The Person Behind the Rhythm

Rizal Sanip is a seasoned drum educator and percussionist with a career spanning performance, theatre, and music education.

He served for 13 years as a regular musician with the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band, where he held multiple leadership and creative roles, including Percussion Section Leader, Drum Major, arranger and guitarist for the dance band, as well as concert emcee. This experience shaped his strong foundation in discipline, musicality, and ensemble performance.

Alongside his service career, Rizal’s passion for music led him into the theatre scene, beginning with Honk! in 2002. Since then, he has worked extensively as a theatre and studio musician, performing across a wide range of large-scale musical productions in Singapore. His collaborations with respected production companies such as Wild Rice, Pangdemonium, Dream Academy, Singapore Repertory Theatre, and Toy Factory Productions have seen him contribute to numerous acclaimed productions, both locally and internationally.

Rizal has also performed with and supported a wide spectrum of Singapore artists and creatives, gaining exposure to diverse musical styles and performance settings — from theatre pits and concert stages to studio environments.

Beyond performance, education remains central to his work. Rizal holds a BA (Hons) in Music from Lasalle College of the Arts and is currently teaching music at the German European School Singapore. His teaching philosophy focuses on strong fundamentals, rhythmic confidence, musical awareness, and steady personal growth, tailored to each student’s pace and goals.

Rizal considers himself grateful to be able to guide students while continuing to contribute meaningfully to Singapore’s performing arts and music education landscape.

(Fun fact: He speaks fluent Hokkien.)