Tham Pei Wen is a Singapore-based music educator, choral conductor and music curriculum specialist whose work encompasses choral music, early childhood music education, inclusive music education and teacher development. With extensive experience working across mainstream and special education settings, she is committed to creating purposeful, joyful and musically rich experiences in which children of diverse abilities can participate, develop and thrive.
Pei Wen has worked extensively with children and young people across a wide range of ages and learning profiles, conducting school choirs and designing music programmes for schools, educational institutions and community organisations. Her professional practice includes curriculum development for ACS Academy and Methodist Preschools, as well as the development of music programmes for children with special educational needs. She currently serves as Head of Programmes for the Starlight Programme at Voices of Singapore, where she leads choral and music experiences for children with diverse needs.
An experienced teacher educator, Pei Wen is an adjunct lecturer with the National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC), where she supports the professional development of early childhood educators in music teaching. She also works with music students at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore, introducing music students to working with children with special educational needs through lectures, hands-on music-making and community engagement. She has conducted professional development for educators through the Singapore Teachers Academy for the Arts (STAR), among other institutions.
Pei Wen is an active presenter in the international music education and choral community. Her workshops and presentations have included the 27th International Kodály Symposium in Kecskemét, Hungary, as well as programmes for the British Kodály Academy, Kodály Ireland, Asociación Kodály Argentina and Young Choral Academy Malaysia. Her presentations explore inclusive choral practice, Kodály pedagogy, musicianship development and approaches to making music accessible to children with diverse learning needs. She has presented both in person and through international online platforms, connecting her practice in Singapore with educators and musicians around the world.
Pei Wen’s pedagogical practice is deeply informed by the Kodály philosophy, with its emphasis on singing as the foundation of musicianship, sequential musical development and meaningful musical experiences of the highest quality. She holds a Master of Arts in Kodály Music Pedagogy from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary, where she specialised in choral conducting. Her postgraduate research explored the adaptation of Kodály principles for children with special educational needs. She also holds a Master of Education from the National Institute of Education, Singapore.
Beyond formal education settings, Pei Wen is actively engaged in community music-making with children and families from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, including children with serious illnesses and those from disadvantaged communities. Across these contexts, her work reflects a conviction that music can foster connection, confidence, belonging and a genuine sense of shared humanity.
As a guest presenter at the Hong Kong International Choral Festival, Pei Wen brings together her experience as a conductor, educator and advocate for inclusive music-making. Her festival engagements include workshops for educators and choral participants, as well as collaborative sessions exploring singing games, choral music-making and approaches for engaging children and their carers. Through her teaching and conducting, she hopes to encourage educators and conductors to embrace diversity and create choral experiences in which every voice can contribute, connect and flourish.
At the heart of Pei Wen’s work is a simple belief: every voice has a place in the musical community.
