Singapore Symphony Orchestra Apr-May 2024

BRAHMS REQUIEM AND SCHUMANN CELLO CONCERTO

Sat, 20 Apr 2024

Esplanade Concert Hall

TCHAIKOVSKY AND PROKOFIEV HANS GRAF AND BENJAMIN SCHMID

Thu & Fri, 2 & 3 May 2024

Esplanade Concert Hall

For the enjoyment of all patrons during the concert:

• Please switch off or silence all electronic devices.

• Please minimise noises during performance. If unavoidable, wait for a loud section in the music.

• No photography, video or audio recording is allowed when artists are performing.

• Non-flash photography is allowed only during bows and applause when no performance is taking place.

Go green. Digital programme books are available on www.sso.org.sg.

Photographs and videos will be taken at these events, in which you may appear. These may be published on the SSO’s publicity channels and materials. By attending the event, you consent to the use of these photographs and videos for the foregoing purposes.

Cover photo: Nathaniel Lim

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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 with its 44-week calendar of events.

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 through its school programmes. The SSO has also earned an international reputation for its orchestral virtuosity, having garnered sterling reviews for its overseas tours and many successful recordings. In 2021, the SSO clinched third place in the prestigious Orchestra of the Year Award by Gramophone. In 2022, BBC Music Magazine named the SSO as one of the 21 best orchestras in the world.

In July 2022, the SSO appointed renowned Austrian conductor Hans Graf as its Music Director, the third in the orchestra’s history after Lan Shui (1997–2019) and Choo Hoey (1979–1996). Prior to this, Hans Graf served as Chief Conductor from 2020.

The orchestra performs over 60 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. The SSO makes its performing home at the 1,800-seat state-of-theart Esplanade Concert Hall. More intimate works, as well as outreach and community performances take place at the 673-seat Victoria Concert Hall, the Home of the SSO.

Beyond Singapore, 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 fivecity tour of Germany and Prague also included the SSO’s second performance at the Berlin Philharmonie. In 2014, the SSO’s debut at the 120th BBC Proms in London received praise in major UK newspapers The Guardian and The Telegraph. The SSO has also performed in China on multiple occasions.

The SSO has released more than 50 recordings, with over 30 on the BIS label. Recent critically acclaimed albums include Herrmann’s Wuthering Heights (Chandos) and Scriabin - Poems of Ecstasy and Fire (BIS). Following the Four Seasons album on Pentatone, a complete Mozart Violin Concerto cycle with Chloe Chua and Hans Graf will be released in 2024. The SSO also leads the revival and recording of significant works such as Kozłowski’s Requiem, Ogerman’s Symbiosis (after Bill Evans) and violin concertos by Robert Russell Bennett and Vernon Duke.

The SSO has collaborated with such great artists as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Dutoit, Joe Hisaishi, Neeme Järvi, Okko Kamu, Hannu Lintu, Andrew Litton, Lorin Maazel, Martha Argerich, Ray Chen, Diana Damrau, Stephen Hough, Janine Jansen, Leonidas Kavakos, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Gil Shaham and Krystian Zimerman.

The SSO is part of the Singapore Symphony Group, which also manages the Singapore Symphony Choruses, and the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, as well as the VCHpresents chamber music series, the Singapore International Piano Festival and the biennial National Piano & Violin Competition.

Our Story

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

The Group’s vision is to be a leading arts organisation that engages, inspires and reflects Singapore through musical excellence. Our mission is to create memorable shared experiences with music. Through the SSO and its affiliated performing groups, we spread the love for music, nurture talent and enrich our diverse communities.

The Orchestra

HANS GRAF

Music Director

RODOLFO BARRÁEZ

Associate Conductor

CHOO HOEY

Conductor Emeritus

LAN SHUI

Conductor Laureate

EUDENICE PALARUAN

Choral Director

WONG LAI FOON

Choirmaster

ELLISSA SAYAMPANATHAN

Assistant Choral Conductor

FIRST VIOLIN

(Position vacant) Concertmaster,

GK Goh Chair

Kong Zhao Hui1

Associate Concertmaster

Chan Yoong-Han2

Fixed Chair

Cao Can*

Chen Da Wei

Duan Yu Ling

Foo Say Ming

Jin Li

Kong Xianlong

Cindy Lee

Karen Tan

William Tan

Wei Zhe

Ye Lin*

Zhang Si Jing

SECOND VIOLIN

Michael Loh Associate Principal

Nikolai Koval*

Sayuri Kuru

Hai-Won Kwok

Margit Saur

Shao Tao Tao

Tseng Chieh-An

Wu Man Yun*

Xu Jueyi*

Yeo Teow Meng

Yin Shu Zhan*

Zhao Tian

VIOLA

Manchin Zhang Principal, Tan Jiew Cheng Chair

Guan Qi Associate Principal

Gu Bing Jie* Fixed Chair

Marietta Ku

Luo Biao

Julia Park

Shui Bing

Janice Tsai

Dandan Wang

Yang Shi Li

CELLO

Ng Pei-Sian Principal, The HEAD Foundation Chair

Yu Jing Associate Principal

Guo Hao Fixed Chair

Chan Wei Shing

Christopher Mui

Jamshid Saydikarimov

Song Woon Teng

Wang Yan

Wu Dai Dai

Zhao Yu Er

DOUBLE BASS

Yang Zheng Yi Associate Principal

Karen Yeo Fixed Chair

Olga Alexandrova

Jacek Mirucki

Guennadi Mouzyka

Wang Xu

FLUTE

Jin Ta Principal, Stephen Riady Chair

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

Marcelo Padilla^ Principal

Liu Chang Associate Principal

Christoph Wichert

Zhao Ying Xue

CONTRABASSOON

Zhao Ying Xue Assistant Principal

HORN

Austin Larson Principal

Gao Jian Associate Principal

Jamie Hersch Associate Principal

Marc-Antoine Robillard Associate Principal

Bryan Chong^

Hoang Van Hoc

TRUMPET

Jon Paul Dante Principal

David Smith Associate Principal

Lau Wen Rong

Nuttakamon Supattranont

TROMBONE

Allen Meek Principal

Damian Patti Associate Principal

Samuel Armstrong

BASS TROMBONE

Wang Wei Assistant Principal

TUBA

Tomoki Natsume Principal

TIMPANI

Christian Schiøler Principal

Mario Choo

PERCUSSION

Jonathan Fox Principal

Mark Suter Associate Principal

Mario Choo

Lim Meng Keh

HARP

Gulnara Mashurova Principal

With deep appreciation to the Rin Collection for their generous loan of string instruments. Musician on temporary contract

Kong Zhao Hui performs on a J.B. Guadagnini of Milan, c. 1750, donated by the National Arts Council, Singapore, with the support of Far East Organization and Lee Foundation.

Chan Yoong-Han performs on a David Tecchler, Fecit Roma An. D. 1700, courtesy of Mr G K Goh. Musicians listed alphabetically by family name rotate their seats on a per programme basis.

