Beethoven with James Ehnes and Lawrence Renes
Mozart with Rodolfo Barráez and Austin Larson Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Steven Isserlis and Mario Venzago – Kabalevsky and Schubert
with James Ehnes and Lawrence Renes dedicated to
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!
Beethoven with James Ehnes and Lawrence Renes
Fri & Sat, 8 & 9 Nov 2024
Victoria Concert Hall
Mozart with Rodolfo Barráez and Austin Larson
Fri, 22 Nov 2024
Victoria Concert Hall
Thu & Fri, 5 & 6 Dec 2024
Victoria Concert Hall
Steven Isserlis and Mario Venzago – Kabalevsky and Schubert
Fri & Sat, 20 & 21 Dec 2024
Victoria 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.
Cover photo: Austin Larson © Jack Yam 24 30 38
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.
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 23 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-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.
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 praise in major UK newspapers The Guardian and The Telegraph. The SSO has also performed in China on multiple occasions. In the 2024/25 season, the SSO will perform in Kyoto as part of the Asia Orchestra Week, as well as a three-city tour of Australia.
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). With Singaporean violinist Chloe Chua, the SSO has recorded the Four Seasons, as well as the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto, and a Mozart Violin Concerto cycle with Hans Graf to be released by Pentatone Records in the 2024/25 season. 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, Hannu Lintu, Lorin Maazel, Martha Argerich, Diana Damrau, Janine Jansen, Leonidas Kavakos, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, 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, the Singapore International Piano Festival and the biennial National Piano & Violin Competition.
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.
conductor
Dutch-Maltese conductor Lawrence Renes garners acclaim in both operatic and symphonic realms for his remarkable talent in balancing orchestra and singers, delivering performances brimming with passion, nuance, and style.
This season sees Renes conducting Omroep Musik and Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Malaysia Philharmonic Orchestra, and Melbourne and Sydney Symphony Orchestras among others. 2023/24 season highlights included New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Residentie Orkest, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Filarmonica del Teatro Regio di Torino and the Auckland Philharmonic.
In recent seasons, Renes has appeared in the UK with Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Scottish National and BBC Symphony Orchestras; in Europe with Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxembourg, Malta Philharmonic and Arctic, Oslo and Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestras; in Asia and Australasia with NHK Symphony Orchestra, the Seoul Philharmonic and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra; and in the Americas, OSESP in São Paulo and Milwaukee Symphony. Operatic engagements have included Finnish National Opera (Salome) and the premiere of George Benjamin’s Written on Skin with Shanghai Symphony Orchestra at the Beijing Music Festival.
Formerly Music Director of the Royal Swedish Opera, Renes’s repertoire there ranged from Mozart through to the 21st century. An energetic champion of contemporary repertoire, he is particularly associated with the music of John Adams, having conducted productions of Nixon in China at San Francisco Opera and Doctor Atomic at both English National Opera and De Nederlandse Opera, as well as orchestral works with London and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestras, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also worked closely with Guillaume Connesson, Robin de Raaff, George Benjamin and Mark-Anthony Turnage.
James Ehnes has established himself as one of the most sought-after musicians on the international stage. Gifted with a rare combination of stunning virtuosity, serene lyricism and an unfaltering musicality, Ehnes is a favourite guest at the world’s most celebrated concert halls.
Recent orchestral highlights include the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, London Philharmonic Orchestra, NHK Symphony, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Cleveland Orchestra. Throughout the 2024/25 season, Ehnes will be Artist in Residence with Melbourne Symphony and will tour to Asia, where he will perform the complete Beethoven sonatas at Kioi Hall, Tokyo, as well as performances with Hong Kong Philharmonic and Singapore Symphony Orchestras.
Alongside his concerto work, Ehnes maintains a busy recital schedule. He performs regularly at the Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Symphony Center Chicago, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Ravinia, Montreux, Verbier Festival, Dresden Music Festival and Festival de Pâques in Aix. A devoted chamber musician, he is the leader of
and the
Ehnes began violin studies at the age of five, became a protégé of the noted Canadian violinist Francis Chaplin aged nine, and made his orchestra debut with L’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal aged 13. He continued his studies with Sally Thomas at the Meadowmount School of Music and The Juilliard School, winning the Peter Mennin Prize for Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Music upon his graduation in 1997. In summer 2024, he is appointed as Professor of Violin at the Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, among other titles.
