SSO Gala • La Bohème

27 & 28 Apr 2018, Fri & Sat

SSO GALA • LA BOHÈME Singapore Symphony Orchestra Lan Shui, conductor Stefan Pop, Rodolfo (tenor) Angel Blue, Mimì (soprano) Zhou Zheng Zhong, Marcello (baritone) Kelebogile Besong, Musetta (soprano) Dario Russo, Colline (bass) Zoltan Nagy, Schaunard (bass-baritone) Martin Ng, Benoît / Alcindoro (baritone) Jonathan Charles Tay, Parpignol (tenor) Singapore Symphony Chorus Eudenice Palaruan, choral director Singapore Symphony Youth Choir Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir Wong Lai Foon, choirmaster Cherilyn Woo, stage director Genevieve Peck, lighting designer

GIACOMO PUCCINI

La Bohème (Concert Version)

Act 1 & 2 60’00 Intermission 20’00 Act 3 28’00 Act 4 32’00 In collaboration with

SSO is delighted to partner the NAFA School of Art & Design and NAFA School of Arts Management, Dance & Theatre for La Bohème, where students participated in the stage backdrop and prop design as well as artist liaison.

Concert duration: 2 hrs 30 mins Go green. Digital programme booklets are available on www.sso.org.sg.

Scan the QR code in the foyer to view a copy.

Sing a p ore S y mp hon y Or c he s t r a ‘A fine display of orchestral bravado for the SSO and Shui’ The Guardian

Since its founding in 1979, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has been Singapore’s flagship orchestra, touching lives through classical music and providing the heartbeat of the cultural scene in the cosmopolitan city-state.

In addition to its subscription series concerts, the orchestra is well-loved for its outdoor and community appearances, and its significant role educating the young people of Singapore. The SSO has also earned an international reputation for its orchestral virtuosity, having garnered sterling reviews for its overseas tours and many successful recordings.

The SSO makes its performing home at the 1,800-seat state-of-the-art Esplanade Concert Hall. More intimate works and all outreach and community performances take place at the 673-

seat Victoria Concert Hall, the home of the SSO. The orchestra performs 100 concerts a year, and its versatile repertoire spans all-time favourites and orchestral masterpieces to exciting cutting-edge premieres. Bridging the musical traditions of East and West, Singaporean and Asian musicians and composers are regularly showcased in the concert season. This has been a core of the SSO’s programming philosophy from the very beginning under Choo Hoey, who was Music Director from 1979 to 1996.

Since Lan Shui assumed the position of Music Director in 1997, the SSO has performed in Europe, Asia and the United States. In May 2016 the SSO was invited to perform at the Dresden Music Festival and the Prague Spring International Music Festival. This

successful five‑city tour of Germany and Prague also included the SSO’s return to the Berlin Philharmonie after six years. In 2014 the SSO’s debut at the 120th BBC Proms in London received critical acclaim in the major UK newspapers The Guardian and Telegraph. The SSO has also performed in China on multiple occasions.

Notable SSO releases under BIS include a Rachmaninov series, a “Seascapes” album, two Debussy discs “La Mer” and “Jeux”, and the first-ever cycle of Tcherepnin’s piano concertos and symphonies. The SSO has also collaborated with such great artists as Lorin Maazel, Charles Dutoit, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Neeme Järvi, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Diana Damrau, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Janine Jansen, Leonidas Kavakos and Gil Shaham.

L AN SHUI conductor

Lan Shui is renowned for his abilities as an orchestral builder and for his passion in commissioning, premiering and recording new works by leading Asian composers. As Music Director of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra since 1997, American Record Review noted that Shui has “turned a good regional orchestra into a world-class ensemble that plays its heart out at every concert”. Together they have made several acclaimed tours to Europe, Asia and the United States and appeared for the first time at the BBC Proms in September 2014.

Lan Shui held the position of Chief Conductor of the Copenhagen Phil from 2007 to 2015, and from 2016 he became their Conductor Laureate. He recently concluded a four-year period as Artistic Advisor of the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra.

As a guest conductor, Shui has worked with many orchestras. In the United States he has appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and Baltimore and Detroit symphony orchestras. In Europe he has performed with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, hr-Sinfonieorchester, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Gothenburg Symphony, Tampere Philharmonic and Orchestre National de Lille. In Asia he has conducted the Hong Kong, Malaysian and Japan Philharmonic orchestras and maintains a close relationship with the China Philharmonic and Shanghai Symphony.

Since 1998 Shui has recorded over 20 CDs for BIS – including a Rachmaninov series, a “Seascapes” disc and the first-ever complete cycle of Tcherepnin’s symphonies with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra – and also music by Arnold and Hindemith with the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, which has received two Grammy nominations.

Lan Shui is the recipient of several international awards from the Beijing Arts Festival and the New York Tcherepnin Society, the 37th Besançon Conductors’ Competition in France and Boston University (Distinguished Alumni Award) as well as the Cultural Medallion – Singapore’s highest accolade in the arts. Born in Hangzhou, China, Shui studied composition at the Shanghai Conservatory and graduated from The Beijing Central Conservatory. He continued his graduate studies at Boston University while at the same time working closely with Leonard Bernstein at the Tanglewood Music Festival. He has worked together with David Zinman as Conducting Affiliate of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, as Associate Conductor to Neeme Järvi at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and with Kurt Masur at the New York Philharmonic and Pierre Boulez at The Cleveland Orchestra.

s t e fa n p op tenor Rodolfo

Born in Bistrita, Romania, Stefan Pop obtained his degree at the Gheorghe Dima Music Academy in Cluj- Napoca. He has won several International Competitions such as: “Sigismund Toduta”, “Hariclea Darclée”, “Martian Negrea”, “Ion Perlea”, “Sabin Dragoi”, International Music Competition in Seoul, First prize and audience prize at the Operalia Competition.

His brilliant career brought him quickly to sing: Il matrimonio segreto (Paolino) at the Hungarian Opera in Cluj-Napoca; L’elisir d’amore (Nemorino) at the Romanian National Opera in Timisoara, Trieste, Hamburg, Covent Garden in London, Bucharest National Opera; La Traviata (Alfredo) at the Rome Opera, at the Greek National Opera, at the Wiener Staatsoper, in Trieste, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Genova, Palermo, Bucharest, Tel-Aviv, Naples, Malta, Taormina, at La Fenice in Venice; La Sonnambula (Elvino) at the Wiener Staatsoper; Otello (Cassio) at the Zurich Opernhaus; Rigoletto (Duca di Mantova) in Seoul, at the Royal Opera House in London, at the Opéra de Paris, in Sanxay and Naples; Gounod’s Faust in Bucharest, at Opera Rijeka in Croatia, at the Hong Kong Cultural Center and in Oviedo; Der Rosenkavalier (Ein Sagner) at the Salzburg Festival, in Strasbourg and Zurich; Don Giovanni (Don Ottavio) at the Opéra Bastille in Paris; La Bohème (Rodolfo) at the Salle Pleyel in Paris and in Parma; Norma (Pollione) in Naples, Madrid, Otsu, Genova; Roberto Devereux in Genova and Parma; Attila in Venice; Lucia di Lammermoor (Edgardo) and Simon Boccanegra (Gabriele Adorno) in Bologna.

