BRAVISSIMO!
ANGEL BLUE
La Bohème and lessons from Placido Domingo
THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
APR 2018 VOL.20 / NO.1 MCI (P) 113/05/2017
INTERVIEW DANG THAI SON, A PIANIST LOVED BY CHOPIN TALK IN S’PORE: CLEMENS HELLSBERG OF VIENNA PHIL CHILDREN’S CONCERT LITTLE SUPERHEROES TAKE THE STAGE
CONTENTS
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SSO News
Spotlight: Dang Thai Son & Angel Blue
SSO News
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14
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Symphony Society
Patrons & Partners
Backstage
FINAL PRINTED ISSUE OF BraviSSimO! Dear Readers, To save costs and trees, and to reach a wider audience, BraviSSimO! will be refreshed with a new bi-monthly web edition. It’s been a fantastic 18-year run since our first print edition in January 2000, which was helmed by Singaporean music critic Chang Tou Liang and launched during SSO’s 21st anniversary celebrations. With the web newsletter beginning this July, we’ll continue to publish news and stories from the various performing groups under the Singapore Symphony Group. To receive our new online edition of BraviSSimO!, please sign up at: www.sso.org.sg/bravissimo
Editorial Team: Cindy Lim, Leon Chia, Peggy Kek, Leong Wenshan, Cheryl Pek Photography Abdul Wahid, Leon Chia, Lertkiat Chongjirajitra, Chrisppics+, Jack Yam On the cover Angel Blue (photo: Jack Hill) BraviSSimO! is published by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Printed by Naili Print Media Pte Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.
SSO NEWS 03
THE DANCING CLARINETTIST FROM FINLAND KARI KRIIKKU PLAYS HAKOLA The audience erupted in a spontaneous cheer of amazement and delight when Finnish clarinettist and the SSO under Lim Yau brought the the Singapore premiere of Finnish composer Kimmo Hakola’s colourful Clarinet Concerto to a close. This highly memorable concert, dedicated to our Patron Sponsor, the Tote Board Group, also featured the evocatively colourful tales of RimskyKorsakov’s Scheherazade.
SOUNDING FANTASTIC FEATURING OUR PRINCIPAL VIOLA SSO’s Principal Violist Zhang Manchin took the spotlight in Walton’s Viola Concerto in the Esplanade Concert Hall on January 26. Under the direction of guest conductor Kazushi Ono, the SSO took on Berlioz’s orchestral showpiece Symphonie Fantastique.
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1 Manchin is surprised by her students with a birthday cake
during her autograph session at the Esplanade 2 Japanese Maestro Kazushi Ono
SSO NEWS 04
A SHOWCASE FOR HORNS AND STRINGS RADIANCE AND SPARK Leading the four-horn showcase in Schumann’s Konzertstück for 4 Horns on March 23 was guest artiste Johannes Dengler, Principal Horn of the Bavarian State Opera and Munich Opera, and frequent guest horn of the Berlin Philharmonic. Returning Polish conductor Michal Nesterowicz also led the orchestra in Kilar’s Orawa for strings, Mozart’s Prague Symphony, and Kelly Tang’s Radiance and Spark. This concert was sponsored by Singapore Airlines.
WITNESS THE PHENOMENON JAN VOGLER PLAYS SHOSTAKOVICH Uruguayuan maestro Carlos Kalmar and German cellist Jan Vogler shared the stage for the Second Cello Concerto by Shostakovich in the Esplanade on February 3. Leading Thai composer Narong Prangcharoen’s fascinating piece, Phenomenon, reflecting on the mysterious Naga fireballs of Thailand, saw its Singapore premiere on this evening, which was closed with Dvořák’s Sixth Symphony.
SSO NEWS 05
GOLDEN VOICES THE KING’S SINGERS GOLD 50
The King’s Singers at their autograph session
A IS FOR AIYAH SINGAPOREAN COMPOSER’S WORLD PREMIERE Singapore composer Diana Soh’s A is for Aiyah received a successful world premiere at this unusually programmed concert combining late Romantic orchestral songs with cutting-edge avant-garde music theatre. Rising French soprano Élise Chauvin lent her voice and acting talent to A is for Aiyah as well as the wild and unpredictable utterances of Ligeti’s Mysteries of the Macabre. She also sang Mahler’s five Rückert-Lieder. In his signature manner, Associate Conductor Jason Lai kept the audience intrigued with his educational interludes.
