About Guitar Ensembles

A guitar ensemble is a group of guitarists who perform together as a single musical body, in the way an orchestra does. Instead of everyone playing the same thing, each guitarist is assigned a different part — melody, inner harmony, bass lines or counterpoint — and the parts fit together like the sections of an orchestra.

The result is a rich, orchestral sound created entirely with guitars. The ING Guitar Ensemble, founded in Singapore in 2024, performs classical guitar ensemble works, original pieces from the Niibori Guitar Academy in Japan, and our own arrangements.

The Niibori Guitar Method is a Japanese approach to ensemble playing built around a family of differently sized guitars, each covering a different musical range. It was developed in Japan and is promoted by the Niibori Guitar Academy, whose original works form an important part of our repertoire.

Because the instruments span from high, bright voices to deep bass registers, a Niibori ensemble can achieve the breadth and depth of an orchestra while remaining a guitar group.

A Niibori ensemble uses a family of specialised guitars rather than a single type. The family includes the soprano (highest range), prime, alto, prime cembalo, alto cembalo, bass, contrabass and the guitarrón (lowest range) — a dozen or more instrument types in the fullest configurations.

ING Guitar Ensemble owns its own collection of these Niibori and specialised instruments, so members can be matched to the part and voice that suits their playing.

No. Depending on the part assigned, a member may play a standard classical guitar or one of the specialised Niibori instruments — a smaller soprano, an alto, a bass, a contrabass, a cembalo or a guitarrón.

For your trial session you only need to bring your own classical guitar. We will introduce you to the different instruments and help you find a part that suits you.

You need a classical guitar for your trial session, but you do not need to own any Niibori instruments — ING Guitar Ensemble has its own collection. If you later decide to have your own instrument, rental arrangements can be made, and we are happy to introduce members to trusted suppliers who can assist with sourcing Niibori guitars.

We welcome classical guitarists with a working foundation in note-reading, fingerstyle technique and basic ensemble playing. Players from different backgrounds are welcome — rather than focusing solely on grades, we consider each player individually and look for musicians who are willing to learn, prepare and contribute to the ensemble.

No previous Niibori experience is required; many of our members are new to the Method when they join.

We perform at a variety of venues in Singapore and overseas — concerts and recitals at libraries, halls and community venues, concert halls including the Esplanade Recital Studio, churches and other places of worship, and community outreach performances.

You can find details of our upcoming performances on our Events page.

There is no formal audition. Simply submit an application through our Join Us page — we will arrange a short online conversation to get to know you, followed by a trial rehearsal where you can experience playing with the ensemble and meet our members.