The Guitar Ensemble of NUS (GENUS) was founded in 1981. Under the baton of its conductor, Mr Alex Abisheganaden, the 50-member strong ensemble has a wide repertoire ranging from major classical works to jazz and traditional folk music.

The region's first Niibori guitar orchestra - GENUS reveals its uniqueness in its exploration of varying shades and tonalities through a special set of Niibori guitars with varying pitch.

In addition to its annual concert which is always performed to a full-house, some other previous engagements include a concert tour to Penang, the Singapore Arts Festival, FM 92.4's 10th Anniversary Celebration, the ASEAN University Games, the Charity Gala Ball, as well as lunchtime concerts held on campus.

GENUS has bagged awards in local guitar competitions namely the 2nd prize for Ensemble section at the 5th Annual Guitar Competition (1989) of the Singapore Classical Guitar Society and the 1st Distinguished Award for Ensemble Section at the 1990 Singapore Guitar Festival.

The Ensemble has also been able to improve itself musically and technically through a number of masterclasses conducted by renowned guitarists such as Professor Kiyoshi Koyama (Japan) and Professor József Eötvös(Hungary).

In 2006 and 2007, GENUS also embarked on historic firsts by venturing overseas to Japan and Germany respectively. In its 2006 cross-country trip to Japan, GENUS members were given the honour of performing to Niibori-method and school founder, Dr Hiroki Niibori at the Niibori School Festival in Fujisawa. Members also participated in a music exchange programme with the Tsu Guitar Ensemble and Mie University and performed in a joint concert with the Tsu Guitar Ensemble.

In 2007, GENUS visited Germany to compete in the International Guitar Festival held in the small town of Rheine. Holding their own against the stronger and highly impressive guitar ensembles hailing from various parts of Europe, Genus was still able to bag the 4^th Prize at the festival. Members who participated in the competition were also able to immerse themselves in special guitar master-classes and workshops held in conjunction with the festival.

Formed in 2005 by alumni member and Xpose conductor Mr Ow Leong San, Xpose is a mini-ensemble made up of GENUS alumni members who continue to remain committed towards ensemble-playing, improving their musicality and contributing to GENUS at the same time. Boasting a diverse repertoire of works, Xpose has performed to full-house audiences at GENUS concerts and to appreciative audiences at small engagements as well. Xpose has also head-lined its own concerts both on and off-campus. In 2008, the mini-ensemble had the pleasure of presenting its own concert to a full-house crowd as part of Esplanade’s Theatres on the Bay “Beautiful Sundays” Programme.

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.

Mr. Alex Abisheganaden is GENUS's Founder, and Resident Conductor. In 1986, he introduced the Niibori guitars to the Ensemble. Since then, GENUS has been performing with these instruments in their vastly popular annual concerts.

He has been one of Singapore's best-known musician and stage personality having excelled as a guitarist, singer, double bassist, conductor and actor in drama, musicals and operas. He has shown other facets of his talent in his capability as a writer, composer and music adjudicator.

Mr. Abisheganaden founded the Singapore Classical Guitar Society in 1967 and remained at its helm for twenty five years during which the guitar fraternity enjoyed enrichment programmes by way of concerts, workshops, camps, master classes, expositions.

Incidentally, he is one of a few in the world who had the privilege to study the guitar with the inimitable genius John Williams. He is today, Singapore's only representative in the International Guitar Orchestra Association that has its headquarters in Hawaii.

In 1988, in recognition of his leadership and involvement in music in Singapore as performer, teacher, adjudicator and impressario; he was awarded our government's prestigious Cultural Medallion.

In 1998, he also received the COMPASS Meritorious Award from the Composers & Authors Society of Singapore.