Firmly anchoring the foundation of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO)’s brass section is Tomoki Natsume, a musician whose path to the stage was far from conventional. Before joining the SSO as Principal Tuba, Tomoki studied economics and first began his career working in a bank in Osaka – a world far removed from the concert stages he takes today.
From Long Office Hours to Late-Night Practices
Each morning, Tomoki would wake up before 5.30am and board a crowded train for the 1.5-hour ride into the city, beginning a workday at the bank that stretched from 8.30am to anywhere between 7.30pm and 9.00pm – followed by another long commute home. Only then, after dinner and a shower, would he faithfully pick up his tuba and play for an hour, often past midnight, before resting for the next day.
This discipline to practice was, at the time, driven less by ambition, and more by a love for music-making that allowed him to unwind.
It wasn’t about becoming a better musician then. Playing the tuba helped me to relieve stress.
Tomoki had always loved music, having played the tuba since the age of thirteen. But when the time came to choose a career, the path before him seemed already written. His father, like many traditional Asian parents, believed that music was too uncertain a pursuit and encouraged him to pursue a degree in economics instead. By the time university graduation approached, Tomoki felt the pull of practicality even more strongly. Faced with a stable job offer, Tomoki eventually accepted that music would remain just a hobby.
I thought it was too late to become a musician.
Still, the pull of music never left him. What began as a high-school pastime became a quiet constant through his years in university and the bank. When most would have set aside their instruments, Tomoki held on – perhaps not yet realising that these late-night hours carved out with dedication would lead him somewhere entirely new.
A Turning Point
Though he was not actively pursuing a musical career, Tomoki continued to play and occasionally attended masterclasses – one of which would change his life. There, he met Dutch tubist Anne Jelle Visser, professor at the Zurich University of the Arts, who recognised his potential in tuba performance. When he told Visser, “I thought it was too late,” the professor replied:
How could you think that? It’s never too late to study music.
Those words stayed with him. Encouraged by Visser’s belief, Tomoki made the bold decision to leave his secure job and move halfway across the world to study in Zurich. His mother supported him wholeheartedly; his father, though uncertain at first, came to accept it once he saw how determined Tomoki was. “It was always music, music, music for me,” he says with a smile. “I think my father finally gave up trying to change my mind.”
Finding His Rhythm in Zurich
Arriving in Zurich, Tomoki was struck by the skill and dedication of his classmates. The environment was competitive, yet also deeply motivating, learning alongside peers who were driven to forge successful performance careers. Being surrounded by musicians who were equally committed gave him a clearer picture of his own professional path. For the first time his direction as a musician, which had once felt uncertain, began to feel tangible. He could quickly see the skills he needed to develop, and the steps required to get there.
To develop his artistry, Tomoki took part in many orchestra festivals, including the Lucerne Festival Orchestra Academy (2017), the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra (2017), the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra (2018) and the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra (2019). These experiences offered him practical orchestral training and prepared him for auditions, paving the way for his future in music. At the same time, he pursued solo performance, achieving recognition in competitions such as being named finalist at the Citta di Porcia Tuba Competition (2016), 2nd Prizewinner (Tuba Category) at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory’s International Competition of Performers on Wind and Percussion Instruments (2017), and 3rd Prizewinner at the Japan Wind & Percussion Competition (2019) – further honing his skills and laying the groundwork for his professional career.
From Zurich to Singapore
During his third year in Zurich, Tomoki came across an audition notice for the SSO. Openings for tuba positions are rare, and the opportunity immediately caught his attention.
His trip to Singapore for the audition left a strong impression. He felt at ease with its blend of cultures, and even the audition repertoire seemed serendipitously familiar. Coincidentally, it was the very first orchestral work he had played as part of his youth orchestra back in Japan. He chuckles, recalling the moment. “It felt like destiny.”
Though he enjoyed living in Zurich, he also missed aspects of Asian life, from the culture to the food. The audition offered both a professional opportunity and a chance to reconnect to a more familiar world. When the results came, Tomoki learned he had been offered the position of Principal Tuba. All the years of late-night practice and perseverance, from Japan to Zurich, had led him to this stage.
Life with SSO
Now well-settled in Singapore, Tomoki has grown used to the rhythms of orchestral life and the acoustics of the Esplanade Concert Hall. “I really like being here, the hall, the section – everything feels comfortable now.”
One of his most memorable performances came during the SSO’s tour to Japan, in Kyoto where his family attended the concert. “My father didn’t say much,” he recalls, “but I could feel that he was happy.”
Having joined the SSO shortly before COVID-19 pandemic measures greatly disrupted live events, he also shares that a particularly impactful concert was Shostakovich with Hans Graf and Nikolay Didenko (31 March 2022). “That concert was our first big symphonic performance since the COVID shutdown. I can’t forget that joy of coming back onstage.”
When asked what advice he would give to those considering a change of path, his answer is thoughtful but firm.
Anybody can make it if they keep pursuing it. It’s not easy – you have to give up a lot of time. But if you really love what you do, it doesn’t feel painful. For me, playing the tuba was my biggest hobby. Maybe I was lazy to study sometimes, but never to practice.
In Zurich, his economics background was often the main thing he could share with others. Now, it’s no longer the only notable chapter of his life. “It’s nice to have a story to tell,” he says.
Looking back, Tomoki’s journey from the world of banking in Japan to the concert stage in Singapore is a reminder that it is never too late to follow what truly matters. What began as a quiet escape has become a lifelong calling that continues to shape his music and his calm, steady presence anchoring the SSO.
