Singapore Symphony Orchestra Feb 2023

first time Is this your at the SSO?

WELCOME! You’ve begun a richly rewarding musical journey and we want you to feel comfortable at the SSO. If there’s something you’ve always wanted to ask, check out our FAQ!

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?

We don’t enforce any dress code. Many come in business attire or smart casual outfits, and that’s great.

WHEN SHOULD I CLAP?

Many pieces of music have multiple sections called movements. E.g. most concertos have three movements while symphonies usually have four. Traditionally, applause is only expected at the end of the entire work, rather than between each movement.

If you’re unsure, check our programme booklet, or wait for the conductor to put down the baton at the end, and acknowledge the orchestra and audience.

CAN I TAKE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS?

Video and photography of any kind are not permitted when musicians are actively performing. However, non-flash photography is allowed during bows and applause. Take home a musical memory and tag us on @singaporesymphony!

GERSHWIN’S PIANO CONCERTO

11 Feb 2023, Sat Esplanade Concert Hall 14

A

PAUL LEWIS PLAYS

MOZART PIANO CONCERTO 25

20

26 A

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.

session A

Autograph

SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

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. In 2021, the SSO clinched third place in the prestigious Orchestra of the Year Award by Gramophone.

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, leading the SSO in keeping music alive during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SSO makes its performing home at the 1,800-seat state-of-the-art 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. The orchestra performs over 60 concerts a year, and its versatile repertoire spans all-time favourites and orchestral masterpieces to exciting cutting-edge premieres. The SSO launched its digital concert hall, SSOLOUNGE, in 2021. Bridging the musical traditions of East and West, Singaporean and Asian musicians and composers are regularly showcased in the concert season.

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 five-city 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 critical acclaim in the 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. The most recent critically acclaimed albums include a Rachmaninoff box set (2021), Richard Strauss’ “Rosenkavalier and Other Works” (2020), and three Debussy discs “La Mer”, “Jeux” and “Nocturnes”. A Four Seasons album and a complete Mozart Violin Concerto cycle with Chloe Chua and Hans Graf will be released in the near future.

The SSO has also 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, the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, and the VCHpresents chamber music series, the Singapore International Piano Festival and the biennial National Piano & Violin Competition.

The mission of the Group 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.

HANS GRAF Music Director

STEFAN BLUNIER conductor

Stefan Blunier has been Chief Conductor of the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música since the beginning of 2021. In addition to his engagements in Porto in the 2022/23 season, Stefan Blunier will conduct the Orchestre National de Lille, the Copenhagen Philharmonic and the Singapore Symphony.

The 2021/22 season brought him as a guest to the podiums of the Orchestre Suisse Romande, the Bern Symphony Orchestra, the Darmstadt State Orchestra and the Orchestre symphonique de l'Opéra

de Toulon. In June 2022, he returned to the Deutsche Oper am Rhein with Verdi’s Macbeth

Stefan Blunier’s guest-conducting engagements have taken him to nearly all the German radio orchestras as well as the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, Duisburg Symphony Orchestra, Frankfurt Museumskonzerte, and numerous orchestras in Denmark, Belgium, the Far East, Switzerland and France. Recent highlights include the NHK Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Stuttgart Philharmonic, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, South Netherlands Philharmonic, Norwegian Radio, and the Century Symphony Orchestra of Osaka. Alongside his appointment in Bonn, he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestre National de Belgique (2010–2013).

Stefan Blunier was born in Bern, Switzerland and studied piano, horn, composition and conducting in Bern and at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen. He is also a founder of the Ensemble für Neue Musik Essen. The early part of career began with successes in the Besançon and Malko Conducting Competitions, which were followed by appointments in Mannheim (Associate Chief Conductor) and Darmstadt (Music Director and Chief Conductor 2001–2008). From 2008–2016 he served as General Music Director of the Opera Bonn and Beethovenorchester Bonn.

GERSHWIN’S PIANO CONCERTO

© SCHAFGANS

LISE DE LA SALLE piano

With a career already spanning over 15 years, award-winning Naïve recordings and international concert appearances – Lise de la Salle has established herself as one of today’s most exciting young artists and a musician of real sensibility and maturity.

She has played with many leading orchestras globally and regularly collaborates with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Gianandrea Noseda, Fabio Luisi, James Conlon, Krzysztof Urbanski, Antonio Pappano, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Lioner Bringuier, Marek Janowski, Robin Ticciati, Osmö Vanska, James Gaffigan, Semyon Bychkov, and Dennis Russell Davies.

She performs in the world’s most esteemed festivals and concert halls including Vienna Musikverein, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Phlharmonie de Paris, Berlin Philharmonie, Tonhalle Zurich, Lucerne KKL, Wigmore and Royal Festival Halls in London.

Her last recording for Naïve (2021) When do we Dance? presents an odyssey of dances through a whole century.

Lise de la Salle started learning the piano at age four and gave her first concert five years later in a live broadcast on Radio France. In 2004, she won the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York. She studied at Paris Conservatoire and has worked closely with Pascal Nemirovski.

STÉPHANE GALLOIS

Robert Spano, conductor, pianist, composer, and teacher, is known worldwide for the intensity of his artistry and distinctive communicative abilities, creating a sense of inclusion and warmth among musicians and audiences that is unique among American orchestras. After twenty seasons as Music Director, he will continue his association with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as Music Director Laureate. An avid mentor to rising artists, he is responsible for nurturing the careers of numerous celebrated composers, conductors, and performers.