As part of their GOLD 50 world tour, The King’s Singers gave two performances in the Victoria Concert Hall on February 23 and 24. Branded under the VCH Presents Series, the first evening included the music of Byrd, Tallis, Palestrina, Richard Rodney Bennett and Bob Chilcott, as well as a delightful arrangement of Penny Lane from The Beatles. Joining the vocal sextet on the second night were the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir and choirmaster Wong Lai Foon. The programme featured Saint-Saens’ Les marins de Kermor, Quintessentially by Alexander L’Estrange, and the world premiere of Bob Chilcott’s We are in the evening’s version for The King’s Singers and SA/SSA Choir. The King’s Singers’ stay in Singapore was provided by the Conrad Centennial Singapore.
SSO NEWS 06
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THE GIFT OF MUSIC FREE CONCERTS FOR ALL Helmed by Associate Conductor Joshua Tan, the SSO played to a combined audience of more than 6,500 in a series of free concerts held from March 8 to 10 at the Victoria Concert Hall, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and the Gardens by the Bay. The audiences were treated to a delightful repertoire featuring Satie’s Gymnopedies, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and selections from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. The concert at the Gardens by the Bay was part of the SPH Gift of Music Series. 2
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March 9 concert at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 2
Associate Conductor Joshua Tan led the SSO in all three back-toback outreach SSO concerts 3
On March 8, the SSO played to a full-house at Victoria Concert Hall during our free Lunchtime Concert 4
March 10 concert at the Gardens by the Bay
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SSO NEWS 07
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SUMMON THE SUPERHEROES! EMPOWERING KIDS WITH MUSIC On March 17 and 18, musicians from the SSO abandoned their tails and dresses, and donned masks and capes to join Alasdair Malloy in presenting three supercharged concerts for children! Courageous children dressed as their favourite superheroes were also invited on stage to lend their powers to liven up the concerts. Children and parents were treated to familiar themes from Super Mario, The Incredibles, Spider-Man and Superman.
SPOTLIGHT 08
A PIANIST LOVED BY CHOPIN DANG THAI SON A pianist loved by Chopin – The Dang Thai Son Story is the title of a biography published in 2003. Vietnamese-Canadian pianist Dang Thai Son, who turns 60 this July, was propelled to the forefront of the musical world in October 1980, when he was awarded the First Prize and Gold Medal at the 10th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. It was also the first time that a top international competition was won by an Asian pianist. Since winning the Chopin Competition, his international career has taken him to over forty countries, playing with numerous famed musicians and world-class orchestras. His story began when he took up piano studies with his mother, Madam Thai Thi Lien, then a professor at the Vietnam National Academy of Music. He was discovered by the Russian pianist Isaac Katz, who was on visit in Vietnam in 1974. Dang went on to pursue further training at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Russia, in 1977. BraviSSimO! asked him what were his first feelings when he landed in Moscow at age 19 to study at the Conservatory? “Overwhelming! It was the feeling of a ‘jungle boy’ who encountered the ‘Castle of Music’ for the first time,” recalls Dang. His arrival in Moscow then was merely two years after the war ended in Vietnam in 1975. The year before in 1974, Dang was still living in the mountains.
At the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Russia, Dang studied with Vladimir Natanson and Dmitry Bashkirov. The former Dang credits as having turned him into a professional pianist, having successfully prepared him for the Warsaw Chopin Competition. The latter was a beacon of hope when Dang fell into depression 30 years ago. “In that moment of crisis, I wanted to quit the concert pianist career. I told [Bashkirov]: ‘This is the ceiling of what I am able to do.’ And he replied: ‘We never know where our ceiling is. A human being’s capacity is very mysterious.’” Among those who have given Dang valuable advice, he recalls one who left a deep impression, from the great violinist Isaac Stern. “He made me believe the power of imagination.” Dang had lamented to Stern that “In order to create Brahms’ specific sound, one has to have a massive weight physically which I don’t possess.” Stern simply pointed to his head and replied: “No, the weight is here!”
