Bravissimo! January 2017

JANUARY 2017

www.sso.org.sg MCI (P) 105/06/2016

VOL. 18 / NO. 1

THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Yo-Yo Ma & Silkroad dazzles in Singapore Baby’s day out

Interviews with Lan Shui & Kam Ning

In pursuit of music – Sergey Tyuteykin

CONTENTS

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08

10

SSO News

Spotlight: Lan Shui & Kam Ning

SSO News

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16

Symphony Society

Backstage

EDITOR Cindy Lim cindy@sso.org.sg

ON THE COVER Yo-Yo Ma & Silkroad dazzles in Singapore

WRITERS Myrtle Lee Hong Shu Hui Melissa Tan Cheryl Pek

BraviSSimO! is published by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Printed by First Printers.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

SSO NEWS

SILKROAD SPLENDOUR Six years after their last performance with the SSO, superstar cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble returned to the Esplanade Concert Hall with two sold-out concerts on November 11 and 12. The first night’s programme featured selected works by modern composers Giovanni Sollima, Toru Takemitsu, and members of the Silk Road Ensemble Kojiro Umezaki and Kayhan Kalhor. Yo-Yo Ma astonished in Elgar’s iconic Cello Concerto, and the audience gave a rousing ovation as the concert concluded with three encores. The musical fiesta continued on in the second evening, with members of the Silk Road Ensemble performing works by the modern composers such as Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky and Zhao Lin.

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SSO NEWS

AN SSO CHRISTMAS Joyous melodies filled the beautifully decorated Victoria Concert Hall as the SSO celebrated the yuletide season with its ever popular Christmas Concert. Held from December 16 to 18, the SSO under conductor Joshua Tan played to full-house audiences.

The Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir (SSCC) joined the first half of the concert which featured music from classic holiday films such as Home Alone and The Polar Express. The Singapore Symphony Chorus (SSC) performed jazzy renditions of Christmas favourites in second half. Both the SSC and SSCC led the audience in the sing-along with Jeff Tyzik’s Holiday Moods Suite No. 1 before the concert ended with the sprightly encore, Sleigh Ride, by composer Leroy Anderson.

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SSO NEWS

BRUCKNER MASS 3 On October 15, the Singapore Symphony Chorus, the NAFA Chamber Choir and the Philharmonic Chamber Choir combined forces with the SSO, under the direction of Lim Yau, to bring Bruckner’s magnificent Mass No. 3 and Pärt’s Te Deum to the Esplanade Concert Hall. This is the first time both works have been performed in Singapore. Joining the ensemble on stage were soprano Alexandra Steiner, mezzo-soprano Celeste Haworth, tenor Jussi Myllys and bass Alexander Vassiliev.

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SSO NEWS

PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION As part of SSO Music Director Lan Shui’s 20th season celebrations, he conducted the Singapore Symphony Orchestra at the Esplanade Concert Hall on October 6. The programme featured two of his favourite works – Richard Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition – both of which earned rave reviews. He was also joined by Sayaka Shoji who played a stirring rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. This concert was sponsored by Transtec Technology.

Violinist Sayaka Shoji

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SPOTLIGHT

Keeping it fresh Lan Shui

20 years ago, Lan Shui led the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in his first concert as Music Director. On January 13, he will mark his 20th SSO season with an identical all-Beethoven programme in the Esplanade Concert Hall.

“The first time I conducted the SSO as guest conductor was in 1993. The musicians were very professional and I could feel the chemistry between us immediately. It’s really wonderful that many of them are still with the orchestra,” Shui confides.

For that inaugural concert in 1997 Shui had picked a selection of masterpieces by Beethoven, the father of classical music.

He shares: “In my mind I wanted to keep the interpretation fresh and search for new ideas, even in the Fifth Symphony.

It was a most exciting concert and afterwards an audience member came up to me and commended the musicians for showing so much passion on stage. It was a great start to my relationship with the SSO.” In the initial years Shui remembers he was excited to implement some of the ideas he had seen American orchestras adopt, including outreach initiatives. “One of the things we did in my early years was to bring music, at times I brought the entire orchestra, to the schools to engage our young people. Back then I think the climate was slightly different and we didn’t quite see as many schools sign up as we would like. Today I am so happy to see many students attending our concerts,” Shui noted.