As Music Director of the Aspen Music Festival and School since 2011, he oversees the programming of more than 300 events and educational programmes for 630 students and young performers. Principal Guest Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra since 2019, Spano became Music Director Designate on 1 April 2021, and begins an initial three-year term as Music Director in August 2022. He is the tenth Music Director in the orchestra’s history, which was founded in 1912.

With a discography of criticallyacclaimed recordings for Telarc, Deutsche Grammophon, and ASO Media, Robert Spano has garnered four Grammy™ Awards and eight nominations with the Atlanta Symphony. Spano is on faculty at Oberlin Conservatory and has received honorary doctorates from Bowling Green State University, the Curtis Institute of Music, Emory University, and Oberlin. Maestro Spano is a recipient of the Georgia Governor’s Award For The Arts And Humanities and is one of two classical musicians inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. He makes his home in Atlanta and Fort Worth.

ROBERT SPANO conductor

PAUL LEWIS PLAYS MOZART PIANO CONCERTO

© ANGELA MORRISS

Paul Lewis is one of the foremost interpreters of the Central European piano repertoire, his performances and recordings of Beethoven and Schubert receiving universal critical acclaim. He was awarded CBE for his services to music, and the sincerity and depth of his musical approach have won him fans around the world.

This global popularity is reflected in the world-class orchestras with whom he works, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, London Symphony, Philharmonia, Bavarian Radio Symphony, NHK Symphony, New York Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw and Leipzig Gewandhaus orchestras. His close relationship with Boston Symphony Orchestra led to his selection as the 2020 Koussevitzky Artist at Tanglewood.

With a natural affinity for Beethoven and relentless pursuit of understanding his works, Lewis has been central to celebrations of the composer’s 250th anniversary year around the world. He took part in the BBC’s three-part documentary Being Beethoven and has performed a concerto cycle at Tanglewood during summer 2022. He has performed the cycle all over the world, including with Orquestra

Simfonica Camera Musicae, the Melbourne Symphony, São Paulo State Symphony and Royal Flemish Philharmonic orchestras, and was the first pianist to play the complete cycle in a single season at the BBC Proms in 2010.

In chamber music, he is a regular at Wigmore Hall, having played there more than 100 times, and was one of the artists selected to play at the hall’s Lunchtime Series at the start of the Coronavirus crisis. Lewis is also co-Artistic Director of Midsummer Music, an annual chamber music festival held in Buckinghamshire, UK.

PAUL LEWIS piano

© KAUPO KIKKAS

PAUL

XIAN ZHANG conductor

Xian Zhang is currently in her seventh season as Music Director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. She also holds the positions of Principal Guest Conductor of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and Conductor Emeritus of Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi following a hugely successful period from 2009–2016 as their Music Director. Xian Zhang has previously served as Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales and was the first female conductor to hold a titled role with a BBC orchestra.

2022/23 US engagements include debuts with Chicago Symphony and St Louis Symphony, and returns to Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Boston Symphony’s Tanglewood Festival, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Xian Zhang remains a popular guest of Detroit, Montreal, NAC Ottawa, and Toronto Symphony Orchestras.

Beyond the US, Xian Zhang’s 2022/23 guest engagements include the Singapore Symphony and Orchestre National de Lille. Previous engagements from recent seasons include London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Spanish National Orchestra, the orchestra of Komische Oper in Berlin, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. In recent seasons, she conducted the Orchestre National de Lyon at the Paris Philharmonie, and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France as part of La Folle Journée festival in Nantes.

In the opera world, Xian Zhang will return to Norwegian Opera for Tosca, which she recently conducted at Cincinnati Opera, and makes her debut with The Metropolitan Opera in 2024. Previous productions include Nabucco with Welsh National Opera, Otello with Savonlinna Festival, La Traviata for Norwegian Opera (Oslo), La Bohème for English National Opera and La forza del destino with National Opera, Washington D.C.

MOZART’S STARLING

© B EALOVEGA

CHIYAN WONG piano

Born in Hong Kong, pianist Chiyan Wong’s audacity and vision have captivated listeners, in a repertoire ranging from the early Baroque to the 21st century.

Chiyan recently made his Paris debut at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, and gave the Hungarian premiere of Thomas Adès’ Piano Concerto with the Danubia Orchestra Óbuda at the Liszt Academy in Budapest. His recital in Premiere Performances of Hong Kong, given in the spring of 2021, has been the subject of a feature-length concert film, “Encore”, which has been shown in his native city.

Chiyan’s two recordings have met with critical acclaim. For his debut album for LINN Records (Liszt Transfigured), he was awarded the 40th Franz Liszt International Grand Prix du Disque by the Franz Liszt Society in Hungary, in which he completed and edited Liszt’s opera transcriptions. For his second album, he recorded his version of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, drawing from the edition by Ferruccio Busoni.

Having made his debut at prestigious venues such as the Salzburg Mozarteum, and the Wigmore Hall, in which he gave an all-Liszt recital, Chiyan first came to international attention in earlier debuts at festivals such

as the International Music Festival in Dinard, France, the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and the Singapore International Piano Festival.

Beginning his musical education in his native Hong Kong, Chiyan Wong moved to England aged 12 to study with Norma Fisher, and subsequently Christopher Elton at the Royal Academy of Music in London. His interest in composition has led him to work with Thomas Adès at the Prussia Cove International Musicians’ Seminar, as well as counterpoint studies with Naji Hakim in Paris.