He has worked with such important conductors as: Evelino Pidò, Andrea Battistoni, Daniele Gatti, Simone Young, Michele Mariotti, Riccardo Frizza, Omer Wellber, Marko Letonja, Jesus López-Cobos, Bruno Campanella, Donato Renzetti, Pier Giorgio Morandi, Fabio Luisi, Zubin Mehta and Nello Santi.

His active presence on the concert platform has seen him perform the world premiere of György Kurtág’s Colinda-Balada Op. 46 with the Transilvania Philharmonic Orchestra in Cluj-Napoca and with Romania’s most important symphonic orchestras (Bucharest, Targu Mures, Iasi, Timisoara, Oradea). He has also appeared in concerts with Angela Gheorghiu in Seoul and Shanghai and recently opened the symphonic season at La Fenice in Venice.

Among his future engagements: Norma (Pollione) with Mariella Devia in Venice; Rigoletto (Duca di Mantova) under Michele Mariotti at Teatro Regio in Turin; La Bohème (Rodolfo) in Taiwan and Liège; La Traviata (Alfredo) in Venice; Elisabetta al castello di Kenilworth (Warney) conducted by Riccardo Frizza at the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo; Les contes d’Hoffmann at the New National Theatre in Tokyo.

A ng e l B lue soprano Mimì

American soprano Angel Blue makes her Royal Opera debut in the 2018/19 Season singing Violetta Valéry (La Traviata) and returns to the Metropolitan Opera for La Bohème and Porgy and Bess.

A former Miss Hollywood and Miss Southern California, Blue holds a Master’s Degree in Opera Performance at the University of California, Los Angeles. From 2007 to 2009 she was a member of the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program at Los Angeles Opera. She won the Zarzuela Prize and Second Prize in Operalia (2009).

Blue has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Munich Philharmonic and Israel Philharmonic, and for La Scala, Milan, the Metropolitan Opera, New York, Vienna State Opera, Semperoper Dresden, Los Angeles Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Theater an der Wien, Seattle Opera and San Francisco Opera. She has also sung at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Auditorio Nacional de Música, Seoul Arts Center and Edinburgh International Festival and in 2017 opened the Summer Recital Series in New York’s Central Park.

Along with Violetta her repertory includes Mimì (La Bohème), Micaëla (Carmen), Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor), Countess Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Dido (Dido and Aeneas), Manon (Manon), Liù (Turandot), Giuliettta and Antonia (Les contes d’Hoffmann) and Helena (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Her concert repertory includes Strauss’ Vier letzte Lieder, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Peri in Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri and Verdi’s Requiem.

Zhou Zhe ng Zhong baritone Marcello

Zhou Zheng Zhong is a professional opera singer and a lecturer at Wuhan Conservatory of Music. He graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Zhang Renqing. He is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the First Prize of the Opera category and Second Prize of French Art Songs category at the International Opera Singing Competition in Marmande, the Third Prize at the International Singing Competition of Toulouse. He was also awarded the scholarship from the Centre national d’insertion professionnelle des artistes lyriques to undergo a two-year internship at Marseilles. Thereafter, he was admitted to the Royal Opera House under the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme before he joined the Deutsche Oper Berlin as an ensemble member.

Zhou is highly active on the international opera stage, having performed at many leading theatres. He has collaborated with both Chinese and foreign renowned conductors such as Donald Runnicles, Andris Nelsons, Seiji Ozawa, Daniel Oren, Tang Muhai and Lü Jia. He has played the leading role in operas including Rigoletto, Roméo et Juliette, Madame Butterfly, Salome, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Il barbiere di Siviglia, La Bohème, Faust and Le Nozze di Figaro. In addition, he has participated in the recording of Werther by Deutsche Grammophon and Le portrait de Manon by Opera Rara. He has also recorded Anna Nicole, Rigoletto, Tosca, and Madame Butterfly with Opus Arte Royal Opera House.

In renowned classical music critic Hugh Canning’s commentary on Zhou’s performance in Faust, he characterised Zhou as the undisputed best interpreter of the character Valentine, be it his image, voice, language or performance. Famous Tenor Carlo Bergonzi referred to Zhou as the “Master of Verdi” after listening to his singing, while British Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano characterised him as having an exquisite tone and refined cantabile.

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Supporting the Local Arts and Cultural Scene Partner of SSO since 1978 NSL is a long-standing sponsor for Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO). We have been instrumental in helping the Orchestra reach out to the community-at-large as SSO brings music to the world.

A leading industrial group in the Asia Pacific with businesses in Precast & Prefabricated Bathroom Unit and Environmental Services, NSL believes that while achieving business goals is important, its actions need to also create a positive impact on the community, environment and all stakeholders.

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K e l e b og il e B e s ong soprano Musetta

Kelebogile Besong returns this season to the role of Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Hyogo Performing Arts Center in Japan, joins both the Edinburgh International Festival and for Musetta in La Bohème, sings Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and a concert at Golden Gate State Park in South Africa.

Last season she sang the title role in Aida with the Pacific Symphony, and Musetta in La Bohème with the Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro Regio di Torino and the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland. Quickly establishing Aida as a signature role, Besong has also sung the role with Malmö Opera and Aalto-Musiktheater Essen.

Her recent performances include Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte (Bregenzer Festpiele); Violetta in La Traviata; Giorgietta in Il tabarro; and Dejanira Weil’s Royal Palace (Opéra National de Montpellier); Musetta in La Bohème (Grange Park Opera); Micaela in Carmen (Opera Africa); Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro (Tampere Opera, Concertgebouw); the title role in Kálmán’s Gräfen Mariza (Johannesburg Symphony); Venus in Venus and Adonis and the Sorceress in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik); Gabisile in Ziyankomo and the Forbidden Fruit (Opera Africa); the title role in Zulu Opera Princess Magogo (Den Norske Opera); and Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos (Opéra Royal de Wallonie).

Besong is the proud recipient of the 2012 Standard Bank Young Artist Award in Music. In 2013 she was awarded Africa’s Most Influential Woman in Business & Government (Arts). Besong was a finalist at the 32nd Belvedere Singing Competition 2013, held at the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam, and represented South Africa in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition 2015.

da r io r uss o bass Colline

After graduating in Russian and German Languages and Literatures, Dario Russo began his vocal studies with Carlo Meliciani.

In 2008 he was selected as guest member of the Opera Studio in Amsterdam. At the beginning of his career he performed Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg (dir. Claus Guth, cond. S. Weigle) in Barcelona; I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Carsen; Renzetti) in Genoa; Verdi’s Macbeth at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam; Vespri siciliani in Parma and Bilbao; Madama Butterfly in Jesi; Vespri siciliani and La Traviata in Turin; Lucia di Lammermoor and La Bohème in Trieste; Un ballo in maschera at Macerata Opera Festival; Gemma di Vergy (Rolando) in Bergamo; Carmen in Muscat; Gounod’s Faust and Die erste Walpurgisnacht in Catania; Manon (Pelly; Luisi) at the Teatro alla Scala; Lucia di Lammermoor, I Masnadieri, Aida, Demetrio e Polibio in Naples; Turandot in Oviedo; Lucia di Lammermoor (AsLiCo Milano); Romeo et Juliette in Nabucco in Sassari; I Capuleti e i Montecchi at the Arena di Verona and in Muscat; Samson et Dalila with La Fura dels Baus and Petite Messe Solennelle in Rome.