Dang Thai Son performs in the Singapore International Piano Festival on 10 June at the Victoria Concert Hall. Leon Chia
Angel Blue, the fast-rising star of the opera world, graces Singapore’s stage for the first time in April 2018, in the SSO’s concert of Puccini’s beloved La bohème. The 33-year-old 5’11 former beauty queen is an alumnus of the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program of the Los Angeles Opera, created and overseen by famed tenor Plácido Domingo, and one of the world’s foremost training programs for emerging professional opera singers of potentially international stature. Delightfully active on social media and possessing an honest-to-goodness charisma, we sought out the amicable Angel Blue for an interview prior to her arrival in Singapore.
We’re really looking forward to seeing you in La bohème! What can you tell us about Mimi to help the audience appreciate the opera better? Mimi is a beautiful person with a very humble attitude towards life. To me, she is a sweet, tender-hearted and caring person. She is also strong in her beliefs, but not overwhelmingly so. What I appreciate most about Mimi is her love for Rodolfo. He can be immature, jealous, and insensitive. However, Mimi still remains true to herself in loving him. In my opinion the driving force of the opera is just that, true love.
What are some of the most important words or lessons Maestro Placido Domingo, your mentor, taught you? One of the most important lessons I’ve learned from Maestro Domingo is to always make time for family. No matter how busy he is, he always has time for his family. He is very similar to my dad, Sylvester Blue, in that respect. My dad was never too busy to spend quality time with his kids. We were his pride and joy. Spending time with family is priceless.
We know you have said much about your love for your dad, and how he has been such a positive influence in your life of music. What advice do you have for music-loving dads (and moms) who want music to be an important part of their children’s life? My dad saw that I enjoyed music when I was a child and he invested in that. By ‘invested’ I mean he took the time to teach and encourage me in my musical journey. He never forced me to practice piano or singing. He and my mom saw that I was interested in music and they helped me to learn more about music by enrolling me in music lessons/classes at a young age. My dad used to say that the best way to get your child interested in something was to learn something yourself. By that he meant if you want your child to play an instrument then you, the parent/guardian should learn an instrument. I play the piano because I saw my mom play the piano, I sing because I saw my dad sing, I play the bass guitar because I saw my dad play the bass guitar. Children are highly impressionable, and they will learn by what they see their parents do or don’t do.
Is there anything in Singapore you look forward to seeing or trying? Everything. This is such an amazing experience for me. I really hope to be able to explore as much as I can while I’m there. Thank you for inviting me. I’m very honored and looking forward to singing in Singapore! :)
Angel Blue sings in her internationally renowned lead role of Mimi in the SSO’s concert presentation of Puccini’s La bohème, 27 & 28 April 2018 at the Esplanade. Leon Chia
SPOTLIGHT
TRUE LOVE ANGEL BLUE
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SSO NEWS 10
SINGAPORE SYMPHONY CHILDREN’S CHOIR: 12TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT TIMELESS SPLENDOUR The annual anniversary concert of the children’s choir brings ethereal voices that usher the magnificent blooming of spring. Joined by the Singapore Symphony Youth Choir, this concert promises a choral constellation of star-lit songs and timeless splendour, including Ériks Ešenvalds’ Stars and Ola Gjeilo’s Ubi Caritas. Conducted by Wong Lai Foon, Darius Lim and Low Xu Hao, the concert will also premiere a newly-commissioned piece, Skye Boat Song, by Cultural Medallion winner Kelly Tang. 27 May 2018, Victoria Concert Hall
SSO Choral Groups comprise three choirs of varying ages, that perform alongside the orchestra. These include the 70-strong Singapore Symphony Choir established in 1980; the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir, where over 200 young singers between the ages of 9–18 receive a holistic choral training; and our newest choral ensemble, the Singapore Symphony Youth Choir, comprise of talented young adults aged 18-28. Mr and Mrs Christopher and Rosy Ho are the Principal Champion of the children’s choir. Find out more about our choirs’ concerts and auditions http://www.sso.org.sg/about/chorus