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

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

Tseng Chieh-An Principal

Michael Loh Associate Principal

Nikolai Koval*

Sayuri Kuru

Hai-Won Kwok

Chikako Sasaki*

Margit Saur

Shao Tao Tao

Wu Man Yun*

Xu Jueyi*

Yeo Teow Meng

Yin Shu Zhan*

Zhao Tian*

VIOLA

Manchin Zhang Principal

Guan Qi Associate Principal

Gu Bing Jie* Fixed Chair

Hyunjae Bae

Joyce Huang

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

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

Liu Chang Associate Principal

Christoph Wichert

Zhao Ying Xue

CONTRABASSOON

Zhao Ying Xue Assistant Principal

HORN

Gao Jian Associate Principal

Jamie Hersch Associate Principal

Marc-Antoine Robillard Associate Principal

Hoang Van Hoc

TRUMPET

Jon Paul Dante Principal

David Smith Associate Principal

Lau Wen Rong

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. 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

GERSHWIN’S PIANO CONCERTO | 11 FEB 2023

FIRST VIOLIN

Kevin Lin Guest Concertmaster

Yew Shan

SECOND VIOLIN

Lee Shi Mei

Martin Peh

Edward Tan

VIOLA

Erlene Koh

Yeo Jan Wea

CELLO

Wang Zihao

DOUBLE BASS

Joan Perarnau Garriga Guest Principal

Julian Li

FLUTE

Wang Tong

BASSOON

Max Feyertag Guest Principal

HORN

Bryan Chong

Alexander Oon

TRUMPET

Nuttakamon Supattranont

BASS TROMBONE

Jasper Tan

PERCUSSION

Lee Yuru

Michael Tan

CELESTA/PIANO

Beatrice Lin

PAUL LEWIS PLAYS MOZART PIANO CONCERTO 25 | 16 & 17 FEB 2023

FIRST VIOLIN

David Coucheron Guest Concertmaster

FLUTE

Wang Tong

BASSOON

Ignas Mazvila Guest Principal

MOZART’S STARLING | 24 & 25 FEB 2023

BASSOON

Marcelo Padilla Guest Principal

HORN

Bryan Chong

HORN

Bryan Chong

Alexander Oon

GERSHWIN’S PIANO CONCERTO LIFE’S A LOT LIKE JAZZ

11 Feb 2023, Sat

Esplanade Concert Hall

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Stefan Blunier conductor

Lise de la Salle piano*

RIISAGER GERSHWIN KORNGOLD

Selections from Etudes SSO PREMIERE

Piano Concerto in F*

Intermission

Symphony in F-sharp, Op. 40 SINGAPORE PREMIERE

8 mins

31 mins 20 mins

50 mins

Concert Duration: approximately 2 hrs (with 20 mins intermission)

CHECK-IN TO TONIGHT'S CONCERT

Scan this QR code with the Singapore Symphony Mobile App.

Intermission autograph signing with Lise de la Salle at the Foyer, Level 1.

KNUDÅGE RIISAGER (1897–1974)

Selections from Etudes (1948) SSO PREMIERE

- Overture

- No. 2 Ronds de jambe

- No. 3 Silhouetter

- No. 12 Mazurka

Riisager’s most well-known ballet was a homage to what is now known as “class” in professional ballet companies: a long daily warm-up consisting of various exercises starting at the barre, to larger stretches, to moving into the centre for larger movements like turns and virtuosic jumps. For this he chose exercises pianists would know and be familiar with from teaching repertoire in the early 20th century: Czerny studies, most of which had extremely regular phrases and predictable chord progressions.

However, to go along with the variations in choreography, he chose to orchestrate these otherwise pedestrian piano exercises with colourful instrumentation, including a large battery of percussion instruments. Listen out for the xylophone and glockenspiel lending an accent to the melody, and for the scurrying scales of the Overture to pass from one orchestral section to another. It is easy to imagine various groups of dancers interchanging steps on the ballet stage.

The ronds de jambe are a type of exercise involving moving the legs in graceful circles either from the hip or knee down. The music switches to a light waltz to match this, bringing to mind Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella, which often sport ensemble scenes featuring similar moves. Chirping strings and winds in the high register suggest the flight of birds.

The Royal Theatre Ballet School, Copenhagen (1889) by Paul Gustave Fischer

The third selection here is a bit more serious in character, suitably illustrated by a turn to the minor key. These exercises are often made up on the spot by a dance teacher (called a répétiteur), and feature long combinations of arm and upper body movements, training dancers to balance well.

Classical ballet also includes types of national dance, called character steps, and feature stylised versions of folk dances from Slavic countries. The mazurka is of Polish descent, and has a relentless emphasis on the second beat in a 3/4 bar. The rustic character of the music is brought out by brash trumpets hammering out a rude turn figure on these accents, with dance steps to match – often loud stamping on the stage!

Riisager’s orchestrations were premiered in 1948 at the Royal Danish Ballet, and are his lasting contribution to ballet history. Extracts from this set of dances are often performed as concert pieces, as tonight, due to their widely varied colour and wonderful sense of rhythm.

Instrumentation

2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, triangle, xylophone, snare drum, cymbals, keyboard glockenspiel, glockenspiel, 2 tom-toms, vibraphone, bass drum, castanets, chimes, harp, piano, celesta, strings

World Premiere (Ballet)

15 Jan 1948, Copenhagen

Portrait of Gershwin in 1936 by Arthur Kaufman credit: National Portrait Gallery, The Smithsonian Institution

GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898–1937)

Piano Concerto in F (1925)

I II III

Allegro Adagio – Andante con moto

Allegro agitato

Gershwin wrote three pieces for piano and orchestra that could be counted as concertos. The first was the runaway success Rhapsody In Blue. Between the Rhapsody’s 1924 premiere and 1925 was when the F major Concerto was written and orchestrated. During this time, Gershwin underwent a huge musical development, orchestrating the Concerto himself instead of passing this job to an assistant orchestrator. The third, now called the Second Rhapsody, was practically forgotten until recent times.