Guest Musicians

BRAHMS REQUIEM AND SCHUMANN CELLO CONCERTO | 20 APR 2024

FIRST VIOLIN

Florin Parvulescu Guest Concertmaster

TCHAIKOVSKY AND PROKOFIEV – HANS GRAF AND BENJAMIN SCHMID | 2 & 3 MAY 2024

FIRST VIOLIN

Markus Gundermann Guest Concertmaster

Wilford Goh

SECOND VIOLIN

Martin Peh

Ikuko Takahashi

Yew Shan

VIOLA

Erlene Koh

Yeo Jan Wea

DOUBLE BASS

Hans Olov Davidsson Guest Principal

Julian Li

Hibiki Otomo

BASS00N

Arvid Larsson Guest Principal

HORN

Alexander Oon

© JACK YAM

HANS GRAF

Music Director

Armed with a spirit of musical curiosity and discovery, creative programming and his commanding presence on stage, Austrian conductor Hans Graf has raised orchestras to new heights while winning audiences young and old alike. With Hans Graf, “a brave new world of music-making under inspired direction” (The Straits Times) began at the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, as Chief Conductor in the 2020/21 season, and Music Director since the 2022/23 season.

Graf was formerly Music Director of the Houston Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Basque National Orchestra and the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg. He is a frequent guest with major orchestras worldwide including the orchestras of Boston, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Vienna, Leipzig Gewandhaus, DSO Berlin, Dresden, Royal Concertgebouw, Oslo, Hallé, London, Royal Philharmonic, Budapest Festival, St Petersburg, Russian National, Melbourne, Sydney, Seoul, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the Bavarian, Danish and Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestras. Graf has led operas in the Vienna State Opera, Munich, Berlin, Paris,

Strasbourg, Rome and Zurich. In 2014 he was awarded the Österreichischer Musiktheaterpreis for Strauss’s Die Feuersnot at the famed Vienna Volksoper, where he returned in 2021 to lead Rosenkavalier.

Hans Graf’s extensive discography includes all symphonies of Mozart and Schubert, the complete orchestral works of Dutilleux, and the world-premiere recording of Zemlinsky’s Es war einmal. Graf’s recording of Berg’s Wozzeck with the Houston Symphony won the GRAMMY and ECHO Klassik awards for best opera recording. With the Singapore Symphony, Graf has recorded the music of Paul von Klenau, Józef Kozłowski’s Requiem, an upcoming Mozart Violin Concerto cycle with Chloe Chua, and Stravinsky Concertos with violinist He Ziyu and pianist Alexei Volodin.

Hans Graf (b. 1949) is Professor Emeritus for Orchestral Conducting at the Universität Mozarteum, Salzburg. For his services to music, he was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Légion d'Honneur by the French government, and the Grand Decoration of Honour of the Republic of Austria.

EUDENICE PALARUAN

Choral Director

Eudenice Palaruan studied at the University of the Philippines College of Music, majoring in composition and choral conducting. He took further training in choral conducting at the Berliner Kirchenmusikschule, Germany. He graduated doctor of musical arts at St. Paul University Manila.

He was a singer, resident composer/ arranger, and assistant choirmaster of the Philippine Madrigal Singers. In addition, he performed with the Berlin Spandauer Kantorei, the World Youth Choir, and sang countertenor with the Berlin Monteverdichor.

In addition, he was the principal conductor of the San Miguel Master Chorale. For years, he has been the resident conductor of the International Bamboo Organ Festival, where he performed and recorded significant selections of Latin-American baroque music. With his active involvement in the choralization of Philippine and other Asian indigenous music, he premiered a substantial volume of new Asian choral works. In addition, he was often invited to give lectures on non-Western vocal aesthetics.

Eudenice also arranges for the SSO choruses and the SSC community outreach programmes. In addition, the SSO choruses have premiered new choral works written by local composers and arrangers in Singapore under his direction.

He taught composition and choral conducting in institutions such as the University of the Philippines College of Music, the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music, and St. Paul University College of Music and the Performing Arts. In addition, he teaches at the Singapore Bible College School of Church Music and directs the SBC Chorale. Eudenice is often invited to adjudicate in international composition competitions and give masterclasses in choral conducting.

© MICHELLE TNG

YING

WONG LAI FOON

Choirmaster

Wong Lai Foon has been a driving force behind the development and growth of the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir (SSCC) since its inception in 2006. Appointed Choirmaster in 2015 and armed with a mission to nurture young voices and inspire choral excellence, she led in the expansion of the SSCC’s training programme to include six preparatory ensembles, as well as the formation of the Singapore Symphony Youth Choir in 2016.

With repertoire ranging from Baroque to opera to contemporary and popular music, she has directed the SSCC and SSYC in a wide array of concerts, often receiving praise for the choirs’ beautiful tone and sensitivity. She has prepared the choirs in collaborations with renowned conductors and performers such as Stephen Layton, The King’s Singers, and Sofi Jeanin and la Maîtrise de Radio France. The SSCC has also had the distinction of being invited to perform at state functions.

Wong has commissioned and premiered treble choir works by local composers and has also arranged for the SSCC and SSYC. Her efforts to educate and inspire singers extend into the community through

workshops, talks, as well as adjudicator, chorus-master and guest-conductor roles. Some ensembles that she has worked with include The Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Singapore Symphony Chorus, Singapore Lyric Opera, Hallelujah Singers, and Methodist Festival Choir. She holds a master’s degree in choral conducting from Westminster Choir College, USA.

© MICHELLE TNG

SINGAPORE

SYMPHONY CHORUS

Celebrating Choral Excellence

For over four decades, the Singapore Symphony Chorus (SSC) has been bringing together passionate and talented choristers from all walks of life to celebrate the best of symphonic music-making, and to create music that moves, transcending language and culture.

More than just a choir, the SSC is a warm and vibrant community for lifelong social connections beyond the stage. Seasoned performers at the Victoria Concert Hall and the Esplanade, the chorus’s committed group of singers come together week after week to hone their artistry and volunteer their time to deliver some of the most challenging choral classics to the highest standards.

Led by world-class conductors including Okko Kamu, Lan Shui, Lim Yau, Masaaki Suzuki and Sofi Jeannin, the chorus has amassed an impressive repertoire such as Tippett’s A Child of Our Time, Arvo Pärt’s Te Deum, Britten’s War Requiem, and Bach’s St John Passion, amongst others, since its founding in 1980.

With their dedication towards presenting outstanding performances, the SSC is the pinnacle of choral excellence in Singapore and a testament to the power of music and how it connects people across cultures and generations.

Eudenice Palaruan Choral Director  Shane Thio rehearsal pianist

© MICHELLE TNG YING

SINGAPORE SYMPHONY YOUTH CHOIR

Inspiring Choral Passion

Energetic and full of dynamism, the Singapore Symphony Youth Choir (SSYC)’s choristers embody a zeal for artistic growth that inspires and pushes boundaries.

Comprised of a myriad of vibrant personalities aged between 17 and 28, the cool collective welcomes like-minded singers to share their journey of youthful passion for symphonic choral music-making, alongside the national orchestra! Performing regularly at the Victoria Concert Hall and the Esplanade, the SSYC is a group of dedicated singers who enjoy coming together to explore some of the most challenging and beloved choral works across styles and genres.