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On March 17, the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) presented the rare opportunity to hear a woodwind soloist with an orchestra at the Esplanade Concert Hall. The spotlight fell on oboist Joost Flach, as he brought to life the blossoming of seven flowers in Jean Françaix’s colourful L’horloge de flore (“A Flower Clock”). The evening’s concert – Dr. Leonard Tan’s swansong as the Principal Conductor of SNYO – opened with the sensuous Danse Bacchanale from Saint-Saëns’ opera Samson et Dalila and concluded with the Brahms’ epic First Symphony. The guest-of-honour for the evening was Mr JY Pillay, Rector of College of Alice & Peter Tan at the National University of Singapore. The SNYO is Singapore’s leading orchestra dedicated to the training and development of young orchestral musicians. Visit www.snyo.org.sg/audition to find out more about how to join the orchestra. 1 The SNYO with conductor Dr. Leonard Tan and oboe soloist Joost Flach take a bow after
the performance of Jean Francaix’s Musical Flower Clock
2 Mr JY Pillay, Joost Flach & Dr Leonard Tan 2
CREATING A GLOBAL CITY: WHAT ROLE DOES MUSIC PLAY CLEMENS HELLSBERG OF VIENNA PHILHARMONIC SPEAKS AT SSO-VIENNA MUSIC LECTURE On March 21, the SSO partnered the Austrian Embassy in Singapore to hold the inaugural SSO-Vienna Music Lecture. Featuring Prof. Dr. Clemens Hellsberg, President of the Vienna Philharmonic from 1997 to 2014, the lecture attracted over 200 attendees to the Victoria Concert Hall. A former archivist and violinist in the orchestra, the speaker brought the audience on a grand tour of Vienna Philharmonic’s history — on its founding, close relations with composers like Richard Strauss, and its unique management system. He also answered questions from the audience, about issues such as music education for youth and making music in relation to the rising use of digital technology. Described as a “change agent” by the New York Times, Prof. Dr. Hellsberg has been awarded the Order of the Rising Sun (Japan) and the Chevalier de L’ordre des Arts et Lettres (France), among others.
“The great creative geniuses, whether musicians, poets or visual artists, have taken paths for all of us which we would not have found without them. In their works, they sublimate the joys, sufferings, fears and yearnings of all people and, in so doing, allow us a glimpse of perfection.” To watch the lecture, visit youtube.com/user/singaporesymphony
(Left to right) Singapore’s non-resident Ambassador to Austria Mr Chan Heng Wing and Mrs Chan, Austrian Ambassador Ms Karin Fichtinger-Grohe, Prof. Dr. Clemens Hellsberg and SSG CEO Chng Hak-Peng
SSO NEWS
SINGAPORE NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA A MUSICAL FLOWER CLOCK
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SYMPHONY SSO NEWS SOCIETY 06 12
Mrs & Mr Moses Lee and Mr Koh Choon Hu (right)
Mr and Mrs Benedict Soh
SSO CELEBRATES WITH PATRON SPONSOR TOTE BOARD SSO celebrated the 30th Anniversary of its Patron Sponsor, Tote Board, with a unique concert on January 20, featuring acclaimed clarinettist Kari Kriikku. A champion of contemporary music, Kriikku impressed the audience with a rambunctious delivery of Kimmo Hakola’s Clarinet Concerto. Conducted by Maestro Lim Yau, the concert brought the house down when the Finnish soloist included some nifty dance moves in his performance! SSO donors and guests of the Tote Board were also treated to a reception before the concert. A few weeks later when the Tote Board organised a carnival, “A Good Day Out”, at The Meadow@ Gardens by the Bay, SSO musicians were once again present to add to the festivities.
(Left to right) Mr Chia Tai Tee, Angelen Chan Heng Chee
An SSO brass quintet performed a rousing set that included Laputa: Castle in the Sky, ragtime favourite “That’s Aplenty” and Mouret’s fanfare Rondeau. The carnival held on February 10 also featured an exhibition on Tote Board’s journey, and information about its beneficiaries, including the SSO.
Photo credit: Tote Board
Mr and Mrs Ronald and Janet Stride
(Top, left to right) SSO musicians David Smith, Jamie Hersch, Hidehiro Fujita, Damian Patti and Lau Wen Rong performing at Tote Board’s “Good Day Out”. (Right) Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, guest-of-honour for the carnival.