The longer, more mature Piano Concerto starts out sounding less like full-out jazz, but is all the better for it. The audience gets tantalising fragments of jazz “ideas”, like minor pentatonic harmonies, unusual chromatic chords, and swing rhythms. It takes a while for these fragments to coalesce into a cohesive first theme, announced with the entrance of the piano solo.

However, the development in style means that the harmonic language of the piece is somewhat less attractive than the out-andout big band style of Rhapsody In Blue

Quite a lot of the music passing from theme to theme seems to be Gershwin spinning notes for time, though there are some moments of real Broadway beauty, like the glorious E major tune in the middle of the first movement, or the muted-trumpet solo that opens the second movement.

Criticism of the Concerto was rife and in

general, contemporary audiences felt it lacked the confident swagger of the earlier Rhapsody. Even though Rachmaninoff claimed to be a fan of the piece and attended both the premiere of the Rhapsody and the Concerto in F, he never performed either; others found “structural deficiencies” in Gershwin’s balancing of the musical material over its half-hour span. Modern opinion is rather different: Gershwin’s cyclical use of the theme from the first movement in the rousing finale is exciting, and the ending, with the orchestra crying out in a full-throated tutti, is a wonderful way to tie all the loose ends together.

Instrumentation

2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, xylophone, glockenspiel, wood blocks, snare drum, bass drum, suspended cymbal, cymbals, triangle, gong, slapstick, strings

World Premiere

3 Dec 1925, New York

First performed by SSO

12 Nov 1982 (Koh Joo Ann, piano)

ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD (1897–1957)

Symphony in F-sharp, Op. 40 (1947) SINGAPORE PREMIERE

I II III IV

Moderato ma energico

Scherzo. Allegro molto Adagio

Finale. Allegro

Erich Wolfgang Korngold, traversing the path from European wunderkind to Hollywoodian Oscar-winning film music king, had an immensely varied career as a composer, from being played and championed by musicians of the status and calibre of Artur Schnabel and Bruno Walter to getting his pick of movies to write for and contracts to match (huge fees and much smaller workloads compared to his contemporaries).

But he always saw himself returning to “classical” music, and as he reused his own film-music themes for his immensely popular Violin Concerto, he continued writing smaller pieces like song cycles and chamber music even as he worked at the studios. His Symphony eventually grew out of these efforts, and even though he was never to see it performed in public during his lifetime, he could rest easy knowing someone as great as Dmitri Mitropoulos had called it “the perfect modern work”.

Korngold’s dramatic flair from his experience in opera and film comes through immediately, with immensely effective orchestration painting the opening with an air of menace. His favourite device was the use of pitched percussion, and here, piano, celesta, glockenspiel, marimba, and xylophone provide focal points for this drama. The music positively glitters with nostalgia for his Viennese days, and

while the Scherzo second movement is a headlong chase, the slow movement is a heartfelt romantic scene.

The military airs of the final movement bring Korngold back to the realm of drama, and while the march-like character could equally be described as operatic or cinematic, the entire work does not suffer if the listener thinks of it without such associations.

Korngold’s music can indeed be appreciated even if one ignores his links to the dramatic: the orchestral writing is superb, and, since his early Sinfonietta, he had always written for all instruments with an equally sure master’s hand. This is a work to be treasured as a glimmering look into the past, after all — Korngold might have been in American exile, but his heart and his soul were always European through and through.

Programme

notes by Thomas Ang

Instrumentation

3 flutes (1 doubling on piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 4 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, gong, glockenspiel, xylophone, marimba, harp, piano (doubling on celesta), strings

World Premiere (on radio)

17 Oct 1954

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PAUL LEWIS PLAYS MOZART PIANO CONCERTO 25

THE WAY TO CASTLE YONDER

This concert is dedicated to the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, founding patron of the SSO.

16 & 17 Feb 2023, Thu & Fri

Victoria Concert Hall

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Robert Spano conductor

Paul Lewis piano*

KNUSSEN MOZART SCHUMANN

The Way To Castle Yonder SSO PREMIERE

Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503*

Intermission

Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 97 “Rhenish”

8 mins

30 mins

20 mins

32 mins

Concert Duration: approximately 1 hr 45 mins (with 20 mins intermission)

CHECK-IN TO TONIGHT'S CONCERT Scan this QR code with the Singapore Symphony Mobile App.

Intermission autograph signing with Paul Lewis at the Foyer, Level 2. A

Bernard T. G. Tan

From Goh Keng Swee: A Legacy of Public Service (edited by Emrys Chew & Chong Guan Kwa)

Studying the rich history of the SSO inevitably draws one to the important role played by our founding patron, Dr Goh Keng Swee.

In 1977, when Dr Goh was Deputy Prime Minister, he championed setting up a professional symphony orchestra in Singapore. For a nation to truly be whole, Dr Goh understood from the very beginning that economic power had to be balanced by cultural wealth.1 The Singapore Symphonia Company Limited was formed, and the SSO held its inaugural concert with just over 40 musicians taking the stage in January 1979. One year later, the SSO moved into the Victoria Concert Hall, which was leased to the SSO for 99 years as its home.

Dr Goh did much more than just start an orchestra. He arranged for young, talented Singaporeans to pursue their musical aspirations abroad through scholarships. On their return, many of these students joined the SSO, and a number remain with the orchestra today.

The SSO has achieved much international acclaim and is an integral part of Singapore’s artistic identity and landscape today. For this, and for much else, we have Dr Goh Keng Swee’s vision and determination to thank.