Since 2016, SSYC has had the privilege of performing under the baton of renowned conductors such as Lan Shui, Hans Graf, and Stephen Layton. Their repertoire boasts of musical highlights including Scriabin’s Prometheus, Puccini’s La Bohème, Tallis’s Why Fumeth in Fight, Faure’s Requiem and recordings of Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2.

With the unique opportunity to learn from world renowned musicians and be part of a community that inspires passion, all while creating a professional sound, SSYC is a social journey to reimagine classical music and choral excellence.

Wong Lai Foon Choirmaster

Evelyn Handrisanto rehearsal pianist

© MICHELLE TNG YING

The Choruses

SINGAPORE SYMPHONY CHORUS

SOPRANO

Laurence Biard Tertois

Josephine Budiana

Janice Chee

Alexis Chen

Elizabeth Daniel

Julie Demange Wodtke

Grace Goh

Kaitlyn Kim

Selina Kwek

Rachel Lam

Liang Xinyu

Sarah Santhana

Andrea Yenny Sjah

Nelia Soelistia

Stacey Wang Espera

Sarah Tang

Sachiko Tomimori

Gladys Torrado

Wang Yu-Ann

ALTO

Grace Angel

Chan Mei Yoke

Joy Chen

Chng Xin Bei

Marie Amelie McKeand

Kelly Cooke

Friederike Herrmann

Truly Hutapea

Suzannah Kewley

Susan Kurniawati

Dorothy Lee-Teh

Wendy Lim

Lin Wei

Sharon Low

Ng Beng Choo

Ng Sheh Feng*

Ellissa Sayampanathan^

Natividad Solaguren

Ena Su

Ratna Sutantio

Elsie Tan

Tan Seow Yen

Wang Jiunwen

Nadine Yap

TENOR

Jean-Michel Bardin

Jesse Cai

Chong Wei Sheng

Jeroven Marquez

David Maund

Ronald Ooi

Samuel Pažický

Rac Roldan

Ian Tan

Ben Wong

Yek Kwan

BASS

Ang Jian Zhong

Vincent Chiu

Winsen Citra

Craig Chambers

Arthur Davis

Paul Ellison

Kentaro Hirama

Andy Jatmiko

Ethan Jerzak

Paul Kitamura

Justin Lee

Kevin Neeson

Jared Robertson

Wong Hin Yan

Wong Yang Kai*

*Choral Associate

^ Assistant Choral Conductor

SINGAPORE SYMPHONY YOUTH CHOIR

SOPRANO

Serene Cheong

Goh Chen Xi

Giselle Lim

Navya Singh

Carine Tan

Janelle Tan

Jasmine Towndrow

Raeanne Wong

Xing Xiangyue

ALTO

Mashie Vanessa Agung

Chan Li Ting

Dieh Xin Xin

Megan Fung

Goh Jue Shao

Elizabeth Goh

Erin Ho

Trinetra Kumarasan

Zachary Lim

Ong Sherlyn

Violet Ong

Tan Yuqing

Tan Yulin

Elizabeth Yeo

Zhang Jingqi

TENOR

Cris Bautro

Gaston Liew

Amos Pan

Seifer Ong

Titus Teo

BASS

Leonard Buescher

Bryan Carmichael

Chai Chang Kai

Aaron Koh

Loy Sheng Rui

Dominic Tang

Tan Hee

Joshua Tan

Wong Zhen Wei

The Poetry of Song

25 May 2024

Sat, 7.30pm | Vic tor ia Concer t Hall

Singapor e Sy mphony Childr en's Choir

Wong L ai Foon Choir mas ter

Ellissa Sayampanathan Assistant Choral Conductor

Highlights:

Ernani Aguiar Salmo 150

Edvard Grieg Ave Maris Stella (arr. Julio Domínguez)

György Orbán Gloria from Mass No. 6

Kelly Tang The Wind

Sergei Rachmaninoff Spring Waters (arr. Elena Sharkova)

Photo by Bryan van der Beek

SINGAPORE NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA

The Singapore National Youth Orchestra showcases the extraordinary capability of our youth. It inspires them towards artistic excellence, nurtures them to reach beyond their potential and develops them through rigorous training within a vibrant, supportive, and diverse environment. Established formally in 1980, the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) has welcomed generations of youths into the transformative world of orchestral music, performing locally and representing Singapore on prestigious international stages.

The SNYO family consists of a main orchestra and a junior orchestra, with over 180 members aged 10 to 21 from more than 60 schools across Singapore, guided by professional musicians in rehearsals, sectionals, and masterclasses. Recognised by the Ministry of Education as a National Project of Excellence, members of the SNYO have their participation in the orchestra recognised as a Co-Curricular Activity.

Joshua Tan was appointed as the Principal Conductor of the SNYO in 2018, and Seow Yibin has held the position of Associate Conductor since 2022. Over the years, the SNYO has performed in concert venues and music festivals across Australia, Austria, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. Other musical endeavours include collaborations with the Singapore Ballet, TwoSetViolin and side-by-side concerts with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

The SNYO is part of the Singapore Symphony Group, which also manages the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Singapore Symphony Choruses, as well as the VCHpresents chamber music series, the Singapore International Piano Festival, and the biennial National Piano & Violin Competition.

SNYO Musicians

FIRST VIOLIN

Chloe Chee

Celestia Choo

Hannah Chung

Tina Gao

Galen Gay

Khloe Gui

Keith Ong

Tong Xinran

SECOND VIOLIN

Jacob Cheng

Kayli Choo

Goh Shi Eun

Lee Seohyun

Ng Zu Ni

Samuel Soekarno

Janelle Yuen

VIOLA

Elliott Chan

Skyler Goh

Jayden Kwan

Lareina Lim

Ethan Ong

Wang Qian Hui

CELLO

Timothy Chua

Zachary Lau

Ephraim Tan

Shavaun Toh

Narella Widjaja

DOUBLE BASS

Lee Yan Yu

Li Jiaying

Clarice Lim

Lim Rui Yi

FOR A CARING & RESILIENTSingap ore

As one of the most sought-after cellists of his generation, Chinese Australian Qin Li-Wei has appeared all over the world as a soloist and as a chamber musician. After being awarded the Silver Medal at the 11th Tchaikovsky International Competition, LiWei won First Prize in the prestigious 2001 Naumburg Competition in New York.

Two times soloist at the BBC Proms in London’s Royal Albert Hall, Li-Wei has enjoyed successful artistic collaborations with many of the world’s great orchestras including all the BBC Symphony Orchestras, Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Osaka Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, China Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony and Melbourne Symphony, among many others. Leading conductors with whom he has worked include Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Andrew Davis, Marek Janowski, Jaap van Zweden, Gianandrea Noseda, Jan Pascal Tortelier, Hans Graf, Yu Long, Lü Jia, Tan Dun, the late Marcello Viotti, the late Jiří Bělohlávek and the late Lord Menuhin.

Highlights in recent seasons include debuts with the London Symphony (Noseda), Russian Philharmonic (Jurowski), New Japan Philharmonic (Hisaishi), Czech Chamber and Brussels Chamber Orchestras.

In recital and chamber music, Li-Wei is a regular guest at the Jerusalem, Rheingau and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Music Festivals, and the Lincoln Centre Chamber Music Society, New York, with musicians including Daniel Hope, Nobuko Imai, Mischa Maisky and Peter Frankl.