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ne Chan and
Mr Heinrich Grafe (left) and Mr & Mrs Goh Geok Khim
(Left to right) Mrs and Mr Wong Ngit Liong, Ms Pauline Chan, and Mr Jean Nasr
SSO AND CONRAD CENTENNIAL AMONGST FRIENDS On February 1, the evening after the “super blue moon” lunar eclipse, about 100 lucky guests were welcomed into the Conrad Centennial’s Pavilion, a new glass-encased junior ballroom that opens up to a view of the Singapore Flyer and its adjacent skyline. The intimate evening “Amongst Friends” was an appreciation dinner for the donors and clients of the SSO and the Conrad Centennial Hotel. Guests were treated to a six-course dinner with wine pairings, and seduced by an exquisite music performance of Debussy’s Arabesque No.1 and Saint-Saëns’ Romance and The Swan, by SSO Principal Cello Ng Pei-Sian and Principal Harp Gulnara Mashurova. Photo credit: Tote Board
Conrad Centennial Singapore is the official hotel sponsor of the SSO.
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A SEASON OF GENEROSITY AND GIFTS Behind every SSO season is a loving community of big-hearted patrons and partners. As we approach the last concerts of this season, our hearts overflow with gratitude for the patronage and love that they have once again showered on us over the past year. Our heartfelt appreciation goes to President Halimah Yacob, MOE Senior Parliamentary Secretary AP Muhammad Faisal Ibrahim, Ambassador Tommy Koh, Mr JY Pillay, Ms Tan Choo Leng and Mrs Rosy Ho, who all graciously accepted to be the Guests-of-Honour at significant concerts, to give their personal encouragement to the musicians of our different performing groups. Throughout the whole season, the MCCY, NAC and Tote Board stood by our side. We are truly indebted to the Family and Friends of Mr Goh Geok Khim for making our long-held dream of having an endowed Concertmaster Chair a reality. Mr and Mrs Christopher and Rosy Ho continue to champion the development of our children’s choir. The SSO Ladies’ League and donors who gave through the SSO Benefit 2017 enabled us to buy a timpani set and cornets for our national youth orchestra musicians who carry their shiny new instrument cases with a visible lift in their steps.
Corporate angels come in different forms. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to our Official Hotel, Conrad Centennial, who hosted most of this season’s guest performers, from Andrew Litton, Steven Isserlis, Élise Chauvin to the King’s Singers. Our loyal sponsor Swire made it possible for us to offer concert tickets at substantial discounts to students. NSL’s generous donation went towards paying for our postage costs. SMRT, Symphony 924 and SPH all provided much needed publicity for our concerts and outreach activities. For a number of our soloists, the Singapore Airlines was a great way to fly in for their concerts. Lee Foundation sponsored a whole season of free organ concerts at the Victoria Concert Hall. The Tan Chin Tuan Foundation supported the national youth orchestra. We open every new season with great excitement and fluttering hearts. As the season unfolds, we see its promise fulfilled in the shining eyes that leave the concert hall after every performance. Without our loyal supporters, we would not be able to fulfil our mission of sharing the gift of music with our diverse communities in Singapore. Peggy Kek If you would like to join this community of donors and partners, please write to Peggy Kek, Director of Development and Partnerships at peggykek@sso.org.sg.
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A NATURAL MUSICIAN Wu Dai Dai
Born into a musical family, it is only natural that Wu Dai Dai, section cello with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, would one day follow in her parents’ footsteps to become a musician. “I learned the piano first. My father is an opera singer, and my mother, a cellist. They had hoped that I can play a different instrument, and eventually picked the violin for me.” However, Dai Dai gave up on the instrument after two lessons, and asked to play the cello instead. At the age of seven, Dai Dai began to take lessons from her mother. “My mother is a very strict teacher, not only to me, but also to her students. However, in my memory, she has never shouted at me – we always work very harmoniously.” In 2007, Dai Dai won a full scholarship, and relocated from Xi’an, China, to Singapore to study with Professor Qin Li-Wei at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. “I am lucky to have a great teacher. He has given me a lot of help and support, even now.” Uprooting from a familiar place is never easy, and Dai Dai had to adjust to a unique problem when she first arrived in the country. “I still remember when I first came to Singapore, the air-conditioning is so strong! The indoors are always freezing.” “After almost 11 years, I’m now used to it,” she adds with a laugh. When she is not occupied with rehearsals and teaching, Dai Dai enjoys reading, often accompanied with a comforting cup of green tea. “I also love to spend time with my friends, and try different spicy food around the island. I love the Sichuan peppers – lots of them! I would like any food that is cooked with the peppers.” Cheryl Pek