Goh Keng Swee Credit: Russel Wong

Bernard T G Tan: Goh Keng Swee’s Cultural Contributions and the Making of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Goh Keng Swee: A Legacy of Public Service

Dr

“The SSO is indeed a fitting legacy of Goh’s efforts which forever transformed the nation’s artistic and cultural scene. All of us who now enjoy the music of the SSO and the vibrant cultural life of Singapore owe an immense debt to Goh Keng Swee, who understood from the very beginning that economic strength must be balanced by cultural wealth for a nation to be truly whole.”

—

OLIVER KNUSSEN (1952–2018)

The Way to Castle Yonder (1988–1990) SSO PREMIERE

The Way to Castle Yonder is a concise digest of orchestral interludes for my second operatic collaboration with Maurice Sendak, Higglety Pigglety Pop!, which is a theatrical requiem for his dog, Jennie, in the frame of a ‘quest’ opera. Castle Yonder is the animals’ theatrical heaven of Sendak’s imagination. The Way to Castle Yonder is affectionately dedicated to Belinda and Colin Matthews, and the three continuous sections are:

The Journey to the Big White House, on a horse-drawn milk wagon driven by a catmilk-man. The music is based on Jennie’s aria which opens the opera. “The wagon drives off and the show curtain closes. After a while, the pig is seen peeking out mysteriously from an arbour. He makes himself scarce when the milk wagon appears, crossing the stage in front of the show curtain”.

Kleine Trauermusik: “A Little orchestral meditation while Jennie dreams of lions” – a chorale with another variant of Jennie’s aria.

The Ride to Castle Yonder: “Chimes begin to sound in the distance. The characters climb on the Lion’s back. Mother Goose disappears as the bells get louder. The Lion springs forward, and the show curtain closes”. This final section grows from these images virtually in reverse, and the arrival at Castle Yonder briefly harks back to the Trauermusik chorale.

Instrumentation

3 flutes, oboe, cor anglais, 3 clarinets, bassoon, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trombones, timpani, tam-tam, 2 chimes, suspended cymbal, vibraphone, tambourine, sleigh bells, castanets, bass drum, triangle, snare drum, glockenspiel, vibraslap, harp, piano, celesta, strings

World Premiere

31 Jan 1991, London (revised version)

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791)

Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503 (1786)

I II III

Allegro maestoso

Andante

Allegretto

Great music is often a result of the close cooperation between composer and intended performer, with the former understanding the abilities of the latter and the latter being closely aligned with the intentions of the former. In the case of Mozart’s piano concerti, they were written to be performed by himself, conducting

the orchestra from the keyboard, and he certainly knew his own abilities best. In his letters, he spoke of how he intended these works to please audiences and establish him as the greatest composer in Europe. This could be compared with the modern popular music world where the singersongwriter is a known phenomenon.

Programme note by Oliver Knussen

In the three years 1784–1786, Mozart wrote in Vienna what would be considered his twelve great piano concerti, with No. 25 being the last of these, completed in December 1786 and composed alongside his Prague Symphony. What was Mozart’s life like in 1786? He had spent the last few years since 1782 in Vienna, presenting three or four new piano concerti with himself as soloist in each season. The concerts were popular, and he was returning to opera—The Marriage of Figaro had just premiered in Vienna to great acclaim.

rich colours, using the wind instruments in various combinations to shade and punctuate the sound of the ensemble.

After the stately and official festivities, Mozart gives us a restful and lyrical afternoon in the shade with the Andante Stillness and calm serenity reign supreme, even though development and movement are not lacking, and the winds are used extensively. Like a butterfly exploring the quiet empty corridors, the piano travels all over the highest and lowest registers. After the relaxing siesta, we find ourselves in a lavish Viennese ballroom party with the Allegretto. Surrounded by elegance and pomp, Mozart does not forget to give us surprises along the way by visiting the minor and modulating through the rondo.

With an annual income of 2,500 florins (roughly 350,000 USD today) the Mozarts moved into an expensive apartment costing 450 florins a year (roughly 60,000 USD today) and sent their son to an expensive boarding school. In short, life was good.

The grandeur of Mozart’s lifestyle and his happiness is reflected in the orchestration, Mozart’s largest, including timpani and trumpets, as well as the opening chords of the Allegro maestoso, with its dotted rhythms. Mozart gives us more than just heroic majesty, as he gently slips us into the minor several times, as if pulling us into a quiet corridor away from the overwhelming and extended morning marching. Nevertheless, he reminds us of his gift for orchestration by giving us

Instrumentation

flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings

World Premiere Unknown

First performed by SSO

15 Sep 1989 (Kong Xiang Dong, piano)

“Like a butterfly exploring the quiet empty corridors, the piano travels all over the highest and lowest registers.”

ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810–1856)

Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 97 “Rhenish” (1850)

Lebhaft Scherzo: Sehr mässig Nicht schnell

Behind every successful man there is a strong woman, or so the saying goes. In the German composer Robert Schumann’s case, it was his wife Clara Schumann née Wieck, herself a composer of note and one of the finest pianists of her time. Before marriage in 1840, he had composed only for the piano and voice, but afterwards, encouraged by Clara, he jumped into symphonic creation with his “firstborn” work – the Spring Symphony in B-flat major, Op. 38 of early 1841. Fast forward to 1850, and we have the Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, which was the last to be composed, though it was not the last to be published (Symphony No. 4, composed in 1841, was only published in 1851).