Recent engagements include Attila, Anna Bolena, Rossini’s Stabat Mater in Catania; Luisa Miller in Naples; Zeffirelli's production of Aida in Italy; world premiere of Il Vespro siciliano by Peter Joseph von Lindpaintner at the Rossini Festival in Wildbad; Lucia di Lammermoor in Treviso; Norma in Cagliari and Palermo; Nabucco in Florence; Lucia di Lammemoor (Raimondo) in Tel Aviv and Naples; La Bohème in Parma; Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Milan and in Pavia; Nabucco in Rome; Il Trovatore in Oviedo; Requiem in Milan; Rigoletto and Rossini's Stabat Mater in Genoa; I Masnadieri (Moser) and Sonnambula (Rodolfo) at the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome.

Upcoming engagements include Rigoletto in Toulon; Verdi's Requiem in Malmö; Macbeth in Limoges, Reims and Massy.

Zolta n n ag y bass-baritone Schaunard

Transylvanian bass-baritone Zoltan Nagy is one of the opera world’s most versatile soloists. He is regularly invited to perform as a guest artiste in many of Europe’s leading opera houses and has been recognised by opera critics for his strengths in both dramatic and comic roles. In his ten-year professional career that started as the youngest ensemble member hired by the Vienna State Opera, Zoltan Nagy continues to work with the most important conductors, singers and stage directors of our time.

Nagy’s most requested roles are Escamillo (Carmen), Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro), and Guglielmo (Così fan tutte). He regularly performs Schaunard (La Bohème), Haraschta (The Cunning Little Vixen), and Leander (The Love of Three Oranges).

Recent role debuts include Dulcamara (L’elisir d’amore), Dr Falke (Die Fledermaus), Don Giovanni, Count Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro) and Schmied (Egk's Peer Gynt), among many others.

During his career, Nagy has worked with conductors such as Tomas Netopil, Marco Armiliato, Leo Hussain, Pinchas Steinberg, Marc Minkowski, Peter Schneider, Ulf Schirmer, John Wilson and Alexander Soddy, among others. The stage directors Nagy has collaborated with are: Peter Konwitschny, Damiano Michieletto, Inga Levant, Stefano Poda, Calixto Bieito, Paris Mexis, Thorsten Fischer, Georges Delnon, Maurizio Scaparro, and Immo Karaman.

Engagements in 2017/2018 include debuts at the four theatres of Circuito Teatrale Lombardo as Escamillo, and as Bill in Kurt Weill’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. Concert engagements include his solo debut at the Lech Classic Festival 2017 and at Robert Schumann Philharmonie (Chemnitz) in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

Nagy studied at the Gheorghe Dima Music Academy in his hometown Cluj-Napoca.

Upon graduation, he received a full scholarship to study at the prestigious Mozarteum University in Salzburg for a Master’s Degree in voice performance with Boris Bakow.

m a r t in ng baritone Benoît / Alcindoro

Martin Ng was born in Singapore and graduated in Voice at the Conservatorio dall'Abaco di Verona.

Ng has sung in numerous opera houses and concert halls throughout Europe and Southeast Asia and has performed a diverse range of roles in operas by Puccini, Verdi, Strauss, Mozart, Menotti, Purcell, Rossini and Schoenberg, among others.

Ng sang the title role in Viktor Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis at Teatro Rosetum in Milan, Silvio in Leoncavcallo’s I Pagliacci with the Teatro Sociale di Trento and Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia in Bologna. He also sang the role of Don Alfonso in Mozart's Così fan tutte with Taiwan's Creation Opera at the National Theatre of Taiwan; Other roles include Ping in Turandot and Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore with the Singapore Lyric Opera and Der Holländer in Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer with the Richard Wagner Association of Singapore.

Ng’s concert performances include bass soloist for Bach’s Magnificat and Saint John Passion, Buxtehude’s Membri Jesu Nostri, Mozart’s Coronation Mass with the Orchestra of the Virtuosi Italiani, Mozart and Faure’s Requiems and the bass soloist in Mozart’s C minor Mass Easter Concert at the prestigious Accademia Filarmonica di Verona.

Ng’s 2018 engagements include Klingsor (Parsifal) with the Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra and Amonasro (Aida) with the Singapore Lyric Opera.

jon at h a n c h a r l e s tay tenor Parpignol

Singaporean tenor Jonathan Charles Tay is one of the leading opera singers to emerge from his home country in this generation. His clear lyric tone and commitment to text and drama have contributed to his increasing presence on the opera and concert stages in Singapore and the United States.

This season, Tay performs the role of Ah Niu in the Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s Liu San Jie, Ferrando in Mozart’s Così fan tutte with the Esplanade, Dvorak’s Stabat Mater with the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra, Parpignol in Puccini’s La Bohème with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and The Messenger in Verdi’s Aida with Singapore Lyric Opera (SLO).

Previous credits include Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore with SLO, Steuermann in Singapore’s first Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer, garnering praise from OPERA! as “excellent and very lyrical”. Also, Orpheus in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, Peppe in Donizetti’s Rita, Peter Quint in Britten’s Turn of the Screw, Hussar in Stravinsky’s Mavra, Astolf in Schubert’s Die Versworenen, Edoardo in Rossini’s La cambiale di matrimonio, Muley Graves in Ricky Ian Gordon’s Grapes of Wrath, Laurie in Mark Adamo’s Little Women and Ferrando in Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Tay also performed as Re Gonzaga and L’araldo in Franco Faccio’s Amleto.

His performance with Opera Southwest was listed in Opera News best of 2016 recordings.

Tay attained his Bachelor of Music at the Manhattan School of Music, studying with renowned tenor Neil Rosenshein and following that, his Masters of Music at Northwestern University, studying with W. Stephen Smith. He is also a recipient of the 2013 Eckstein Merit Scholarship Award, a New Horizon Aspen Music Festival Award in 2014 and recently was awarded a scholarship to the 2017 Richard Wagner Stipendienstiftung in Bayreuth, Germany, representing the Richard Wagner Association of Singapore.

Eude nic e Pa l a r u a n choral director

Eudenice Palaruan studied at the University of the Philippines majoring in composition under Ramon Santos (National Artist for Music) and choral conducting under Joel Navarro. After finishing his Bachelor’s Degree in the Philippines, he took on a four-year study in choral conducting at the Berliner Kirchenmusikschule, Germany under Martin Behrmann.