Prior to teaching at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, NUS, Li-Wei taught at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). Currently he is also a guest professor at Shanghai and Central Conservatory of Music in China, as well as guest professor in chamber music at RNCM. Li-Wei plays a 1780 Joseph Guadagnini cello, generously loaned by Dr Wilson Goh.

ystmusic.nus.edu.sg/faculty-qin-li-wei/

QIN LI-WEI cello

© HANS GOH

SUSANNA ANDERSSON

soprano

“…Susanna Andersson was enchanting in her coloratura passages and always singing with the clarity of a true new music specialist.” – Paul Kilbey/bachtrack.com

Susanna made her professional debut as Zerlina (Don Giovanni) at Grange Park Opera and later, her German debut as Adina (L’elisir d’amore) at Staatstheater Nürnberg. Thereafter she has sung roles as Oscar, Musetta, Queen of the Night, Violetta, Gilda, Susanna, Lisette, Pamina, Zerbinetta, Gretel, Venus and Gepopo in numerous European opera houses as well as in Argentina (Teatro Colón) and Australia (Adelaide Festival).

Born in the Swedish city Östersund, Susanna began her music education in Ljungskile Folkhögskola before graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, from Bachelor of Music and further opera studies. While studying at Guildhall, Susanna won the prestigious Gold medal and the coveted Song Prize at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards. She was one of the artists selected for the Rising Stars World Tour Concert series in the 2006/07 season together with pianist Eugene Asti, and has also been a soloist at the Nobel Prize and Polar Music Prize Award ceremonies.

As a sought-after contemporary music artist, Susanna often perform works by George Benjamin, Oliver Knussen, Luigi Nono, Wolfgang Rihm, Albert Schnelzer, Henri Dutilleux and György Ligeti, and has appeared in festivals all over the world. She has had several works written especially for her and has performed Gaudete by Stuart MacRae at the BBC Proms.

In concerts, Susanna has appeared with orchestras such as the Copenhagen and Swedish Royal Philharmonic Orchestras, Malmö, Helsinki and Helsingborg Symphony Orchestras, Stockholm Sinfonietta, Nordic, English and Mahler Chamber Orchestras, Queensland, Odense, Aalborg, Porto, BBC Scottish and BBC Symphony Orchestras.

nordicartistsmanagement.com/artists/ singers/susanna-andersson-soprano

© ROSS GRIEVE

BO SKOVHUS

baritone

Bo Skovhus studied at the Aarhus Music Institute, the Royal Opera Academy in Copenhagen and in New York. Important engagements in his career were Reimann’s Lear at the Paris Opera and at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Beckmesser in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at the Paris Opera and at the Wagner Festival in Budapest, Titus in Bérénice by Michael Jarrell at the Paris Opera conducted by Philippe Jordan as well as Mandryka in Arabella in Dresden and at the Vienna State Opera. He also sang the title role in Wozzeck at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein and Dr. Schön in Lulu at the Vienna State Opera, followed by Šiškov in From the House of the Dead at the Bavarian State Opera, JeanCharles in The Raft of the Medusa (Werner Henze) in Amsterdam, the title roles in Karl V. (Ernst Krenek) at the Bavarian State Opera, and Eugene Onegin at the Hamburg State Opera.

He appeared as Ryuji in Henze’s Das Verratene Meer at the Vienna State Opera, as Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus) at the Hamburg State Opera, as Jaroslav Prus (Věc Makropulos) at the Berlin State Opera, as title role in Wozzeck (concert performances)

in Boston, at Carnegie Hall and at the Verbier Festival, as Vater (Bluthaus) at the Cuvilliés-Theater in Munich, as Plato Kusmitsch Kovalev (Die Nase) at the Semperoper Dresden and as Dr. Schön (Lulu) at the Theater an der Wien and in Bruxelles.

In addition to opera performances, Bo Skovhus devotes himself to recital and concert singing with great personal commitment.

The artist was awarded the titles “Österreichischer Kammersänger” and “Bayerischer Kammersänger”.

badix.ch/main/bari-b/bo_skovhus/

© ROLAND UNGER

BENJAMIN SCHMID

violin

A truly multifaceted and most versatile of today’s violinists, Viennese-born Benjamin Schmid is renowned for his extraordinarily broad artistic range. In addition to over 75 concertos in his repertoire, he champions works by composers such as Hartmann, Gulda, Korngold, Muthspiel, Szymanowski, Wolf-Ferrari, Lutosławski and Reger. Schmid also has a successful career in jazz and regularly presents his Hommage à Grappelli programme at jazz venues and classical concert halls alike.

Artistic Director of the Musica Vitae Chamber Orchestra in Sweden since the 2020/21

season, he continues this successful artistic partnership in diverse play/direct projects. Highlights of the 2022/23 season include appearances with Wiener Symphoniker at the Bregenzer Festspiele, Orquesta Sinfónica de RTVE, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música with Christian Zacharias, as well as a return to the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg with Constantinos Carydis, amongst others.

Benjamin Schmid won the Carl Flesch International Competition in 1992, where he also received the Mozart, Beethoven and Audience prizes. He holds a professorship at the Mozarteum Salzburg and teaches masterclasses at Hochschule der Künste Bern. He was a member of the jury at the 2017 ARD International Music Competition for violin, and Chairman of the Jury at the 2019 International Leopold Mozart Violin Competition.

Regular collaborations include with conductors such as Seiji Ozawa, Christoph von Dohnányi, Riccardo Chailly, Yuri Temirkanov, John Storgårds and Hannu Lintu, and with orchestras including the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, TonhalleOrchester Zürich, St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Concerto Köln.

Benjamin Schmid plays the “ex-Viotti” Stradivarius of 1718, on generous loan by the Österreichische Nationalbank.

benjaminschmid.com/en

© LIENBACHER

BRAHMS REQUIEM AND SCHUMANN CELLO CONCERTO SOLACE FOR HUMANITY

Sat, 20 Apr 2024

Esplanade Concert Hall

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Singapore Symphony Chorus^

Singapore Symphony Youth Choir^

Singapore National Youth Orchestra^

Hans Graf Music Director

Eudenice Palaruan Choral Director

Wong Lai Foon Choirmaster

Qin Li-Wei cello*

Susanna Andersson soprano^

Bo Skovhus baritone^

SCHUMANN BRAHMS

Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129*

Intermission

Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45^

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ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810–1856)

Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129 (1850)

Sehr lebhaft I II III

Nicht zu schnell Langsam

Robert Schumann himself was the personification of the Romantic artist-hero. He poured his soul into his music, even in the face of mental illness, career-altering injury and harsh criticism. Given his tumultuous inner life, it was understandable that when Schumann was recommended for the position of municipal music director in Düsseldorf in 1850, he seized the opportunity, recognising the stability and financial security it offered.

Buoyed by the initial wave of confidence and optimism brought about by his new role in Düsseldorf, Schumann composed his Cello Concerto in just two weeks in October 1850. It was perhaps intended for Christian Reimers, the principal cellist of the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra, with whom Schumann rehearsed and revised the concerto.

Tragically, Schumann’s mental health continued to deteriorate. Six days after the concerto was sent off for publication in February 1854, Schumann attempted suicide by throwing himself into the Rhine. He remained in an asylum until his death in 1856.