Schumann did not like relocating. When they moved from Leipzig to Dresden in 1845, he suffered a physical and psychological breakdown—yet he enthusiastically accepted appointment in Düsseldorf as the city’s Music Director in 1850, necessitating another move for the couple and their seven children. Living for the first time away from Protestant Saxony, he found a very different atmosphere in the prosperous and industrial, largely Catholic Rhineland. He was welcomed with a dizzying round of speeches, serenades, celebratory concerts, banquets, and balls, and the opportunity of having his own orchestra to work with was a catalyst for him to restart composing. A cello concerto

was produced in two weeks, then after a gestation of only four weeks his happiness at his new home found expression in the “Rhenish” or “Rhineland” symphony, which aimed to picture the Rhine valley in the “joyous simplicity and fresh naturalness of its folk life”.

In five movements (a nod to Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony?), the work opens with the sweeping Lebhaft (“lively”), irrepressibly optimistic and perhaps depicting a boat ride down the mighty Rhine and its scenery. A leisurely Scherzo follows, which Schumann originally entitled “Morning on the Rhine”, giving us hints of the German Ländler dance. A relatively brief Nicht schnell (“not swift”) functions as a gentle palate-cleanser, with winds and pizzicato strings, an atypical slow movement.

Feierlich (“solemnly”), sometimes called “Cathedral Scene” is the true slow movement and heart of the work. During the writing of the symphony, the couple had visited Cologne to see the cathedral ceremonies in which the Catholic archbishop was elevated to the rank of cardinal. Stunned by the cathedral, the largest Gothic building in northern Europe, and excited by the splendour of the ceremony (he had hitherto only ever lived in Protestant Saxony), this movement is his tribute to both. Trombones were not a normal part of

the symphony orchestra, being associated more with church music, but Schumann gives us alto, tenor, and bass trombones, and a resulting colour reminiscent of Renaissance chorales. In addition, he writes with elements of polyphony and counterpoint, evoking the delicate carved stone spires, tracery, and foliage of the cathedral (newly completed after six hundred years of work).

The concluding Lebhaft (“lively”) is a generally light-hearted Rhenish summer festival day, interspersed with majestic statements. Echoes of themes from the first and third movements are heard, and at the end, music from the cathedral movement returns triumphally, as if looking back at the cathedral one last time.

How was it received at its Düsseldorf premiere on 6 February 1851? According to an account, audience members applauded after every movement, and even the orchestra joined them with shouts of “hurrah!” at the end. The depressive Schumann must have been pleased.

Instrumentation

2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 5 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings

World Premiere

6 Feb 1851, Düsseldorf

First performed by SSO

10 Apr 1981

Programme notes by Edward C. Yong

The Dombild Altarpiece (c.1445) triptych by Stefan Lochner It was moved to Cologne Cathedral in 1810

MOZART’S STARLING

SSO-FRCS JOINT FUNDRAISING CONCERT (24 FEB)

24 & 25 Feb 2023, Fri & Sat

Victoria Concert Hall

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Xian Zhang conductor

Chiyan Wong piano*

QIGANG CHEN MOZART MOZART

L’Éloignement for String Orchestra SSO PREMIERE

Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K. 453*

Intermission

Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major, K. 543

12 mins

30 mins

20 mins

29 mins

Concert Duration: approximately 1 hr 45 mins (with 20 mins intermission)

CHECK-IN TO TONIGHT'S CONCERT

Scan this QR code with the Singapore Symphony Mobile App.

Fundraising Partner

Intermission autograph signing with Chiyan Wong at the Foyer, Level 2. A

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF FRCS

Dear Benefactors

The Foundation of Rotary Clubs Singapore (FRCS) is honoured to partner with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) for the second year in a row, following the success of our inaugural concert in 2022. This concert coincides with World Understanding and Peace Day, marking the 118th anniversary of Rotary International which was founded in Chicago on 23 February 1905 with the aim of promoting goodwill to all between cultures and communities.

We are proud to continue this tradition through our collaboration with the SSO, and we hope that this concert will become an annual event that creates lasting memories for everyone involved. By working together, we can make a real difference in the lives of those who need it most.

Our share of the proceeds will contribute to meaningful programmes at our FRCS Eldercare & Caregivers Centre (FRCS ECC) in Bukit Batok Avenue 5. The centre aims to serve 2500 seniors by promoting active ageing activities, empowering them with independent skills, and establishing a sense of belonging within the community. Your donations will also support FRCS Community Projects in education and youth development, as well as help the SSO to continue bringing wonderful musical experiences to their audiences.

Thank you for being a part of this journey with us, and for your support in attending this concert. Please enjoy the harmonious symphony the SSO has presented for your listening pleasure.

Yours sincerely

Mr Chew Ghim Bok JP, BBM Chairman Foundation of Rotary Clubs (Singapore) Ltd

MESSAGE FROM MINISTER OF STATE

The SSO-FRCS Joint Fundraising Concert marks the second year of collaboration between the Foundation of Rotary Clubs Singapore (FRCS) and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO). The concert is held in conjunction with World Understanding and Peace Day which commemorates the first Rotary meeting held on 23 February 1905 that led to the formation of Rotary International.

I am greatly heartened that the targeted proceeds of $200,000 from this concert will go to supporting the mission of SSO and the needs of FRCS Eldercare and Caregivers Centre (FRCS ECC).

FRCS ECC promotes active ageing among seniors and prevents their social isolation. In June 2022, I officiated the opening of FRCS ECC in Bukit Gombak. Today, the centre reaches out close to 130 elderly residents weekly with its activities and programmes.

As Singapore’s flagship orchestra, the SSO continues to touch many lives through classical music and forms a key heartbeat of our cultural scene.

The partnership between SSO and the FRCS is a testament to the power of different members of our society coming together to support one another and make a positive impact.

Thank you, SSO, FRCS, donors and every one of you, for your contributions towards making Singapore a better and more inclusive home for all.

