely Flower), are being distributed worldwide by Jeffers, H'ing Publishing & MOB Publishing House. In 2023, with permission from Alfred Music, he co-arranged for handbells with the Yamaha STAGEA Electone and Percussion: the theme song of the 1983 film Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, together with 1 of his former-students, Jasmin Lim.
For his work in handbells development in Singapore, Damien was conferred a double “fellowship” by the Royal Society for the Arts (UK) & the London College of Music (UK) in 2014. More recently in 2023, he was conferred the honorary title: Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) by the ATU (USA), for his work (in handbells development) in Singapore.
A firm believer of self-directed learning & being a concerned Singaporean, Damien contributes actively to the learning & enjoyment of music making in students & in the development of handbell standards in Singapore. He constantly seeks to be “purposeful in pursuit of excellence” & advocates the importance of “inclusiveness, social integration & equality”.
His philosophy in arts education in the 21st century is:
"AN INNOVATIVE ARTISTE-EDUCATOR, GIVING EVERY CHILD A CHANCE TO LEARN, TO DISCOVER & TO ENJOY MAKING MUSIC."
Baba Damien, a 4th generation Peranakan-Teochew, is a follower of Christ. He enjoys sharing his music with the young and lives by his motto:
“To Educate, To Share, To Inspire, To Create, To Include”
www.damienlim.weebly.com
DipABRSM, NAC/NIE SpDip (Arts Ed), ATCL, ALCM, LGSMD (PPD), LRSM, FLCM, FRSA, M.Mus, D.Litt
Born into a family of musicians, Baba Damien received his early music training under the instruction of his late-Bandmaster Dad, Nicholas Lim. He was a member of the Singapore Schools Percussion Band & HeartBeat Percussion Band, then under Syed Ibrahim BHM (Percussion). He also studied the Yamaha electone organ with Maria Goh & Ronnie Tan, orchestral percussion with Lim Meng Keh, composition with John Howard (UK) & Eugene Dairianathan, conducting with John Hooper (Canada) & Chan Tze Law, handbells with Jun-Ichi Ozawa (Japan) & Kevin Ko (HK), & handbells+conducting with Emily Li (HK). He was also privileged to have had 1-to-1 masterclasses with Tamagoh (Drumset) & Evelyn Glennie (UK/Percussion), and conducting workshops with Maestros Tsung Yeh (Taiwan/SGP) & Toshikazu Yoshida (Japan).
Upon leaving Montfort Secondary School in 1993, Damien auditioned to be a member of the Singapore Youth Orchestra from 1994 – 1999 & was appointed Principal Percussionist in 1998. He also free-lanced for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Pops Orchestra & Singapore Chinese Orchestra and was a timpanist/percussionist with theatre musicals like ‘Chang & Eng’, ‘Beauty World’, ‘Fried Rice Paradise’, ‘ The Magic Box’, ‘ The Wizard of Oz’, ‘LKY’ & ‘Forbidden City’… He also conducted the band for Peranakan musicals like: Bibiks Go Broadway, Baba Nyonya Mari-Go-Round & Siapa Baba. Damien was Principal Timpanist / Percussionist with the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band from 1996 – 2002, a member of the World Youth Wind Orchestra in Austria in 2000 & the Deputy Conductor of the award-winning HeartBeat Percussion Band (Singapore) from 1998 - 2001. Damien also performs for pop concerts, accompanying Asian pop icons like David Tao, Kit Chan, Dick Lee, Olivia Ong & Taufik Batisah. He also performed under the batons of MAJ Tonni Wei, CPT Philip Tng, CPT Johnson Lee, Lim Yau, Choo Hoey, Lan Shui, Iskandar Ismail & Sydney Tan, just to name a few.
After 25 years of music making, Damien returned to school during the Covid-19 pandemic & currently holds a Masters in Music (2021) from the London College of Music (UK), University of West London, majoring in performance and teaching. He is currently pursuing his 2nd Master in Music (Leadership) at the National University of Singapore - Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.
He is conductor to 5 & advisor to 8 Primary & Secondary Schools Handbell Ensembles. His handbell teams, to-date, have achieved more than 31 SYF Distinctions, 9 Golds & 3 Gold with Honours awards for both Primary & Secondary School levels. Besides conducting handbells, he lectures at the Singapore Raffles Music College in Stage Management, Research Methods, Cultural Connections and Music Entrepreneurship.
