Sean Hong Wei is a Singapore-born saxophonist, composer, educator, and bandleader based in New York City. A longtime member of the Jazz Association Singapore Orchestra (JASS) and a vital voice in Singapore’s jazz scene, he is widely recognized as one of the most compelling young jazz voices to emerge from Southeast Asia.

Sean has performed with jazz legends including Reggie Workman, Billy Hart, and Billy Harper at the 2nd Annual John Coltrane Festival, as well as with the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars Big Band led by John Lee at Blue Note New York and on international stages from North Carolina to Budapest. His debut album The New Jersey Sessions—a collaboration with Singaporean jazz icon Jeremy Monteiro—was released in January 2024 and features Jay Anderson, Evan Sherman, Alex Sipiagin, and Houston Person.

At the age of 13, a chance encounter with Charlie Parker’s “Yardbird Suite” planted the seed of a lifelong devotion to music. Rooted in the tradition of Black American music, he draws inspiration from saxophone greats like Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Joe Lovano, and Ray Charles—artists whose honesty and spirit continue to shape his sound. Over time, their influence has formed a voice that is unmistakably his: sincere, soulful, and grounded in tradition, yet always reaching toward something personal and truthful.

With JASS, Sean has performed alongside esteemed artists such as Benny Golson, Randy Brecker, Lewis Nash, Justin Faulkner, Tony Lakatos, and Carmen Bradford. His international festival appearances span Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America, including the 13th JZ Jazz Festival (Shanghai), Sing Jazz Festival (Singapore), Borneo Jazz Festival (Malaysia), Macau Jazz Week, EFG London Jazz Festival, Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference in Reno, Thailand International Jazz Conference (Bangkok), Jarasum Jazz Festival (Korea), and the Melbourne Jazz Festival (Australia).

He credits his early musical development to the mentorship and guidance of key figures in the Singapore jazz community—including Jeremy Monteiro, Christy Smith, Tan Weixiang, Andrew Lim, Joshua Wan, Chok Kerong, and Louis Soliano—whose generosity and example continue to shape his approach to music.