Ms Low Yen Ling Minister of State Ministry of Trade and Industry Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth Mayor of South West District

Grassroots

Adviser

to Bukit Gombak GROs

MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC

QIGANG CHEN (b. 1951) L’Éloignement for String Orchestra (2003) SSO PREMIERE

There is a Chinese proverb which means that when someone is uprooted, he grows in vitality. Conversely, if he remains still, he will eventually perish. The renewal of Man’s environment brings about new opportunities. Whatever the change may be, big or small, it is always seen as a rebirth.

However, while such change brings hope and excitement, it could also lead to separation from one’s immediate environment, family, friends. It is this kind of remoteness that is portrayed in a well-known folk tune from Northwest China, titled “Zou Xi Kou” (L’Eloignement – or ‘Being Away’ – in its French translation). A love song for the departure of the beloved, the nostalgic and plaintive melody is quoted by the composer for his work here for its simplicity, and he also sees it as an opportunity with which to reflect on the rootlessness in his own life.

Loosely developed into a “rondo and variations” form, the piece seeks to convey a sense of separation, disruption, imagination and aspirations. The music is both sorrowful and joyful, nostalgic yet full of excitement, a reflection of the contradictory emotions of the man who is departing on his journey.

Programme note by Qigang Chen

Sha Hu Kou (杀虎口) is one of the passes in the Great Wall of China, along the route where people historically migrate from Shanxi to Inner Mongolia, in an activity known as Zou Xi Kou (走西口).

photo: lrongli.files.wordpress.com

Instrumentation strings

World Premiere

6 Nov 2003

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791)

Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K. 453 (1784)

I II III

Allegro Andante Allegretto

In the three years 1784–1786, Mozart wrote in Vienna what would be considered his twelve great piano concerti, with No. 17 being completed in April 1784. Unusually, this particular concerto was written for Mozart’s student Barbara “Babett” Ployer, who played it in June the same year at a concert held in the home of her uncle, who represented Salzburg at the Imperial court. Mozart was in the audience.

What was Mozart’s life like in 1784? He had an annual income of 2,500 florins (roughly 350,000 USD today), had moved into an expensive apartment costing 450 florins a year (roughly 60,000 USD today), and sent their son to an expensive boarding school. In short, life was good.

This happiness is reflected in the easy-going opening Allegro, painting the picture of a jaunty jolly walk through the busy streets of a bustling Vienna. There are usually two contrasting themes in a classical concerto, but Mozart gives us no fewer than six in his exposition, each growing effortlessly out of the previous. Joseph Haydn, who met him in Vienna that year, wrote “posterity will not see such a talent again in 100 years”, and the next year told Mozart’s father that Mozart was “the greatest composer known to me by person and repute, he has taste and what is more the greatest skill in composition”. Modulations appear, and Mozart reminds us of his mastery of orchestral colouration by giving a prominent role to the woodwinds, an unusual thing in his day.

Even great artists need a break, and Mozart shows us how he relaxes in the Andante. Serene strings open, then become the backup for a trio of flute, oboe, and bassoon, all before the piano comes interrupting in and pausing. This interruption happens several times, and becomes a part of the structure, each time giving a pregnant pause, answered by modulations and chromaticism. It all feels very theatrical, perhaps this was Mozart’s dramatic flair finding an outlet—he had not produced an opera in Vienna since The Abduction from the Seraglio in 1782, and The Marriage of Figaro was till two years in the future.

The Allegretto finale takes the form of a theme and variations, which grow increasingly complex and ingenious. According to Mozart’s expense book, on 27 May 1784 he paid 34 kreuzer (7 USD today) for a pet starling, which he added to his pet collection, which already included a horse, a dog, and a canary. The European Starling is a good mimic, and it appears Mozart taught it to sing a version of the theme. The bird could never quite get some of the notes right, but the charm of this anecdote has led to the posthumous nickname “Starling” for the concerto. The final variation segues seamlessly into the coda, the jollity of which would not have been out of place in a comic opera finale—the opera was beckoning once more!

Readers will of course want to know the fate of the starling—when it died in 1787, there was a funeral procession, with singing mourners in veils, Mozart read a poem of his own composition and buried it in his garden.

Programme note by Edward C. Yong

Mozart’s funeral poem

Hier ruht ein lieber Narr, Ein Vogel Staar.

Noch in den besten Jahren

Mußt er erfahren

Des Todes bittern Schmerz.

Mir blut't das Herz, Wenn ich daran gedenke.

O Leser! schenke

Auch du ein Thränchen ihm. Er war nicht schlimm;

Nur war er etwas munter, Doch auch mitunter

Ein lieber loser Schalk, Und drum kein Dalk.

Ich wett', er ist schon oben, Um mich zu loben

Für diesen Freundschaftsdienst

Ohne Gewinnst.

Denn wie er unvermuthet

Sich hat verblutet, Dacht er nicht an den Mann, Der so schön reimen kann.

Instrumentation

flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, strings

World Premiere

13 Jun 1784, Vienna

First performed by SSO

16 Mar 1984 (Fausto Zadra, piano)

Here rests a bird called Starling, A foolish little Darling. He was still in his prime When he ran out of time, And my sweet little friend Came to a bitter end, Creating a terrible smart Deep in my heart. Gentle Reader! Shed a tear, For he was dear, Sometimes a bit too jolly And, at times, quite folly, But nevermore A bore.

I bet he is now up on high Praising my friendship to the sky, Which I render Without tender;

For when he took his sudden leave, Which brought to me such grief, He was not thinking of the man

Who writes and rhymes as no one can.

