Visit to the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore

A few weeks before the site visit, the review team received the Self Evaluation Report (SER), a document written by the YST in accordance with MusiQuE's guidelines that served as an introduction to the institution. The site visit took place between the 11th and the 13th of March 2019. Most of the review team arrived in Singapore on the 9th, and on the 10th the chairman and secretary organised a meeting to share first impressions of the SER and to decide how to structure the site visit. In the evening we were introduced to the Dean of the YST Conservatory and had the pleasure of attending a concert in the Victoria Concert Hall. On the 11th, after a second preparatory meeting, we started the official meetings with the different stakeholders. First we met the senior management, and this allowed us to gain a general overview of the institution with a discussion of the wider and more general aspects of the SER. We were able to gather some of the key information that allowed us to understand and contextualise the whole site visit. The review team was then able to address more specific topics and build a clear and complete vision of the institution during the meetings with the other stakeholders. The review team met with faculty, the Governing Board, alumni, students, representatives of the profession and the YST Administration. Before and after each meeting the review team had the possibility to hold an internal discussion and share the information that each peer reviewer had collected and their impressions and discuss how we would like to continue the site visit.

The chair of the review team did a remarkable job in assuring that each meeting was conducted with the best possible attitude, explaining to the stakeholders the reason for and the aim of the review. The response of the different sections of the institution was extremely positive and collaborative. The student group deserves a special mention, as it positively surprised the review team with their active collaboration and genuine interest in taking part in this process.

After three days of intensive work the site visit concluded with a final meeting between the review team and the institution. During this feedback session the review team gave an overview of the YST’s main strengths and the most important points for further development identified during the site visit. After an introduction by the chairman, a lively and constructive conversation took place, providing a further opportunity to better contextualise certain aspects and characteristics of the institution. In the coming weeks the review team will produce a report on the site visit, which will be submitted to the MusiQuE board for a final evaluation of the procedure. I greatly appreciated the chance to visit such an institution. The review allowed me to get to know a completely new musical and cultural environment and was an inspiring and valuable experience.