Schumann once declared to his wife, the pianist Clara Wieck, “I cannot compose a concerto for virtuosos, but must light on something different.” The cello concerto eschews gratuitous displays of dexterity but presents the soloist as the protagonist in the unfolding musical drama, a poet-

dreamer wearing his heart on his sleeve. The legendary cellist Pablo Casals, who performed the concerto frequently during his career, described it as “sublime music from beginning to end.”

“sublime music from beginning to end”

- Pablo Casals

The concerto is in three movements to be played without a pause, like an uninterrupted reverie. This unified narrative is underscored by how the three woodwind chords which begin the first movement are transformed and echoed in the second movement, and in the chords that herald the start of the last movement.

The soloist takes the spotlight from the very beginning of the concerto with a glorious melody, full of heartache and yet noble in its suffering. The second subject, in the relative key of C major, reaches ever higher into the stratosphere, as if daring to hope again. Drama continues to unfold in the development section before the rather unexpected return of the opening theme in A minor, brushing aside the triumph of C major. A meltingly beautiful transition

passage leads directly into the second movement, where a wistful melody is spun out over a gentle pizzicato accompaniment. A second cellist from within the orchestra joins the soloist in a brief duet, like a fellow kindred spirit offering companionship and solace. The third movement is energetic, brimming with ardour and urgency. There is an unusual accompanied cadenza, where the winds and lower strings affirm and support the soloist, before the music gathers its full force and charges to a blazing conclusion.

Programme note by Abigail Sin

Instrumentation

2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings

World Premiere 9 Jun 1860, Leipzig

First performed by SSO 6 Nov 1986 (Valter Dešpalj, cello)

View of the Rhine near Düsseldorf (1875) by Gerhard Munthe

JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833–1897)

Ein deutsches Requiem Op. 45 (1868)

Selig sind, die da Leid tragen (Chorus)

Denn alles Fleisch es ist wie Gras (Chorus)

Herr, lehre doch mich (Baritone & Chorus)

Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen (Chorus)

Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit (Soprano & Chorus)

Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende Statt (Baritone & Chorus)

Selig sind die Toten, die in dem Herrn sterben (Chorus)

While it seems a natural assumption that writers of sacred music should be of a religious bent themselves, a cursory look at modern composers will quickly reveal a different reality: John Rutter, famous for his Magnificat, Requiem, and countless anthems, is an agnostic; Morten Lauridsen, writer of much Latin Catholic music, is a Protestant; Giuseppe Verdi, whose fireand-brimstone Dies irae from his Requiem is used for action movie trailers, was an agnostic; and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, whose setting of the Our Father is the most commonly sung in Russian Orthodox services, was an avowed atheist despite writing some of his best music for the Imperial Court Chapel Choir.

Perhaps living in a cultural milieu shaped by faith, and in which faith-based works form distinct genres of music, was why Johannes Brahms, decided in 1865 to write a Requiem. The immediate catalyst appears to have been the passing of his mother Johanna Henrika Christiane Nissen in February 1865, an event which affected him greatly.

The Requiem, or Mass for the Dead, is a distinctly Roman Catholic genre — Brahms himself was nominally Protestant, having been raised in the Lutheran faith and confirmed as a teenager — but what Brahms came up with was only very loosely related to either form of Christianity. Instead of using the standard Catholic texts in Latin for the Requiem mass, using his deep knowledge of the Bible in Luther’s German translation, he assembled his own collection of beloved texts with no relation to any Christian funeral service. In correspondence with Carl Martin Reinthaler, director of music at Bremen Cathedral, when the former expressed concern over the lack of any Christian dogma or references in the selected texts, Brahms refused to add any, and said he would have gladly called it “Ein menschenliches Requiem” (“A humanist Requiem”). The name Ein deutsches Requiem (“A German Requiem”) first appeared in 1865 correspondence with Clara Schumann, where he wrote that he intended the work to be “eine Art deutsches Requie”’ (“a sort of German Requiem”), where the “German” referred to the language of the work.

This first version, with six movements (without the current fifth movement), was premiered at Bremen Cathedral on Good Friday, 10 April 1868, and was a great success. A new fifth movement was inserted in May that year, bringing the total number to seven, and this was premiered in Zürich on 12 September that year.

The first movement Selig sind, die da Leid tragen (“Blessed are they that bear suffering”) begins in a serene F major but despite modulating into D-flat major and some dramatic passages, never loses the sense of buoyant hope, ending as peacefully as it began.

Denn alles Fleisch es ist wie Gras (“All flesh is as grass”) starts with a solemn funeral march before winds bring respite at So seid nun geduldig (“Be patient, therefore”). This movement incorporates some musical material from 1854, the year of Robert Schumann’s mental breakdown and suicide attempt — is Brahms here making a subconscious memorial for his friend and mentor?

A baritone solo starts Herr, lehre doch mich (“Lord, make me to know mine end”) and dialogues with the chorus which turns the text into a powerful fugue at Der Gerechten Seelen (“The souls of the righteous”), conjuring up images of the ranks of heaven.

Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen (“How amiable are Your tabernacles”) speaks of the joys of heaven and is the shortest movement, frequently performed as a standalone piece. Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit (“And you now therefore have sorrow”), the new movement inserted in May 1868, introduces a soprano solo singing of labour

Vaulted ceiling of Bremen Cathedral

Photo by T meltzer

Central nave of Bremen Cathedral

by Jürgen Howaldt and sorrow, with the chorus responding Ich will euch tröstet (“I will comfort you”).

Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende

Statt (“For here we have no lasting city”) brings us some real drama at Denn es wird die Posaune schallen (“Then the trumpet shall sound”), reminiscent of the thrilling Dies irae settings of other composers, and culminating in a magnificent fugue at Herr, du bist Würdig (“Lord, You are worthy”).

The final movement Selig sind die Toten, die in dem Herrn sterben (“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord”) returns us to the serenity of the opening movement. Wind instruments, gentle swelling strings, and soaring lyrical melodies all bring us calmly and comfortingly to a peaceful close.

Programme note by Edward C. Yong

Instrumentation

2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, strings

World Premiere (final seven-movement version) 18 Feb 1869, Leipzig

First performed by SSO 13 Jun 1980

Photo

Chorus

Selig sind, die da Leid tragen, denn sie sollen getröstet werden.

Die mit Tränen säen, werden mit Freuden ernten. Sie gehen hin und weinen und tragen edlen Samen, und kommen mit Freuden und bringen ihre Garben.

Chorus

Denn alles Fleisch ist wie Gras und alle Herrlichkeit des Menschen wie des Grases Blumen. Das Gras ist verdorret und die Blume abgefallen.

So seid nun geduldig, lieben Brüder, bis auf die Zukunft des Herrn. Siehe, ein Ackermann wartet auf die köstliche Frucht der Erde und is geduldig darüber, bis er empfahe den Morgenregen und Abendregen.

Aber des Herrn Wort bleibet in Ewigkeit.

Die Erlöseten des Herrn werden wieder kommen, und gen Zion kommen mit Jauchzen; ewige Freude wird über ihrem Haupte sein; Freude und Wonne werden sie ergreifen und Schmerz und Seufzen wird weg müssen.