As a chorister and vocalist he performed with leading choirs such as the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club, Berlin Spandauer Kantorei, and the World Youth Choir. He was also involved in early music performance practice as a countertenor with the Berlin Monteverdichor and continuo player at the Philippine International Bamboo Organ Festival. On the podium he was the Music Director of the Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club, Assistant Choir Master of the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Principal Conductor of the San Miguel Master Chorale and the Union Church of Manila Chancel Choir. For the past seven years he was the Resident Conductor of the International Bamboo Organ Festival where he directed some of Philippines’ leading choirs in the performance of early European choral music and the revival of Latin American Baroque choral music.

As a composer and arranger Palaruan introduced choral and other vocal works that exhibit the indigenous Filipino sound. His works are performed by Asian and European choirs in international festivals and competitions. With his active involvement in the choralization of Philippine and other Asian indigenous music he premiered a significant volume of new Asian choral works and is often invited to give lectures on non-Western vocal aesthetics and choral arranging in the Asian context.

As a music pedagogue he taught composition and cantorship at the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music, choral conducting subjects at the University of the Philippines College of Music and the St. Paul University Manila College of Music and the Performing Arts. Currently he is an Associate Professor at the School of Church Music in Singapore Bible College, training and mentoring young church musicians from different Asian countries.

Wong l a i f oon choirmaster

As a founder-conductor of the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir, Wong Lai Foon has dedicated the past twelve years towards building up the ensemble to become the leading children’s choir in the nation. Under her direction, the SSCC has garnered much praise for its impressive choral tone, and its musically precise and polished performances, earning it the commendation of “one of the best children’s choirs in Asia” in a recent review.

In her capacity as choirmaster, Wong has overseen the expansion of the SSCC, which now comprises a Concert Choir, Training Choir, three preparatory choirs, a Boys’ Ensemble, and a Youth Choir. She has also led the Concert Choir on two tours, performing at the Philharmonie de Paris in 2015 in collaboration with the MaÎtrise de Radio France, and at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, Kuala Lumpur, during a joint concert tour with the Singapore National Youth Orchestra. In commemoration of the SSCC’s 10th Anniversary in 2016, Wong directed the choir in a series of exciting performances and projects, one of which was the recording of SSCC’s first CD, And I’ll Sing Once More. In her effort to increase the body of treble choral works by local composers, Wong has made it a point to commission a new work each year, and has thus far commissioned works by Chen Zhangyi, Kelly Tang and Lee Chin Sin. In addition to their annual appearances at the SSO Christmas concerts, Wong prepares the SSCC for their regular collaborations with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in symphonic and operatic works. Past performances have included Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust and the Te Deum, Britten’s War Requiem and Bizet’s Carmen.

Through her work with the SSCC, Wong aspires to inspire a generation of young choral singers to embrace the choral art and strive for musical and artistic excellence. In demand as a conductor with choirs across various segments of the community, Wong is the resident conductor of the Methodist Festival Choir, and assistant conductor of The Philharmonic Chamber Choir. She has also previously prepared works for the Singapore Symphony Chorus and Singapore Lyric Opera.

She received her Master’s Degree in choral conducting from Westminster Choir College, under the tutelage of Joseph Flummerfelt.

S ing a p or e S y mp hon y C hor us EUDENICE PALARUAN Choral Director SHANE THIO Rehearsal Pianist The Singapore Symphony Chorus (SSC) was inaugurated in 1980 under the direction of Choo Hoey, then Music Director of the SSO, giving its first performance on 13 June 1980. It has since established itself as one of the finest choirs in the region and one of the few symphony choruses in Southeast Asia.

The chorus has performed under the baton of renowned conductors Peter Erdei, Eric Ericsson, John Nelson, Claus Peter Flor, Okko Kamu, and most recently, Masaaki Suzuki for Mozart’s Requiem. Under pioneering Choral Director Lim Yau’s dedicated tutelage, it has amassed a wide repertoire over the years, performing such works as Orff’s Carmina Burana, Rachmaninov’s The Bells, Tippett’s A Child of Our Time, Macmillan’s Seven Last Words from the Cross, Kodály’s Missa Brevis, Arvo Pärt’s Te Deum, Britten’s War Requiem, and Bach’s St John Passion, amongst many others.

Brought together by an ardour for choral music, presiding Choral Director Eudenice Palaruan leads the SSC’s colourful communion of choristers, who come from a myriad of backgrounds including biochemists, tour guides and lawyers.

Sing a p or e S y mp hon y Yo u t h C hoir WONG LAI FOON Choirmaster EVELYN HANDRISANTO Rehearsal Pianist An up-and-coming addition to the SSO’s fledge of choruses, the Singapore Symphony Youth Choir was formed in 2016 to complement the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), with a chorus with young people’s voices for which many symphonic music require.

The Youth Choir is a platform for young adults to further their interest in choral singing, as well as to enable mature members of the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir (SSCC) to continue their development in classical choral singing. Bridging the SSCC and the Singapore Symphony Chorus, the SSYC exists to artistically enrich young adults musically and vocally.

Comprising Singapore’s finest young choristers aged between 17 and 28, the SSYC revels in the best of all musical worlds and styles, ranging from orchestral to a cappella masterpieces spanning the Renaissance to 21st century contemporary music.

Sing a p ore S y mp hon y Chil dre n’s Choir WONG LAI FOON Choirmaster GABRIEL HOE Rehearsal Pianist Formed in 2006, the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir (SSCC) has established itself as the leading children’s choir in Singapore. With over 200 members aged 9 to 18, the SSCC seeks to enrich the lives of young singers through a holistic choral training programme that nurtures artistic growth and personal development.

The SSCC tours internationally, and has performed great choral masterpieces with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, with distinguished conductors such as Lim Yau, Claus Peter Flor, Sofi Jeannin, François-Xavier Roth and Julie Desbordes. It has performed at the Philharmonie de Paris in a collaborative performance of Berlioz’s Te Deum with the Maîtrise de Radio France, as well as at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, where it partnered the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in concert.

The Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir continues to have an active performing calendar, having most recently performed at the Istana for the prestigious Cultural Medallion & Young Artist Award; and a shared stage with critically acclaimed The King’s Singers. The choir has released their first recording, And I’ll Sing Once More, under Wong Lai Foon.

The SSCC is proud to have Mr Christopher Ho and Mrs Rosy Ho as its principal champion.

