Welcome to Shanghai American School - Pudong Campus!
We are delighted to welcome you to Shanghai American School’s Pudong campus for the AMIS Asian Middle School and High School Orchestra Festival and Composer Symposium. It is an honor to host such a talented group of musicians from across the region, coming together to celebrate the power of music and collaboration. Shanghai is a dynamic city where tradition and modernity blend seamlessly. On the Pudong side of the river, you’ll find the iconic skyline of Lujiazui, home to some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, as well as vibrant cultural and entertainment districts.
Our campus and performing arts center provides a vibrant and inspiring environment where creativity thrives, and we hope you enjoy your time here—both on stage and off. Throughout the festival, we encourage you to connect with fellow musicians, learn from one another, and, most importantly, make unforgettable musical memories.
Welcome, and let the music begin!
About the Conductors
Now in his eighteenth year in education, Lee Pophal has had the privilege of working with students in California, Myanmar, the UAE, and China, while playing for groups such as the Shanghai Baroque Orchestra, Shanghai City Big Band, Orchestra for Myanmar, and the Dubai Opera. A low string and brass specialist from the University of Wisconsin, he has conducted orchestras and bands at all levels, including the Bakersfield College Orchestra and Tehachapi Pops Orchestra. As a lyric baritone, he has taught secondary school choir, performed in opera scenes and in the jazz choir at California State Bakersfield, and performed roles in Into the Woods and A Little Night Music. A believer in access to music education, he teaches music production through his own curriculum and once released EPs, toured, and played festivals throughout China with the rock band Blue Magpie. Holding a Master of Music in conducting from Colorado State, he has learned from many maestros, such as Wes Kenney, Rebecca Phillips, James Kim, Scott Teeple, Jonathan Mann, Gábor Werner, and Martin Akerwall. He currently teaches orchestra, electronic music production, and IB Music at Shanghai American School.
Sebastian See-Schierenberg, a British German-Chinese concert violinist, teacher, competition adjudicator, chamber music coach, orchestral conductor, concert promoter and charity project director has been active in the Asia region for over 20 years and is a much sought after teacher there. He is now based in Cardiff but still travels regularly to Asia. Many of his previous violin students are prize winners of International competitions particularly in the Asia region and have won scholarships to study at renowned music schools around the world, including the New England Conservatory Boston, Frankfurt Musikhochschule, Northwestern Chicago, Singapore Conservatoire, Royal Academy of Music London, Lyon Conservatoire and many more.
Sebastian himself won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London when he was 16 years of age where he studied with Itzhak Rashkovsky. He continued his studies with legendary professors Valery Klimov (winner of the 1st Tchaikovsky competition and student of David Oistrakh) in Germany, and with Maya Glissarova in Moscow. Early competition success enabled Sebastian to give his London debut at the Southbank Centre and following this he performed widely at such renowned venues as the Berlin Konzerthaus, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Singapore Esplanade, Palais des Beaux Arts Brussels and many more. In 2000 he joined the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, giving 120 concerts per year and touring the Asia Pacific region for 6 years.
He has recorded for Signum Classics, his disc 'Sounds of Spain and the Americas' achieving much success.