Baritone & Chorus

Herr, lehre doch mich, daß ein Ende mit mir haben muß, und mein Leben ein Ziel hat, und ich davon muß.

Siehe, meine Tage sind einer Hand breit vor dir, und mein Leben ist wie nichts vor dir.

Ach, wie gar nichts sind alle Menschen, die doch so sicher leben.

Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Psalm 126:5,6

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.

1 Peter 1:24

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandmen waiteh for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

James 5:7

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.

1 Peter 1:25

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 35:10

Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee.

Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain:

Sie gehen daher wie ein Schemen, und machen ihnen viel vergebliche Unruhe; sie sammeln und wissen nicht wer es kriegen wird. Nun Herr, wess soll ich mich trösten? Ich hoffe auf dich.

Der Gerechten Seelen sind in Gottes Hand und keine Qual rühret sie an.

Chorus

Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen, Herr Zebaoth! Meine seele verlanget und sehnet sich nach den Vorhöfen des Herrn; mein Leib und Seele freuen sich in dem lebendigen Gott. Wohl denen, die in deinem Hause wohnen, die loben dich immerdar.

Soprano & Chorus Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit; aber ich will euch wieder sehen und euer Herz soll sich freuen und eure Freude soll neimand von euch nehmen.

Sehet mich an: Ich habe eine kleine Zeit Mühe und Arbeit gehabt und habe großen Trost funden.

Ich will euch trösten, wie Einen seine Mutter tröstet.

Baritone & Chorus

Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende Statt, sondern die zukünftige suchen wir.

Siehe, ich sage euch ein Geheimnis: Wir werden nicht alle entschlafen, wir werden aber alle verwandelt werden; und dasselbige plötzlich, in einem Augenblick, zu der Zeit der letzten Posaune.

he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

Psalm 39:4-7

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them.

Wisdom of Solomon 3:1

How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee.

Psalm 84:1,2,4

And ye now therefore have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

Ye see how for a little while I labor and toil, yet have I found much rest.

John 16:22

Ecclesiasticus 51:27

As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you.

Isaiah 66:13

For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

Hebrews 13:14

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:

Denn es wird die Posaune schallen, und die Toten wervandelt werden. Dann wird erfüllet werden das Wort, das geschrieben steht: Der Tod is verschlungen in den Sieg. Tod, wo ist dein Stachel? Hölle, wo ist dein Sieg?

Herr, du bist Würdig zu nehmen Preis und Ehre und Kraft, denn du hast alle Dinge geschaffen, und durch deinen Willen haben, sie das Wesen und sind geschaffen.

Chorus

Selig sind die Toten, die in dem Herrn sterben, von nun an. Ja, der Geist spricht, daß sie ruhen von ihrer Arbeit; denn ihre Werke folgen ihnen nach.

for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. …then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is they sting? O grave, where is they victory?

1 Corinthians 15:51,52,54,55

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Revelation 4:11

Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

Revelation 14:13

TCHAIKOVSKY AND PROKOFIEV HANS GRAF AND BENJAMIN SCHMID

Thu & Fri, 2 & 3 May 2024

Esplanade Concert Hall

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Hans Graf Music Director

Benjamin Schmid violin*

TCHAIKOVSKY

PROKOFIEV

TCHAIKOVSKY

Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy

Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63*

Intermission

Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64

Concert Duration: approximately 2 hrs 10 mins (including 20 mins intermission)

This concert will be broadcast on medici.tv and the Singapore Symphony YouTube channel from 3 May.

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TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893)

Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy (1880 version)

Shakespeare the playwright has arguably left England’s greatest mark on the musical world, with centuries of composers inspired by the stories and histories he told. And since Tchaikovsky was drawn to stories of unfortunate love, the fateful tale of Romeo and Juliet came as a natural inspiration to him, resonating with his own tumultuous personal life. When he wrote the “OvertureFantasy” in 1869, he was besotted with the young cousin of one of his students, though it was Balakirev who put him on to Shakespeare’s topic.

He proceeded to produce one of his earliest masterpieces: a 20-minute symphonic work that is as tightly constructed as it is passionate and tragic in turns. The slow introduction gives way to the setting of the scene: fierce music representing the conflict between the two families of the Montagues and the Capulets, and a glowing, lyrical theme representing the love between Romeo and Juliet. Those familiar with the play will find the music very easy to follow: as the open hatred between the two families constantly interrupts the lovers and eventually leads to multiple deaths, the lyrical theme also gets choked off and is eventually subsumed into the overwhelming minor key of the warring families.

Musically, though, such a grand conception could not possibly finish without a grand conclusion, and Tchaikovsky builds a long coda starting from a serene chorale and growing into a final major chord accompanying the cursed lovers’ souls rising to heaven.

Romeo and Juliet (1884) painting by Frank Bernard Dicksee

Instrumentation

2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, cymbals, bass drum, harp, strings

World Premiere 1 May 1886, Tiflis (Tbilisi, Georgia)

First performed by SSO 25 Jul 1980

SERGEI PROKOFIEV (1891–1953)

Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63 (1935)

Allegro moderato

Andante assai

Allegro, ben marcato

Prokofiev was another composer who wrote music inspired by Romeo and Juliet, and both he and Tchaikovsky are towering pillars of the ballet stage. It is no surprise that the sinuous lines of Prokofiev translate easily to dance, and this concerto, written three years before his own Romeo and Juliet, provide music of such visual and balletic impact that it is easy to draw a direct line between the two works.

Right from the opening Allegro moderato, Prokofiev upends all expectations: the soloist plays first, and then the orchestra enters in the wrong key! The music never really settles into a comfortable pace until the emergence of the much more lyrical second theme, with the composer continuously undermining every moment with strange harmonies, weirdly angular melodies, and abrupt changes of tempo. In a way, all of this music represents Prokofiev knuckling down unwillingly to the required Soviet aesthetic after living for years abroad in Paris and composing brash, brightly modern music, but it is done in a way that no listener could accuse him of lacking tonality or beauty. When the opening melody returns in the low strings in the orchestra, that mystery is traded for lushness of sound, though even that is interrupted by the soloist chirping wittily away in the high register. Nothing is concluded properly, and the movement ends with foreboding pizzicato chords.

In contrast, the second movement is almost Classical. The opening melody, coupled with the plainly diatonic accompaniment from clarinet and pizzicato bass, sounds like something from a Mozart symphony, though the music builds Romantic heft as the textures expand outward and the violin soars into the stratosphere. A chattering triplet section takes over, with the violin in full improvisatory flow like a ballet dancer in flight.

Soloist and orchestra alike open the final movement with a crash, which has Prokofiev easing into the manner of his earlier music. Sounding like an off-kilter folk dance, shot through with dark sarcasm, the violinist is in full pelt throughout. The rhythm of the dance becomes increasingly unstable, and the ending is a truly virtuoso show from composer and musicians alike, when the largely 6-in-a-bar dance dissipates into a 5-beat limp, pushed over the edge by erratic percussion noises and shrieks from the brass section.