M a in CHOr us Päivi Aalto* Arnie Arfiee Laura Ashbaugh Au Zexian Karen Aw* Jean-Michel Bardin Iris Boehmer Chan Mei Yoke* Alexis Chen Meredith Cheong Calvin Chin Chiu Lu Yah Chng Chin Han Chow Cheng Shon William Chua Winsen Citra* Alfonso Cortez Edwin Orlando Cruz Arthur Davis* Mairi Fernandez-ares Grace Goh Karin Hesse Mervi Hiltunen*

Joseph Kennedy Khor Gui Wei* Paul Kitamura Susan Kurniawati* Sonja Lam Irene Law Deborah Lee* Dorothy Lee-Teh Evelyn Lee Norman Lee Eleesha Lewis Priscilla Lian Janice Lim Sherilyn Lim Trixi Lim Lim Wei Sheng Wendy Lim Zachary Lim Lin Wei Marcus Loh Loh Shao Wei Ethan Murugasu David Neal*

Ng Beng Choo* Ng Kong Tiok Eunice Ng-Chee Sara Norton Avoni Odyuo* Si Hui Ong Ronald Ooi Yann Perron Qi Jian Sarah Santhana* Desiree Seng James Shin-Gay Josephine Sim Alan Smith Natividad Solaguren* Bjorn Soo Miki Taguchi Tai Jien Nee* Elsie Tan Freda Tan Ian Tan Tan Li En

Tan Yulin Tan Yuqing Pollyanna Tang Patricia Teng* Masumi Tsuchiya Natsuko Tohyama Sachiko Tomimori Olivia Trono* Yvonne Soh Stefenie Wong* Karen Yau* Ian Yew

*Also part of Stage Chorus in Act 3

C hil dr e n Ana Banchs Rodríguez Bryan Carmichael Anne-Sophie Cazaubon Ariane Cazaubon Ashley Chai Ria Chhabra Arjun Chhabra David Cho Sophie Du Toit Nia Edwards Goh Chen Xi Maria Erika Goh

Ikabella Heaps Shunsho Heng Caroline Hesse Hoo Ashley Huang Ziyan Tania Ibrahim Jin Xiao Han Hana Kasai Arthur Lee Giselle Lim Javier Loke Diego Marcotty

Faith Ong Chloe Ong Anya Prabowo Lesedi Ribeiro Michael Robinson Caleb Seah See To Yu Rong Grace Sen Caleb Seow Megan Soh Samyukta Sounderraman

Tiffany Tam Tan Carine Emily Tan Lara Tan Shannen Tay Justin Teng Aloysius Wong Mao Yamaura Seia Yano Ashley Yeo Caleb Yeo

C he r ily n Woo stage director

Cherilyn Woo is a freelance Theatre Director and writer. From 2014 – 2016, she was the Resident Assistant Director at the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT).

Director Credits: The Woman Before, The Bus Stop, Abstraction, 遗志 Associate Director Credits: The Nightingale (SRT) Assistant Director Credits: 画室 (Nine Years Theatre), The Black Pearl – Tribute to Maria Callas (Bellepoque), Orpheus in the Underworld (New Opera Singapore), Romeo & Juliet (SRT), 三只三羊 (SRT), Treasure Island (SRT), Hello/Goodbye (SRT), LKY: The Musical (Metropolitan Productions), The Tempest (SRT), The Three Billy Goats Gruff (SRT), 金发姑娘和三只熊 (SRT), Junior Claus (SRT). www.cherilynwoo.com

G e ne v ie v e P ec k lighting designer

Genevieve graduated from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London in 2012 with a BA(Hons) in Theatre Practice, specialising in Lighting and Projection/ Video Design.

Design credits include Tango, The Effect (Pangdemonium), I Came At Last To The Seas, Lao Jiu 2017, Liao Zhai Rocks 2016, If There’re Seasons 2014 (The Theatre Practice), I Am Trying To Say Something True (Esplanade), Missing, sixpointnine, The Silly Little Girl and The Funny Old Tree (Drama Box), Prism (Toy Factory), Sides 2016 (Frontier Danceland), ASEAN Para Games 2015 Opening and Closing Ceremonies (Philbeat Pte Ltd), Kit Chan Spellbound Concert (Banshee Empire), Soul Journey – Nine Songs (Siong Leng Musical Association).

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SSO MU SICIANS Lan Shui Music Director joshua tan Associate Conductor jason lai Associate Conductor andrew litton Principal Guest Conductor Choo Hoey Conductor Emeritus Eudenice Palaruan Choral Director

FIRST VIOLIN Igor Yuzefovich° Concertmaster, The GK Goh Chair Lynnette Seah Co-Concertmaster Kong Zhao Hui* Associate Concertmaster Chan Yoong-Han Fixed Chair Cao Can* Chen Da Wei Duan Yu Ling Foo Say Ming Gu Wen Li Jin Li Cindy Lee Sui Jing Jing Karen Tan William Tan Wei Zhe SECOND VIOLIN Michael Loh Associate Principal Hai-Won Kwok Fixed Chair Nikolai Koval* Lee Shi Mei^ Chikako Sasaki* Margit Saur Shao Tao Tao Lillian Wang Wu Man Yun*

Xu Jue Yi* Ye Lin* Yeo Teow Meng Yin Shu Zhan* Zhang Si Jing* VIOLA Zhang Manchin Principal Guan Qi Associate Principal Gu Bing Jie* Fixed Chair Marietta Ku Luo Biao Julia Park Shui Bing Tan Wee-Hsin Janice Tsai Wang Dandan Yang Shi Li CELLO Ng Pei-Sian Principal Yu Jing Associate Principal Guo Hao Fixed Chair Chan Wei Shing Song Woon Teng Wang Yan Wang Zihao* Wu Dai Dai Zhao Yu Er DOUBLE BASS Guennadi Mouzyka Principal Yang Zheng Yi Associate Principal Karen Yeo Fixed Chair Olga Alexandrova Jacek Mirucki Wang Xu FLUTE Jin Ta Principal Evgueni Brokmiller Associate Principal Roberto Alvarez Miao Shanshan PICCOLO Roberto Alvarez Assistant Principal

OBOE Rachel Walker Principal Pan Yun Associate Principal Carolyn Hollier Elaine Yeo COR ANGLAIS Elaine Yeo Associate Principal CLARINET Ma Yue Principal Li Xin Associate Principal Liu Yoko Tang Xiao Ping BASS CLARINET Tang Xiao Ping Assistant Principal BASSOON Liu Chang Associate Principal Christoph Wichert Zhao Ying Xue CONTRA BASSOON Zhao Ying Xue Assistant Principal HORN Han Chang Chou Principal Gao Jian Associate Principal Jamie Hersch Associate Principal Marc-Antoine Robillard Associate Principal Kartik Alan Jairamin TRUMPET Jon Paul Dante Principal David Smith Associate Principal Lau Wen Rong Sergey Tyuteykin

TROMBONE Allen Meek Principal Damian Patti Associate Principal Samuel Armstrong BASS TROMBONE Wang Wei Assistant Principal TUBA Hidehiro Fujita Principal TIMPANI Christian Schiøler Principal Jonathan Fox Associate Principal PERCUSSION Jonathan Fox Principal Mark Suter Associate Principal Lim Meng Keh Zhu Zheng Yi HARP Gulnara Mashurova Principal BANDA (in collaboration with The Philharmonic Winds) Darence Leng, piccolo Udom Kiattivikrai, piccolo Darren Sng, piccolo Shaun Leoi, piccolo Choy Wei Peng Owen, trumpet Erik Tan, trumpet Thomas Ong Jia Yong, drum Jeremy Ng Chuan Kai, drum

* With deep appreciation to the Rin Collection for their generous loan of string instruments. ° Igor Yuzefovich plays an instrument generously loaned by Mr & Mrs G K Goh ^ Musician on temporary contract Musicians listed alphabetically by family name rotate their seats on a per programme basis.

