Mr Natsume Tomoki moved to Singapore in 2020 after being accepted at the SSO, but once upon a time he was a salaryman working in a bank in his hometown of Osaka. He graduated with a Bachelor of Economics in 2015 at the Kwansei Gakuin University - a path which was chosen out of practicality - but music had never left Mr Natsume's life, having played the tuba since he was 13 years old.

Despite his long work hours at the bank, he would always find time to play the tuba and occasionally attended masterclasses. For him, playing the tuba was a stress reliever and a passion which he had faithfully nurtured throughout high school and university. He thought that it was too late for him to become a professional musician - but fate had other plans.

A chance meeting with a professor at the Zurich University of the Arts encouraged him to make the bold decision to leave his stable job in 2016 and move across the globe to study in Zurich. While Mr Natsume's father was uncertain about his decision at first, he eventually warmed up to it after seeing how determined he was at pursuing his dreams.

It was in his third year in Zurich when Mr Natsume came cross an audition notice for the SSO.The notice immediately caught his attention as openings for tuba positions are rare. At that time, the SSO had just celebrated their 40th year anniversary, cementing their position as a world-class orchestra. Mr Natsume's disciplined efforts came into fruition when he received an offer for the position of Principal Tuba in 2020. Notably, his predecessor, Mr Fujita Hidehiro, is also a Japanese musician and had been with the SSO since 2009.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic measures grealy disrupted live musical performances, it did not deter Mr Natsume. Entering into his 6th year in 2026, he has since become a familiar presence within the brass section of the SSO and has even been involved in their community outreach programmes.

Read on for JCC's interview with Mr Natsume Tomoki about the choices he made to get to where he is today as Principal Tuba of the SSO. You may also watch our short video of Mr Natsume Tomoki doing a quick-fire Q&A and playing a familiar local folk song on his tuba!

Q: The tuba is an uncommon instrument so could you tell us how you got into playing the tuba?

A: My older brother was in the school wind band, and I also joined the band when I was junior high school. I actually hoped to play the oboe first, but my band teacher assigned me to the tuba.

兄が吹奏楽部に入っていたこともあり、私も中学校で入りました。オーボエを希望していましたが、顧問の先生にチューバを与えられました。

Q: According to your bio on SSO’s website, you graduated with a Bachelor of Economics in 2025, but went to Zurich to study music in 2016, how did you decide to make the jump?

A: For a long time, music was simply a hobby for me, but I always had a desire to study music seriously. When I was thinking my career in university, I asked myself what I truly wanted to do with my life. I realised that I wanted to make a choice I would not regret on my deathbed, and that led me to decide to pursue music.

長い間音楽はただの趣味でしたが、音楽を勉強したいという想いはずっと 持っていました。就職活動の際に自分が本当にしたいことは何なのかを自問 自答し、死ぬ時に後悔をしない選択をしたいという思いから音楽を勉強する決 意をしました。

Q: Could you share with us the process of how you ended up working in Singapore with SSO and how has Singapore changed you as a musician?

A: There are generally only one or two tuba positions in an orchestra, so job openings themselves are quite rare. When the SSO vacancy was announced, I had never been to Singapore before, but I decided to apply. After going through the auditions, I was eventually offered the position.

Having lived in Switzerland for about three and a half years, I strongly felt the multicultural and multi-ethnic nature of Singapore. Because of that, I don't feel I'm living as a foreigner in this country. I believe that the sense of mental comfort and stability I feel here has also had a positive influence on my music.

チューバは基本的にオーケストラに一つのポジションしかありません。そのため募集自体が珍しく、SSOの募集が出た時はシンガポールに来たこともありませんでしたが応募しました。その後オーディションを経て運よく採用されました。

約3年半スイスで生活していた時よりもシンガポールは多文化多民族なこともあり、外国人として暮らしているという実感がありません。心の余裕や穏やかさは音楽にも影響していると思います。

Q: We heard that you are involved in charity work with children, can you let us know more about that and how you got into it?

A: Through my work with the SSO, I occasionally have opportunities to perform for children, such as through the SSO's Concerts for Children series and community outreach programmes, including performing with the SSO Brass Quintet at Woodlands Health Campus. I am not personally involved in any independent charitable initiatives.

SSOでの活動を通じて、SSOの子供のための演奏会シリーズや、ウッドランズ・ヘルス・キャンパスでのSSO金管五重奏による演奏を含むコミュニティ・アウトリーチ・プログラムなど、子どもたちのために演奏する機会があります。 個人として独立した慈善活動には関わっていません。

Q. We heard that you practice the tuba everyday and you mentioned it is your passion. There are many people who would like to make their passion a career but perhaps are unsure. Do you have any advice for such people?

A. For me, even now, it still feels more like I am continuing a hobby rather than “working.” I’ve spent countless hours practicing, but the only real reason I’ve been able to keep going is because I enjoy it. If you continue making choices that you won’t regret, I believe things will eventually take shape in a way that feels right to you.

私自身、未だに仕事というよりも趣味を続けているという感覚でいます。多くの時間を費やしてきましたが、好きで楽しいからという理由でしかありません。悔いの残らない選択をし続ければ、やがて納得のいく形になると思います。

Resources:
Singapore Symphony Orchestra -The Orchestra: Tomoki Natsume
Singapore Symphony Orchestra - Tomoki Natsume: Salaryman to Musician