Instrumentation

2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, cymbals, triangle, castanets, bass drum, snare drum, strings

World Premiere 1 Dec 1935, Madrid

First performed by SSO 17 Jan 1986 (Stephanie Chase, violin)

TCHAIKOVSKY

Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 (1888)

Andante – Allegro con anima

Andante cantabile con alcuna licenza

Valse: Allegro moderato

Finale: Andante maestoso – Allegro vivace

In the later part of Tchaikovsky’s career, a divide had risen between Western-looking composers like him, the Rubinsteins, and their students and those, like the Mighty Handful, who believed that Russian music owed nothing to those aesthetics. Both parties were firmly nationalistic, in a period where Eastern Europe was coming to prominence in the music circles, but disagreed on how they should best represent their national airs. Despite this, they were all fairly respectful of each other’s musical activities, and in the 1880s there was no doubt that Tchaikovsky was indeed Tsarist Russia’s most famous musician, internationally famous as composer and conductor.

Written after an important European tour, the great Fifth Symphony shows Tchaikovsky as an adept treader of the middle path: while the musical craft of the composition shows great skill in (Central) European symphonic technique, there is a strong Russian flavour throughout, one that owes much to Russia’s long tradition of folk music, both secular and sacred. And even a musician as aware of his “outsider-ness” as him was not immune to the Germanic debates between absolute and programme music: an 1888 sketch throws up “Fate” and “Providence” as motifs, though he would eventually perform and publish the music without any such explicit notes.

The richness of Tchaikovsky’s invention means that the first movement constantly flows with new ideas, eschewing the typical sonata form. Here, new themes and melodies arise, intertwined with the motif introduced at the opening, many of these strongly coloured by Slavic influence. Tchaikovsky’s gift for melodies even resulted in the opening horn solo of the second movement being turned into a popular love song several decades later! All of this music is given luxurious treatment by the full orchestra, almost teetering on the edge of sentimentality sometimes. But various woodwind solos peek in and out like dancing characters, and the music stays brilliant throughout.

The ballet stage is not far in the background of the third movement, which is an elegant waltz, fitting right beside the famous waltzes from Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. It even ends with huge tutti chords, drawing the imaginary dancers into a freeze-frame. The finale charts the transformation of the central motif from minor to major, and much of the music depicts this struggle, almost in operatic fashion. Despite Tchaikovsky’s public insistence that there was no explicit narrative in this symphony, it is hard not to take the final march as a symbol of triumph and of hope.

Programme notes by Thomas Ang

Manuscript of the finale

Instrumentation

3 flutes (1 doubling on piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, strings

World Premiere 17 Nov 1888, St. Petersburg

First performed by SSO 12 Mar 1982

CHAMBER

SMETANA AND DVOŘÁK

17 May 2024, 7.30pm

Musicians of the SSO

CHAMBER

THE PAVEL HAAS QUARTET

19 May 2024, 7.30pm

Pavel Haas Quartet

SCAN TO BOOK

S S O.OR G . S G

CHAMBER

POETRY OF THE HARP –XAVIER DE MAISTRE

22 May 2024, 7.30pm

Xavier de Maistre

ORGAN

THE CROW AND THE DOVE

15 Jun 2024, 5pm

Phoon Yu organ

Eudenice Palaruan percussion

Margaret Chen narrator

Ane Lagumen choreographer

All concerts are held at the Victoria Concert Hall

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Jason Salim & Tan Hwee Koon

Gayathri & Steven Santhi-McBain

Kadir Satar

Sayawaki Yuri

Thierry Schrimpf

Shi Lei

Small Story Singapore

Marcel Smit & Hanneke Verbeek

Sharon Son

Superb Cleaning Pte Ltd

Casey Tan Khai Hee

Dr Giles Tan Ming Yee

Gordon HL Tan

Jane Tan

K.H. Tan

Dr Tan Lay Kok

Lincoln Tan

Min Tan

Tan Peng Peng

Tan Siew Ling Celine

Tan Yee Deng

David Teng

Teo Eng Chai

Teo Kien Boon

Kyra Teo

Teo Wee Poh

Alessandro Tesei

Alicia Thian & Brian Bonde

Alan & Akashnee Thompson

The Tomsik Family

Wang Meng

Wang Pei Zhong

Kris Wiluan

Dr Wong Hin Yan

Jinny Wong

Wicky Wong

World Future Enterprise Pte Ltd

Valerie Wu

Elaine Xu

Yan Xia

Ye Xuan

Yeow Ooh Teng

Lillian Yin

Yong Seow Kin

Zhang Zheng

Zheng Hongbo

Zhu Yulin

Anonymous (56)

This list reflects donations that were made from 1 Apr 2023 to 31 Mar 2024. We would like to express our sincere thanks to donors whose names were inadvertently left out at print time.

The Singapore Symphony Group is a charity and a not-for-profit organisation. Singapore tax-payers may qualify for 250% tax deduction for donations made. You can support us by donating at www.sso.org.sg/donate or www.giving.sg/sso.

SUPPORT THE SSO

How can you help?

While SSO is supported partially by funding from the Singapore government, a significant part can only be unlocked as matching grants when we receive donations from the public. If you are in a position to do so, please consider making a donation to support your orchestra – Build the future by giving in the present.

As a valued patron of the SSO, you will receive many benefits.

COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS*

Subscription/ VCHpresents/ Family/SIPF

Gala/Christmas/ Pops

SSO Special Gala Concerts

DONOR RECOGNITION & PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Concert booklets and website

Patron of the Arts Nomination

Donors’ Wall at VCH

OTHER BENEFITS

Invitation to special events

Donations of $100 and above will entitle you to priority bookings, and discounts^ on SSG Concerts.  For tax residents of Singapore, all donations may be entitled to a tax deduction of 2.5 times the value of your donation.

*Complimentary ticket benefits do not apply to Esplanade & Premier Box seats, or supporters who give through a fundraising event.

^Discounts are not applicable for purchase of Esplanade & Premier Box seats.

Through the SSO and its affiliated performing groups, we spread the love for music, nurture talent and enrich our diverse communities.

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. To find out more, please visit www.sso.org.sg/support-us, or write to Nikki Chuang at nikki@sso.org.sg

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

A Standing Ovation

We recognise major gifts that help sustain the future of the Singapore Symphony Group. The recognition includes naming of a position in the SSO or in our affiliated performance groups such as the Singapore National Youth Orchestra and the Singapore Symphony Choruses.

SSO CONCERTMASTER GK GOH CHAIR

In July 2017, the SSO established the GK Goh Chair for the Concertmaster. Mr Goh Geok Khim and his family have been long-time supporters of the national orchestra. We are grateful for the donations from his family and friends towards this Chair, especially Mr and Mrs Goh Yew Lin for their most generous contribution.

Mr Igor Yuzefovich was the inaugural GK Goh Concertmaster Chair. The position is currently vacant.

NG PEI-SIAN PRINCIPAL CELLO

JIN TA PRINCIPAL FLUTE

ZHANG PRINCIPAL VIOLA

SSO PRINCIPAL CELLO

THE HEAD FOUNDATION CHAIR

In recognition of a generous gift from The HEAD Foundation, we announced the naming of our Principal Cello, “The HEAD Foundation Chair” in November 2019. The Chair is currently held by Principal Cellist Ng Pei-Sian.