When music is not on his mind, Shui enjoys watching movies and spending time with his sons, Shui Ning, 11 and Shui Yan, who is six months old. Under his stewardship, the SSO has gone on to receive multiple accolades through various successful recordings and international tours. But Shui says he is most proud of the fact that the orchestra constantly challenges itself to do better and to play better.

Shui added: “As Music Director, of course there has been times when I had to make some difficult decisions. But at the end of the day I can say that the musicians and I are like a family which celebrates its successes together, which I’m really proud of.”

Cindy Lim

Lan Shui conducts an all-Beethoven evening in the Esplanade Concert Hall on January 13.

Tickets available from www.sistic.com.sg.

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SPOTLIGHT

Counting life’s blessings Kam Ning

Since winning the Second Prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2001, Singaporean violinist Kam Ning has enjoyed a flourishing career as a soloist and chamber musician. In her London home, there is never a dull moment either as Kam is the mother of two adorable boys: Aaron, 3, and Nathan, who is 9 months old.

“I think Aaron has possibly inherited some of my musical genes! He loves listening to music and can sing back to me themes from symphonic works quite naturally. I’ve lost count of the number of times he has asked me to play the opening theme from Star Wars for him so he can invent a dance to go with the music.”

“Little Nathan is also a particularly special blessing to us,” shares Kam. “About 6 weeks after he was born, we found out that he has Down Syndrome. Having a child with Down’s has changed our lives in such an unexpected and beautiful way.

Nathan is only a little baby but we can already see some of the typical characteristics of Down’s in him – the quick tendency to laugh hilariously, the cheekiness, that heart-meltingly sociable twinkle in his eyes when he catches yours.”

Since becoming a mother, Kam says the most significant change in her life is that time has become, well, precious: “These days, when I know that I have a two-hour slot to practise, I concentrate triply hard and get five hours of work done in two hours. The sight of a little boy running toward you shouting “Mummy!” with arms out wide to give you a big hug and kiss as you come in the door after many days away on tour is simply second to none.”

Although she has lived abroad for many years, Kam still feels a deep affinity for her native Singapore. “In any 5-day period I’m in Singapore, I will probably eat at least 3 bowls of laksa,” she laughs. “Laksa is my first choice followed by satay and maybe char siew rice.”

She is excited to take on the John Adams Violin Concerto in Singapore in January, a work she has had her eye on for a while. She says: “In the third movement, the violin is given rock star status, and the personality and energy of an electric guitar bouncing against a rhythmically jazz-like and always dancing orchestra. One can even hear hints of Latin America and the Caribbean in parts of the movement.”

Cindy Lim

Catch Kam Ning live with the SSO in the Esplanade Concert Hall on January 21.

Tickets available from www.sistic.com.sg.

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SSO NEWS

BABY’S DAY OUT The SSO Babies’ Proms returned to the Victoria Concert Hall once again for five sell-out performances on November 18 and 19. London-born presenter Peter Moore kept the children engaged as they danced, clapped and hummed along to the music such as Hungarian Dance No. 5, Can Can from Orpheus in the Underworld and themes from Superman and Jaws throughout the hour-long performances. Some children had the opportunity to make their conducting debut with the SSO too!

SSO NEWS

EIGHT SEASONS Vivaldi’s timeless Four Seasons was presented with a twist on October 21 and 22 at the Victoria Concert Hall, as the orchestra, under the direction of concertmaster Igor Yuzefovich, alternated movements of the work with the Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Aires Buenos.

AMONGST FRIENDS 2016 The annual Conrad-SSO Amongst Friends Dinner was held on October 13 at the Conrad Centennial Singapore. It was jointly hosted by Mr Leo Frankel, Director of Business Development of the Conrad Centennial Singapore and SSCL Chairman Mr Goh Yew Lin. Over 30 special guests enjoyed the evening as it was an exceptional way to celebrate the partnership of the SSO and our official hotel sponsor. Guests were in for a treat as SSO woodwind trio comprising of Principal Flute Jin Ta, Associate Principal Clarinet Li Xin and Bassoon Christoph Wichert gave a mesmerising performance of several classics, including Beethoven’s Variations from Don Giovanni and Strauss’ PizzicatoPolka. (top) Mr Chng Hak-Peng, Mrs Kim Camacho & Mr Lito Camacho (bottom) Principal Flute Jin Ta, Bassoon Christoph Wichert & Associate Principal Clarinet Li Xin