A S ta nding Ovat ion to our Donor s a nd sp ons or s PATRON SPONSOR

Tote Board Group (Tote Board, Singapore Pools & Singapore Turf Club) $900,000 and above

Temasek Foundation Nurtures CLG Ltd Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin $100,000 and above

Christopher Ho & Rosy Ho Anonymous Far East Organization Lee Foundation Singapore Interchem Pte Ltd Santa Lucia Asset Management Pte Ltd $50,000 and above

Singapore Press Holdings Limited John Swire & Sons (S.E. Asia) Pte Ltd Kingsmen Exhibits Pte Ltd Anonymous Anonymous Aquilus Pte Ltd G K Goh Holdings Limited NSL Ltd

$20,000 and above Holywell Foundation Limited Keppel Care Foundation Kris Foundation Mr & Mrs Goh Geok Khim Joseph Grimberg Eugene Lai Chin Look Ms Paige Parker & Mr Jim Rogers Stephen Riady Group of Foundations Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi Martin United Overseas Bank Limited UPP Holdings Limited

Mr & Mrs Wong Ngit Liong Mr & Mrs Tan Vern Han Ho Ching Lee Theng Kiat Christina Ong Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore Pte Ltd Pontiac Land Group Saga Tree Capital Advisors Pte Ltd Tan Chin Tuan Foundation Geoffrey Wong & Ai Ai Wong Yong Ying-I

$10,000 and above Irene Tedja Dr & Mrs Thomas Zuellig Foundation Prince Albert II of Monaco Allen & Gledhill LLP Credit Suisse AG, Singapore ABRSM Su Pin & Mervin Beng Anonymous At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy Pte Ltd Maisy Koh & Dr Beh Swan Gin BinjaiTree Prof Chan Heng Chee Chan Wing Cheng Pauline Chan & Jean Nasr Anonymous Choo Chiau Beng DBS Bank Limited Andress Goh Lai Yan Amy & Kevin Gould Harpreet K. Bedi & Satinder S. Garcha Hi-P International Limited Hong Leong Foundation Kai S. Nargolwara Lee Ming San

LGT Bank (Singapore) Ltd Liew Wei Li Anonymous Lito & Kim Camacho Liu Chee Ming Anonymous Olivia Lum Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd Devika & Sanjiv Misra Nomura Asset Management Singapore Ltd One North Capital Pte Ltd David Ong Eng Hui OSIM International Limited PSA International Private Limited Resorts World at Sentosa Pte Ltd Santosa Handojo Doris & Andreas Sohmen-Pao Tan Choo Leng Tan Kong Piat (Pte) Limited Kim Teo Poh Jin Thomas Teo Van Cleef & Arpels Christine Yeh Yong Pung How

$5,000 and above David Lim Juliana & Clemente Benelli Prof Arnoud De Meyer Chartered Asset Management Private Limited Marie Elaine Teo Ms Manju Vangal & Mr Arudra Vangal Sharon Chandran AIA Singapore Private Limited Odile & Douglas Benjamin Dorothy Chan Chng Hak-Peng Lionel Choi Electrolux S.E.A. Pte Ltd F & N Foods Pte Ltd Fullerton Fund Management Company Ltd

Goh Geok Ling Ross & Florence Jennings Dr AndrĂŠ Klein Prof & Mrs Lim Seh Chun Lin Diaan-Yi Loke Cheng Kim Foundation Anonymous Poh Beng Swee Mr & Dr Peter Sheren Dr Gralf Sieghold Taizo Son Ms Tan Sook Yee

$1,000 and above Thorsten Walther Johanes Oeni Christian Rothenbuehler Jullie Kan Anonymous Mr & Mrs Leong Wah Kheong nTan Corporate Advisory Pte Ltd Anonymous Schroder Investment Management (Singapore) Ltd Dr Tan Chin Nam Eric Wong Ronald & Janet Stride William H Hernstadt Michelle Loh Kanti Bajpai Lawrence Basapa Cynthia Chee Bin Eng Patrick Chong Chong Siak Ching Dr & Mrs Choy Khai Meng Fong Ei Lie Daniel Harel & Laurence Harel Mr & Mrs Winston Hauw Guy J P Hentsch Ho Soo Foo Judy Hunt Khoo Boon Hui Paterson Lau & Pauline Tan Leong Yoke Chun Leow Oon Geok Dr Ng Eng Hen & Prof Ivy Ng Lim Eng Neo Anonymous Prive Clinic Pte Ltd Jonathan Reiter Bernard Jean Sabrier Peter Seah See Tho Kai Yin Dr Adrian Saurajen Anonymous Ivy Teh Whang Tar Liang Kris Wiluan Lucien Wong Xeitgeist Entertainment Group Pte Ltd David & Catherine Zemans Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd Jennie Chua Kim Woon Soo Shih Chih-Lung Dr Christopher Chen Adya Elizabeth Sunindar Gianluca Castaldi D'Isidoro Eddy Gael Bomblian Coutte Didier Pauline Ang Hooi Yeong Cambridge Therapeutics Pte Ltd Carmichael Heather Connie Chaird Sally Chy High Notes Music Solutions Bobby Chin Tracey Chu Gajardo Eugenia Aaron Hardy

Ho Soh Choon JW Central Pte Ltd Jean Yip Salon Pte Ltd Peggy Kek Tommy Koh Kwa Chong Seng Kenneth Mark Lai Lau Leok Yee Lau Kheng Tiong Anonymous Dr Norman Lee Anonymous Lek Lee Yong Lim Swee Lin Betty Lim & Ng Yi-Kheong Lim Lay Min Lin John Hsu Richard Low Ng Pei-Sian Ong Lee Fong Sheila Patel Robin Ian Rawlings Sara Taseer Fine Jewellery Pte Ltd Michael Schlesinger Dr Ho Ching Lin (SNEC) Richard Smith Wan Pong Liang Wee Joo Yeow Wee Kok Wah Kevin Wong Willam Wong Aznan Abu Bakar Ang Seow Long Cees & Raife Armstrong Marcie Ann Ball Bao Zhiming John & Eliza Bittleston Chai Huei Chuen Chan Ah Khim Chan Wai Leong Richard Chen Cheng Wei Margaret Chew Sing Seng Evelyn Rachel Chin Shang Thong Kai & Tiffany Choong Jennie Chua Kheng Yeng Barry Duncan Clarke John S Davison Maureen Derooij Jamie Lloyd Evans Irina Francken Christopher John Fussner Brian Holt Gambrill Goh Chiu Gak Goh Sze Wei Jerry Gwee Mark Edward Hansen Liwen Holmes Matthew G Johnson Khor Cheng Kian Belinda Koh Yuh Ling Takashi Kousaka Lai Kim Peng Mitchell Anonymous Vincent Lam Ho Ming