SSO PRINCIPAL FLUTE

STEPHEN RIADY CHAIR

In recognition of a generous gift from Dr Stephen Riady, we announced in May 2022 the naming of our Principal Flute, “Stephen Riady Chair”. The position is currently held by our Principal Flutist Jin Ta.

SSO PRINCIPAL VIOLA

TAN JIEW CHENG CHAIR

In recognition of a generous gift from the Estate of Tan Jiew Cheng, we announced in February 2024 the naming of our Principal Viola, “Tan Jiew Cheng Chair”. The position is currently held by our Principal Violist Manchin Zhang.

For more information, please write to director_development@sso.org.sg.

MANCHIN

CORPORATE PATRONAGE

HEARTFELT THANKS TO OUR CORPORATE PATRONS

Temasek Foundation

The HEAD Foundation

Stephen Riady Group of Foundations

Lee Foundation

Holywell Foundation

Foundation Of Rotary Clubs (Singapore) Ltd

The New Eden Charitable Trust

TransTechnology Pte Ltd

VALIRAM

IN-KIND SPONSORS

Raffles Hotel Singapore

SMRT Corporation

Singapore Airlines

Conrad Centennial Singapore

Symphony 924

Form a special relationship with Singapore’s national orchestra and increase your brand recognition among an influential and growing audience.

CORPORATE GIVING

We provide our Corporate Patrons with impressive entertainment and significant branding opportunities. Through our tailored packages, corporates may benefit from:

• Publicity and hospitality opportunities at an SSO concert or your private event,

• Acknowledgement and mentions in SSO’s key publicity channels,

• National Arts Council (NAC) Patron of the Arts nominations,

• Tax benefits.

Packages start at $10,000 and can be tailored to your company’s branding needs.

PARTNERSHIP

We partner with various corporates through tailored in-kind sponsorship and exchange of services. Current and recent partnerships include Official Hotel, Official Airline, and we offer other exciting titles.

For more details, please write to Chelsea Zhao at chelsea.zhao@sso.org.sg.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS & COMMITTEES

CHAIR

Goh Yew Lin

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Yong Ying-I (Deputy Chair)

Geoffrey Wong (Treasurer)

Chang Chee Pey

Chng Kai Fong

Prof Arnoud De Meyer

Warren Fernandez

Kenneth Kwok

Liew Wei Li

Sanjiv Misra

Lynette Pang

Prof Qin Li-Wei

Yasmin Zahid

Yee Chen Fah

Andrew Yeo Khirn Hin

NOMINATING AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Goh Yew Lin (Chair)

Prof Arnoud De Meyer

Geoffrey Wong

Yong Ying-I

HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE

Yong Ying-I (Chair)

Chng Kai Fong

Prof Arnoud De Meyer

Heinrich Grafe

Doris Sohmen-Pao

INVESTMENT COMMITTEE

Geoffrey Wong (Chair)

Sanjiv Misra

David Goh

Alex Lee

AUDIT COMMITTEE

Yee Chen Fah (Chair)

Warren Fernandez

Lim Mei

Jovi Seet

SNYO COMMITTEE

Liew Wei Li (Chair)

Prof Qin Li-Wei

Benjamin Goh

Vivien Goh

Dr Kee Kirk Chin

Clara Lim-Tan

SSO MUSICIANS’ COMMITTEE

Mario Choo

David Smith

Wang Xu

Christoph Wichert

Yang Zheng Yi

Elaine Yeo

Zhao Tian

SSO COUNCIL

Alan Chan (Chair)

Odile Benjamin

Prof Chan Heng Chee

Dr Geh Min Heinrich Grafe

Khoo Boon Hui

Lim Mei

Paige Parker

Dr Stephen Riady

Priscylla Shaw

Prof Gralf Sieghold

Andreas Sohmen-Pao

Prof Bernard Tan

Dr Tan Chin Nam

Tan Soo Nan

Wee Ee Cheong

SINGAPORE SYMPHONY GROUP ADMINISTRATION

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Kenneth Kwok

DEPUTY CEO, PROGRAMMES & PRODUCTION

Kok Tse Wei

DEPUTY CEO, PATRONS & CORPORATE SERVICES

Jenny Ang

ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT

Lillian Yin

CEO OFFICE

Shirin Foo

Musriah Bte Md Salleh

ARTISTIC PLANNING

Hans Sørensen (Head)

Artistic Administration

Jodie Chiang

Jocelyn Cheng

Michelle Yeo

OPERATIONS

Ernest Khoo (Head)

Library

Lim Lip Hua

Wong Yi Wen

Orchestra Management

Chia Jit Min (Head)

Charis Peck Xin Hui

Kelvin Chua

Production Management

Noraihan Bte Nordin

Nazem Redzuan

Leong Shan Yi

Asyiq Iqmal

Ramayah Elango

Khairi Edzhairee

Khairul Nizam

Benjamin Chiau

COMMUNITY IMPACT

Community Engagement

Kua Li Leng (Head)

Whitney Tan

Lynnette Chng

Samantha Lim

Terrence Wong

Choral Programmes

Kua Li Leng (Head)

Regina Lee

Chang Hai Wen

Mimi Syaahira

Singapore National Youth

Orchestra

Ramu Thiruyanam (Head)

Tang Ya Yun

Tan Sing Yee

Ridha Ridza

ABRSM

Patricia Yee

Lai Li-Yng

Joong Siow Chong

Freddie Loh

May Looi

William Teo

PATRONS

Development

Chelsea Zhao (Head)

Nikki Chuang

Sarah Wee

Sharmilah Banu

Eunice Salanga

PATRONS

Digital & Marketing Communications

Cindy Lim (Head)

Chia Han-Leon

Calista Lee

Germaine D’Rozario

Myrtle Lee

Hong Shu Hui

Jana Loh

Sherilyn Lim

Elizabeth Low

Corporate Communications

Elliot Lim

Customer Experience

Randy Teo

Dacia Cheang

Joy Tagore

CORPORATE SERVICES

Finance, IT & Facilities

Rick Ong (Head)

Alan Ong

Goh Hoey Fen

Loh Chin Huat

Md Zailani Bin Md Said

Human Resources & Administration

Valeria Tan (Head)

Janice Yeo

Fionn Tan

Netty Diyanah Bte Osman

NEW ALBUM RELEASE

Kozłowski’s Requiem Pentatone Records PTC5187125

A long-forgotten masterpiece in its first modern recording, using a new edition by Hans Graf, realising the Requiem's original 1798 version. The Requiem received its Asian premiere in a performance by the Singapore Symphony in Apr 2023.

Available 19 Apr 2024 In CD and digital formats

& Mrs Goh Yew Lin

The vision of the Singapore Symphony Group is to be a leading arts organisation that engages, inspires and reflects Singapore through musical excellence. Our mission is to create memorable shared experiences with music. Through the SSO and its affiliated performing groups, we spread the love for music, nurture talent and enrich our diverse communities. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. You can support us by donating at www.sso.org.sg/donate

SEASO N P A R T N E R S

SEASO N P A T R ON S MAJ

Mr

Estate of Tan Jiew Cheng

Official Outdoor Media Par tner

Official Community Par tner

Official Hotel

Stephen Riady Group of Foundations