Dr. Robert Casteels leads a distinguished professional career as conductor, educator, and composer.

 

He has conducted a repertoire of 600 works of operas, ballets and symphonic repertoire, ranging from the early classics to contemporary music, with more than 50 professional and Conservatory orchestras, mainly in Continental Europe, Asia, and Australia. He has also conducted first performances in festivals such as the Spoleto Festival (USA and Italy), Ars Musica (Brussels), Focus (New York), Wien Modern (Vienna), Donaueschingen and the Berlin Biennale (Germany). The youngest recipient and only the second musician ever, Robert received national affirmation of his talent and efforts in 2001 when he was awarded Belgium's highest cultural award, the Christoffel Plantin Prize.

 

After graduating from the Guildhall School of Music in London and Juilliard School in New York, Robert was appointed Staff Conductor at the Brussels Royal Opera House and Head of Conducting Studies at the Brussels Royal Music Conservatory.

 

While maintaining a high-profile conducting activity abroad, Robert chose Singapore as a home base in 1995, taking up permanent residency in 1996. Since then he has contributed tirelessly to Singapore's music scene as the driving force behind a range of artistic projects, and as a member of various arts-related committees.