Damien is also the Founding Festival Director of the SingBellz Fest, then-Singapore’s National Handbells Festival, Music Director for the Handbells Asia Festival 2010 in Melaka, Malaysia, as well as Music Consultant of the Asia International Handbell Festival 2009 & Consultant for the Singapore Handbell Festival 2018. More recently in 2018, he undertook the role of Music Director of the ExtraOrdinary Celebrations, a multi-disciplinary concert that celebrates inclusiveness and encourages collaboration between children with special needs and neuro-typical youths. He presently leads the ExtraOrdinary Light Orchestra (an ensemble comprising solely of persons with special needs) as its Music Director.
He is a regional handbell and percussion/drum competition adjudicator. In 2011, he was appointed Music Examiner with a Music Examinations Board and has made frequent appearances at the Asia Arts Festival in recent years.
In 2012, he assumed the appointment of Executive Director to the Handbell Ringers of Singapore Society (HRSG), and has led in the organising in 3 of the last 4 Singapore Handbell Festivals and also represented the HRSG as its nominated massed ringing conductor at the International Handbell Symposiums in Nashville' TN (USA) in 2022 & in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka (Japan) in 2024.
In 2007, Damien funded & founded the award-winning Ministry of Bellz (MOB), which was awarded the Gold with Honours at the Hong Kong International Handbell Olympics 2013. For his contributions to the local arts scene, he was nominated for the Singapore Youth Awards 2007, NAC Young Artist Award 2007 & 2011 & Spirit of Enterprise Award 2009. Damien is a recipient of the “Friend of the Arts Award” in 2012, 2014 & 2017 by the National Arts Council (NAC) as well as the “Exhibition Award” by the Trinity College of Music (UK) in 2005. He also received numerous awards from various schools for his active contribution in arts (music) education in the schools, including a “Most Inspiring Instructor Award 2014 & 2016” presented by Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) & the “Partnership Award” by PLMGS (Primary) more than 6 times.
In 2014, Damien was a recipient of the NAC’s funding to attend the 3rd intake of the NAC-NIE(I) Specialist Diploma in Arts Education at the National Institute of Education (International), and the 3rd intake of the NAC-SSI Working & Facilitating the Learning of Children with Special Needs in the Arts at the Social Service Institute. He concurrently began a career advancement to teach handchimes/coloured bells to persons with special needs in local special education (SPED) schools, after spending more than 26 years in mainstream schools. In 2022, he was a recipient of the NAC-SEPG funding to lead a team: to train and upskill the Ministry of Bellz staff, ringers and composers. This project resulted in the premiering of 10 new Singaporean handbell compositions by 10 young aspiring composers, and the discovery of 2 new Young Associate Conductors, from the ranks of the MOB. Under his mentorship, the young conductors produced and led the MOB-XV: Milestones concert in June 2022 at The Arts House, to a full-house crowd.
A well-travelled artiste/educator, Damien has performed, taught & conducted in no less than 25 countries, including UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Egypt, Turkey, France, USA, Brunei, Ireland, Austria. His signature workshop titles: PLINK PLANK PLUNK 1 & 2 (Malleting Topic) & GROOVE THE BELLZ WITH THE CAJON (Box-Drumming) are 2 popular sessions that still commands a demand, since its debut in 2011. In 2018, Damien established the MOB Publishing House, with its mission of “bringing Singaporean Handbell Music to the World”. His handbell-fusion arrangements of Di Tanjong Katong, It’s Time for Sayang Sayang (Love), PENG YAO / Friend of Mine & Bunga Sayang (My Lovely Flower), are being distributed worldwide by Jeffers, H'ing Publishing & MOB Publishing House. In 2023, with permission from Alfred Music, he co-arranged for handbells with the Yamaha STAGEA Electone and Percussion: the theme song of the 1983 film Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, together with 1 of his former-students, Jasmin Lim.
For his work in handbells development in Singapore, Damien was conferred a double “fellowship” by the Royal Society for the Arts (UK) & the London College of Music (UK) in 2014. More recently in 2023, he was conferred the honorary title: Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) by the ATU (USA), for his work (in handbells development) in Singapore.
A firm believer of self-directed learning & being a concerned Singaporean, Damien contributes actively to the learning & enjoyment of music making in students & in the development of handbell standards in Singapore. He constantly seeks to be “purposeful in pursuit of excellence” & advocates the importance of “inclusiveness, social integration & equality”.
His philosophy in arts education in the 21st century is:
"AN INNOVATIVE ARTISTE-EDUCATOR, GIVING EVERY CHILD A CHANCE TO LEARN, TO DISCOVER & TO ENJOY MAKING MUSIC."
Baba Damien, a 4th generation Peranakan-Teochew, is a follower of Christ. He enjoys sharing his music with the young and lives by his motto:
“To Educate, To Share, To Inspire, To Create, To Include”
www.damienlim.weebly.com