Matthew Latham Eugene Lee Lee Li-Ming Madeleine Lee Lee Peck Gee Lee Shu Yen Siong Ted Lee Leong Keng Hong Xiao Li Bettina Lieske Alvin Liew Liew Geok Cheng Mavis Lim Geck Chin Lim Hong Eng Janet Ling Yu Fei Stuart Liventals Jeffrey Loke Sin Hu Victor Loo Low Boon Hon Donny Low Low Fatt Kin Benjamin Ma Eunice Mah Li Lien Adelina Mah Li Ting Andre Maniam Gillian Metzger Izumi Miyake Joseph Mocanu Kathleen Moroney Mr & Mrs Willem Mark Nabarro David Neo Chin Wee Todd On Enhao Reuben Ong Herve Pauze Timothy Pitrelli Anonymous Anonymous Derek Quah Allyson Rameker Charles Robertson Andreas Ruschkowski Bernard Jean Sabrier Arend Schumacher Naoyoshi Nick Shimoda Jeremy Snoad Bernhard Steiner Bo Sun Tan Boon Ngee Tan Kok Huan Tan Kok Kiong Anonymous Ivan Tan Meng Cheng Giles Tan Ming Yee Tan Wee Kheng Kenneth Michael Daniel Tando Teo Ee Peng Tian Xiaoye Mr & Mrs Neil Tottman Michiel van Selm Peter White & Ong Yaw Hwee Wong Liang Keen Wu Peichan Valerie Satoru Yano Annie Yeo Vanessa Yeo This list is for donations from 1 Jan 2017 to 31 Dec 2017.

music i a n c h a ir s

igor yuzefovich Concertmaster The GK Goh Chair The GK Goh Chair is endowed by the Family and Friends of Mr Goh Geok Khim

GUO HAO Fixed Chair Cello The Fixed Chair Cello is supported by

CORPORATE SEAT S The Singapore Symphony Orchestra appreciates the support of companies in our Corporate Seats scheme. The scheme supports the Orchestra through regular attendance of subscription concerts. $20,000 and above Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (Pte) Ltd

Up to $10,000 Hong Leong Foundation Nomura Asset Management Singapore Ltd Prima Limited Santa Lucia Asset Management Stephen Riady Group of Foundations

This list is for donations from 1 Jan 2017 to 1 Jan 2018.

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a charity and not-for-profit organisation.

Find out how you can support us at www.sso.org.sg. Call or email us at 6602 4238 or peggykek@sso.org.sg.

Sp ec i a l T h a nks to Our DONOR S OF THE S S O B e ne f i t Dinne r 2018 Each year, the SSO Ladies’ League organises a gala event to raise funds for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and its affiliated groups. This year, the SSO Benefit: Fiesta Latina! was held on 21 April 2018 and raised over $1 million. These donations are important contributions that enable us to stage sophisticated productions like the concert version of La Bohème. $150,000 and above Christopher & Rosy Ho $100,000 Tote Board $50,000 Aquilius Pte Ltd G K Goh Holdings Kingsmen Exhibits Pte Ltd $30,000 Far East Organization Grace Yeh & Family

$20,000 to $25,000 United Overseas Bank Ltd Maisy Koh & Dr Beh Swan Gin Dr Julie Lo

Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi-Martin & Christopher Martin Kris Foundation Paige Parker & Jim Rogers

Andreas & Doris Sohmen-Pao Dr Thomas & Mrs Mary Zuellig

$10,000 Anonymous At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy Boardroom Limited Bunli Holdings Cellresearch Corporation Chip Eng Seng Corporation Ltd DBS Limited

Frasers Property Interchem Pte Ltd LGT Bank (Singapore) Ltd One North Capital Pte Ltd Raffles Medical Group SEA Pte Ltd Stephen Riady Group of Foundations Total Trading Asia Pte Ltd

Van Cleef & Arpels Odile Benjamin Lito & Kim Camacho Choo Chiau Beng Amy & Kevin Gould Judy Hunt Audrey & Oscar Mico Geoffrey & Ai Ai Wong Yong Ying-I

giacomo puccini (1858-1924) La Bohème (Concert Version) 120’00 With his third opera, Manon Lescaut, Puccini had achieved an unequivocal success, prompting George Bernard Shaw to anoint him Verdi’s heir. Three years later to the day, on 1 February 1896, La Bohème premiered and with it he gained immortality.

Together with his Tosca and Madama Butterfly, La Bohème ranks among the most popular operas ever composed. Turandot, which was unfinished at his death, has joined their ranks, due in no small part to the immense popularity of ‘Nessun dorma’ that was spearheaded by the Three Tenors.

The critics were initially lukewarm to La Bohème, in part because it did not sound like Manon Lescaut, meaning that there was not even a whiff of Wagner in it. As hard as it is to believe, in his youth, Puccini was a devotee of the German composer.

Additionally, they were still wonderstruck from the Italian premiere of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung a few weeks earlier and expected more of the same. Audience response was warmer, but the critics’ complaints were not without merit.

Puccini himself was aware of its flaws, especially the problematic second act that was the target of most of the criticism. Although he made revisions to all four acts, those to the second were the most extensive. The cast too had its shortcomings, an obstacle that not even Arturo Toscanini, who had conducted the earlier performances of Götterdämmerung, could surmount. It was his first time conducting the premiere of a Puccini opera. La fanciulla del West at New York’s Metropolitan Opera in 1910 and Turandot at La Scala Milan in 1926 would follow.

Puccini’s style is immediately recognisable. Foremost are his melodies, which are almost always sung. Few Italian composers, especially Puccini, would leave their melodies for the orchestra to play. Many phrases are conversational, adding to their charm and naturalness. The opera’s other virtues are its understatement and tight construction, with the orchestration lighter, more delicate and more imaginatively coloured than in his previous operas. Puccini’s economy of style is demonstrated by his focus on character and the drama; there is nothing extraneous in the plot to detract from the drama.

The libretto, by Puccini’s collaborators on Manon Lescaut Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, is based on Henri Murger’s Scènes de la vie de bohème from 1851, a collection of short stories set in Paris’ Latin Quarter. The French composer, Claude Debussy said that no one had captured the Paris of the 1840s better than the creators of La Bohème. Most importantly for Puccini, the libretto contained the single, luminous character who inspired him, Mimì.

Synopsis Act 1 It is Christmas Eve, and the poet Rodolfo and the painter Marcello are burning pages from Rodolfo’s latest manuscript to keep warm. Their friends — the musician Schaunard and the philosopher Colline — boisterously enter with food, fuel and money. Their merriment is interrupted by their landlord Benoît knocking at the door and demanding the overdue rent. Tipsy on the wine that they gave him, Benoît boasts of his success with the ladies. Feigning outrage at his indiscretions, they push him out the door without the rent money.

The three friends go off to the Café Momus leaving Rodolfo alone to write. There is a knock at the door and Rodolfo opens it to find Mimì standing there. Her candle has gone out in the stairway, but it is really a ruse. Alarmed at her frailty, he invites her into the apartment and offers her a glass of wine. She somehow manages to lose her key. As they search for it, both of their candles go out and their hands touch. Actually, Rodolfo has found it and slipped it into his pocket.

With moonlight streaming through the window of the garret, he tells her of his dreams.