Translated by Robert Spaethling

—4 June, 1787. Mozart

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major, K. 543 (1788)

I II III IV

Adagio – Allegro Andante con moto Menuetto. Allegretto Finale. Allegro

In an incredibly brief period of less than two months, Mozart turned out his last three symphonies: No. 39 in E-flat, No. 40 in G minor, and No. 41 in C “Jupiter”. Equally incredible is the fact that these works – all monuments of the genre – were written for no apparent immediate purpose, and that Mozart quite possibly never heard any of them played.

These qualities are in large part attributable to the special woodwind colouration in this work. Mozart dispenses with oboes; in their place he prominently employs two clarinets, instruments still not in general use at the time. A flute and two bassoons are also included. Thus, a softer, more diffuse tone colour is achieved.

The Symphony No. 39 in E-flat has inspired numerous Mozart scholars to heights of praise: “The locus classicus for euphony” (Donald Francis Tovey); “an immense portico through which the composer reveals to us all the warm and poetic beauty thronging through his mind” (Marie Olivier Saint-Foix); “love and melancholy breathe forth in purest spirit tones” (E.T.A. Hoffmann). Even Richard Wagner, not a man disposed to generous praise, felt the symphony expressed “the unfathomable depths of the heart”.

The symphony opens with a lengthy, imposing slow introduction strongly reminiscent of the Baroque French overture, with its dotted rhythms, scales, full orchestral chords, grinding dissonances and sharp contrasts of loud and soft. All this serves as a perfect foil for the serene, lyrical first theme of the Allegro that follows, a theme that slips in so gently and unassumingly that one is apt to miss it entirely. Note the finesse with which Mozart subdivides this theme into little three- and four-note segments for violins, horns and various woodwinds in turn – each colour coming momentarily to the fore and contributing to, but never interrupting, the smoothly unfolding melody. Throughout the movement, passages of elegant simplicity and refined beauty alternate with music of martial exuberance.

The Andante is in simple binary form, and again, like the first movement, is replete with startling contrasts. It opens in the unusual key of A-flat major with a melody of embracing warmth and beauty, then plunges unexpectedly into a defiant and dramatic

“an immense portico through which the composer reveals to us all the warm and poetic beauty thronging through his mind”

episode in F minor. A lyrical third idea exploits the three colours of the woodwind section (bassoon-clarinet-flute). The entire structure heard so far then undergoes a modified repeat, the most striking departure being perhaps the episode formerly in F minor now in the remote key of B minor.

The robust Menuetto frames a delightful Trio with its famous clarinet duet: one instrument plays a lyrical melody while the other accompanies in the chalumeau (low) register. Contrasts of high and low, as well as of legato and détaché style, are observed throughout the Menuetto.

The monothematic finale employs a sprightly motif for its solo thematic material, the second theme being in reality only a variant of the first.

Instrumentation flute, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings

Programme note by Robert Markow

SSO Concerts for Children

Journey The World Around

18 & 19 MAR 2023

Sat & Sun, 11am & 2pm

Victoria Concert Hall

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Jessica Gethin conductor/presenter

Recommended for ages 4 and above

Tickets $32, $25

Family bundle of 4 tickets and more available

A Standing Ovation

TO OUR DONOR PATRONS

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to the following individuals and organisations who support our mission to create memorable shared experiences with music in the past year.

Without your support, it would be impossible for the SSO to continue to strive for artistic excellence and touch the hearts of audiences.

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Anonymous (41)

This list reflects donations that were made from 1 Jan 2022 to 31 Dec 2022. 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.

With You, WE CAN BUILD The Future of Music.

In our journey of 44 years in giving meaning to music, we owe our achievements and milestones to all who have helped build the SSO since day one - our passionate audiences, talented musicians, and generous patrons who have placed your national orchestra on the world map.

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.

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.

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Form a special relationship with Singapore’s national orchestra and increase your name recognition among an influential and growing audience. Our concerts provide impressive entertainment and significant branding opportunities.

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HEARTFELT THANKS TO OUR CORPORATE PATRONS

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Your support makes it possible for us to host world-renowned artists, including the Singapore debut of piano legend Martha Argerich in 2018.

DONORS OF THE SSO-FRCS JOINT FUNDRAISING CONCERT: MOZART’S STARLING (24 FEB)

Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Foundation of Rotary Clubs

Singapore (FRCS) thank the generous donors who have adopted our special fundraising seats for the concert. All proceeds will go on to benefit the SSO, and FRCS Eldercare & Caregivers Centre aimed to serve 2,500 seniors.

To find out more or donate, please visit www.giving.sg/foundation-of-rotary-clubs-s-ltd/sso-frcs-2023.

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This list reflects donations that were made from 3 January 2023 to 17 February 2023. We would like to express our sincere thanks to donors whose names were inadvertently left out at print time.

SCHUBERT’S PIANO SONATAS WITH PAUL LEWIS

Sat 18 Feb, 7.30pm

Victoria Concert Hall

Franz Schubert

Piano Sonata in C major, D. 840

Piano Sonata in A major, D. 664

Piano Sonata in A minor, D. 845

“Several people assured me that under my hands the keys become singing voices, which, if it is true, pleases me very much.” So admitted Schubert once. In the hands of renowned English pianist Paul Lewis, whose performances and recordings of Schubert have received unanimous acclaim worldwide, this recital of three piano sonatas will no doubt prove the composer’s delicate, self-assured poetry in music.

Tickets from $20 SSO.ORG.SG/VCHPRESENTS

Supported by Patron Sponsor

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The mission of the Singapore Symphony Group is to create memorable shared experiences with music. Through the SSO and its affiliated per forming groups, we spread the love for music, nur ture talent and enrich our diverse communities. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. You can suppor t us by donating at www.sso.org.sg/donate.

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