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SSO NEWS

CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS Victoria Concert Hall turned into a colourful carnival as it hosted the Carnival of the Animals on November 25 and 26. Conducted

by Associate Conductor Joshua Tan with performances by pianists Low Shao Suan and Low Shao Ying, and L’Arsenal à Musique, the SSO played the Saint-Saëns’ classic, with excerpts such as Tortues and Le cygne receiving thundering applause.

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SSO NEWS

SNYO & SSCC IN KL The Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) and the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir (SSCC) ended a busy year with a combined tour to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Themed Colours of S.E.A., the SNYO and SSCC performed at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas on December 10, charming the crowd with music from Wagner, Ravel, Vaughan Williams, Schubert and Rachmaninov. The young musicians also showcased works by Singaporean composers including Wang Chenwei’s The Sisters’ Islands, Kelly Tang’s Where Go The Boats, Liang Wern Fook’s medley of Xinyao and Chen Zhangyi’s world premiere of Water, a piece commissioned by the SSCC to mark its 10th anniversary.

The SSCC also shared the stage with the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and conductor Julie Desbordes on 11 December in the concert ‘Vibrancy of Youth’ where they sang Mozart’s Ave verum corpus and Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Snowflakes.

The SNYO students also visited the Museum of Islamic Art and the National Museum to better understand the culture of Southeast Asia.

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SYMPHONY SOCIETY

Long Service Award recipients with SSCL Chairman Goh Yew Lin (centre)

OUR GARDEN PARTY Musicians and administrative staff alike gathered at Hotel Fort Canning on October 4 for the SSO Annual Dinner, titled Our Garden Party. Amongst the nine musicians who received the Long Service Award from SSO Chairman Mr Goh Yew Lin, were percussionists Lim Meng Keh and Mark De Souza, who have been part of the SSO family for 35 years. The SSO family also paid tribute and bid farewell to Okko Kamu, who will step down as the SSO’s Principal Guest Conductor after 20 years.

Janice Tsai, Lim Lip Hua & Gulnara Mashurova

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Principal Guest Conductor Okko Kamu (left) with Mr Goh Yew Lin

SYMPHONY SOCIETY

A live performance by Lim Yeow Siang, Lim Lip Hua, Pang Siu Yuin, Mark Suter & Peter Wilson

Happy prize winners!

Associate Concertmaster Kong Zhaohui with wife and fellow violinist Yin Shu Zhan. Both have been playing with the SSO for 25 and 20 years respectively

Table 11 with their winning origami masterpiece!

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BACKSTAGE

Sergey Tyuteykin

In pursuit of music Last August, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra welcomed Sergey Tyuteykin into the SSO family.

learning about science, history and nature, he cannot imagine himself wearing a different hat.

to live in different places, and learning different about different cultures and languages. So, here I am!”

At the age of 11, Sergey started learning the trumpet in his school band, and fell in love with the instrument after hearing his teacher Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Sergeyev performed as the soloist.

Sergeyev led the orchestra for more than 40 years and was a mentor for many local children, including Sergey, across a few generations.

“Music is a gift because it is a common language that everyone understands.

That’s what I like best about it.”

Having stayed in bustling cities for many years, he enjoys spending his free time in quiet and green places.

Sergey moved to Singapore with his wife Polina, who is a talented sound engineer and pianist. Prior to joining the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, he played with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra as Principal Trumpet.

“Those, and Irish pubs too,” Sergey chuckles.

“Since then, there were no questions on who I want to be in the future,” intimates Sergey. Although he enjoys

“Shanghai is a great city. Being a musician gives me the opportunity to travel the world, and I love being able

“I will often be riding a bicycle across parks in the city or plane spotting near Changi Airport. My favourite hangout places so far are East Coast Park and Pasir Ris Park.”

Cheryl Pek

Sergey with wife Polina

Sergey playing L. Andersan’s A Trumpeter’s Lullaby, under the direction of Mr Sergeyev, with the band he grew up with

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Sergey enjoys spending his free time in quiet and green places