She replies that her name is actually Lucia, and that she spends her days alone, embroidering flowers and waiting for spring. The friends shout for him to join them and he responds to their bemusement that he is not alone. Already in love, the seamstress and the poet leave for the café.

Act 2 After buying Mimì a bonnet, they join their friends sitting outside at the Café Momus.

The toy vendor Parpignol enters, besieged by a mob of noisy children. Musetta, Marcello’s former girlfriend, enters with the much older and wealthy Alcindoro. The exlovers feign indifference to each other, but Musetta, ever the flirt, goads him by singing of her popularity with men. As a pretext for joining the others, she sends Alcindoro off to the cobblers. They join the soldiers marching through the square, leaving the indignant Alcindoro to foot the bill.

Act 3 Early on a snowy morning, a custom official at the Porte d’Enfer grants a group of women permission to enter the city. Mimì arrives looking for Marcello, who has been painting a mural at the nearby tavern. She tells him of Rodolfo’s jealous outbursts and believes that it is best that they part. When Rodolfo appears, Mimì hides and overhears him complain to Marcello about her flirtatious behaviour. Rodolfo wants to separate from her. But pressed for the real reason, he confesses his jealousy is feigned: in truth, he knows his state of poverty cannot help Mimì's worsening health and hopes that she will find someone wealthier to provide for her.

Mimì's cough reveals her presence. Meanwhile, Marcello rushes into the tavern, irritated by Musetta's flirtatious laughs, and quarrels with her. Oblivious to them, Rodolfo and Mimì confront each other with their true feelings but ultimately agree to separate amicably. They reminisce upon their happy past and vow to stay together until the spring.

Act 4 Several months later, separated from their girlfriends, Rodolfo and Marcello commiserate over their loneliness. Colline and Schaunard enter with food and the four friends engage in frivolous dancing and a mock duel. Musetta suddenly enters to tell them that Mimì is outside, too weak to climb the stairs.

Mimì greets her friends, telling Marcello that Musetta is truly a kind person and loves him deeply. Musetta and Marcello leave to sell her jewelry in order to buy Mimì a muff to warm her freezing hands, while Colline goes off to sell his cherished overcoat. Alone, Mimì and Rodolfo sing of their love for each other, as great as the sky is above them.

She also admits that she knew that he had found her key on the night they first met.

The others return with the muff, medicine and money, but it is too late. Musetta says a prayer that her friend’s life be spared. Mimì, however, quietly slips away. Schaunard is the first to realise that she has died and tells Rodolfo to be brave. Rodolfo cries out her name as the opera ends.

Programme notes by Rick Perdian

RECOMMENDED LISTENING 1) Puccini: La Bohème Berlin Philharmonic, Mirella Freni, Herbert von Karajan, Luciano Pavarotti, Elizabeth Harwood, Rolando Panerai, Gianni Maffeo & Nicolai Ghiaurov (Decca, 1973)

b oa rd of direc tor s & COMMITTE e S board of directors Mr Goh Yew Lin (Chairman) Ms Yong Ying-I (Deputy Chairman) Mr Ang Chek Meng Mrs Odile Benjamin Mr Chng Hak-Peng Mr Lionel Choi Mr Warren Fernandez Prof Arnoud De Meyer Mr Heinrich Grafe Ms Liew Wei Li Ms Lim Mei Mr Sanjiv Misra Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao Mr Paul Tan Dr Kelly Tang Mr Yee Chen Fah

Endowment Fund Committee Mr Goh Yew Lin (Chairman) Mr David Goh Mr Sanjiv Misra

Ms Liew Wei Li (Chairlady) Mr Ang Chek Meng Ms Vivien Goh Dr Kee Kirk Chin Mrs Valarie Wilson

SSO Council

Mr Goh Yew Lin (Chairman) Mr Paul Tan Ms Yong Ying-I

Prof Cham Tao Soon (Honorary Chairman) Mr Alan Chan (Chairman) Mr Choo Chiau Beng Dr Geh Min Mr Goh Geok Khim Mr Khoo Boon Hui Prof Tommy Koh Mr JY Pillay Dr Stephen Riady Ms Priscylla Shaw Dr Gralf Sieghold Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao Dr Tan Chin Nam Ms Tan Choo Leng Mr Tan Soo Nan Mr Wee Ee Cheong

Audit Committee

Musicians’ Committee

Mr Yee Chen Fah (Chairman) Ms Lim Mei

Mr Chan Wei Shing Mr Jon Paul Dante Mr Jamie Hersch Mr Ng Pei-Sian Mr Mark Suter Mr Christoph Wichert Mr Yeo Teow Meng

Nominating and Executive Committee

SNYO Committee

SSO LADIES’ LEAGUE Mrs Odile Benjamin (Chairlady) Mrs Kwan Lui (Deputy Chairlady) Mrs Celeste Basapa Mrs Maisy Beh Mrs Kim Camacho Mrs Rosy Ho Ms Judy Hunt Prof Annie Koh Dr Julie Lo Mrs Clarinda TjiaDharmadi-Martin Ms Paige Parker Ms Kris Tan Ms Manju Vangal Mrs Grace Yeh

MANAGEMENT CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Mr Chng Hak-Peng

CEO OFFICE

PROGRAMMES (VCH)

Ms Shirin Foo Mr Lim Yeow Siang Mr Edward Loh Mr Chris Yong

Ms Michelle Yeo (Head) Ms Erin Tan DEVELOPMENT & PartnershipS

ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT

Ms Peggy Kek (Head)

Mr Ernest Khoo (Head) Mr Chia Jit Min Ms Tan Wei Tian

Corporate Communications Ms Leong Wenshan

Stage Management Ms Kimberly Kwa (Stage Manager) Ms Chin Rosherna Mr Ramayah Elango Mr Md Fariz bin Samsuri Mr Radin Sulaiman bin Ali LIBRARY Mr Lim Lip Hua Ms Priscilla Neo PROGRAMMES (SSO) Ms Kua Li Leng (Head) Ms Teo Chew Yen Ms Jolene Yeo Community Outreach Ms Kathleen Tan Ms Vanessa Lee Choral Programmes Ms Regina Lee Ms Whitney Tan

Development & Sponsorship Mr Anthony Chng Ms Nikki Chuang Mr Chris Yong MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS & CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Ms Cindy Lim (Head) Mr Chia Han-Leon Ms Myrtle Lee Ms Jana Loh Ms Hong Shu Hui Ms Melissa Tan Ms Cheryl Pek Ms Khairani Basman Ms Dacia Cheang Ms Nur Shafiqah bte Othman CORPORATE SERVICES Mr Rick Ong (Head) Mr Alan Ong (Finance) Ms Goh Hoey Fen (Finance) Mr Md Zailani bin Md Said

HUMAN RESOURCES & ADMINISTRATION Mr Wu Sze Yuen (Head) Mr Desmen Low Ms Melissa Lee Ms Evelyn Siew SINGAPORE NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA Ms Pang Siu Yuin (Head) Mr Tan Yong Qing Ms Tang Ya Yun ABRSM Ms Hay Su-San (Head) Ms Patricia Yee Ms Lai Li-Yng Mr Joong Siow Chong

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