Ehnes plays the “Marsick” Stradivarius of 1715.
A natural communicator with infectious charisma, Berlin-based Venezuelan conductor Rodolfo Barráez brings remarkable vivacity, sensitivity, and zeal to his artistry. The 2023/24 season sees him join the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra as Assistant Conductor, his appointment of Associate Conductor of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, as well as begin his second season as Associate Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Rodolfo is also Conductor-in-Residence at the Paris Opera.
In 2023, Rodolfo was awarded first prize at the Hong Kong International Conducting Competition. He also won first prize at the 2018 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de
México International Conducting Competition (OFUNAM), and second prize at the 2020 Siemens-Hallé International Conductor Competition in Manchester.
He completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s conducting studies at Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin, and previously his Bachelor’s at the National Experimental University of the Arts in Venezuela. In 2022, he was selected as Conducting Fellow at the Verbier Festival.
Rodolfo made his debut with Los Angeles Philharmonic in early 2023 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. He joined the Münchener Kammerorchester on their tour of South America as well as the Appassionato Orchestra at the Verbier Festival 2022. Future highlights include performances with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, RTVE Symphony Orchestra, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Simón Bolívar Symphony, among others.
Strongly influenced by his own remarkable education as part of El Sistema under the guidance of José Antonio Abreu and Teresa Hernández, Rodolfo is committed to contributing to music education. In 2019, Rodolfo founded the Falcón Conducting Workshop; an organization that nurtures and supports the development of emerging conductors through masterclasses and workshops in his hometown as well as worldwide at renowned institutions.
Austin Larson joined the Singapore Symphony Orchestra as Principal Horn in 2023 having previously held positions with the Cincinnati, Baltimore, and Colorado Symphonies. A regular guest with the Philadelphia Orchestra while living in the United States, Austin also performed as a guest with several other notable ensembles, including the National Symphony, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, and as Guest Principal Horn with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, BBC Philharmonic in Manchester, Iceland Symphony Orchestra in Reykjavik, and São Paulo Symphony Orchestra in Brazil.
Austin has also been successful in many competitions, notably as one of only two people to ever win First Prizes in both the University and Professional Divisions of the International Horn Competition of America. In 2017, Austin became the first American to win a prize in the International Brass Instruments Competition in Gdańsk, Poland and the Jeju International Brass Competition
Horn Division in South Korea. Austin has also appeared as a soloist at the Music for All Symposium, International Horn Symposium, Jeju International Wind Ensemble Festival, Wisconsin Public Radio, and with orchestras in the United States, Europe, and Asia.
A native of Neenah, Wisconsin in the midwestern USA, Austin holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati and the Curtis Institute of Music and his teachers include Randy Gardner, Jennifer Montone, Julie Landsman, Jeffrey Lang, Duane Dugger, Elizabeth Freimuth, Richard Deane, Douglas Hill, Bruce Atwell, and Donald Krause. A strong believer in music education, Austin taught with the Baltimore Symphony OrchKids programme and has raised funds for music scholarships both at the University of Cincinnati in addition to musicians’ relief funds during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vasily Petrenko is Music Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he took on in 2021, becoming Conductor Laureate of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra following his hugely acclaimed fifteenyear tenure as their Chief Conductor from 2006–2021. He is the Associate Conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, and has also served as Chief Conductor of the European Union Youth Orchestra (2015–2024), Chief Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (2013–2020) and Principal Conductor of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (2009–2013). He stood down as Artistic Director of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia ‘Evgeny Svetlanov’ in 2021 having been their Principal Guest Conductor from 2016 and Artistic Director from 2020.
Petrenko has worked with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Leipzig Gewandhaus, London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (Rome), St Petersburg Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, Czech Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, various orchestras in North America, and among others.
In season 2023/24 he returned to tour the US and Europe with the Royal Philharmonic, made his debut with the NDR-Elphilharmonie Orchestra in Hamburg and returned to the Seoul, Hong Kong, Israel and Dresden Philharmonics, the Pittsburgh and Dallas Symphonies, the Filarmonica della Scala, Milan, and the orchestra of the Palau de Les Arts, Valencia.
In September 2017, Vasily Petrenko was honoured with the Artist of the Year award at the prestigious annual Gramophone Awards, one decade on from receiving their Young Artist of the Year award in October 2007.
The international career of Javier Perianes has led him to perform in the most prestigious concert halls, with the world’s foremost orchestras, working with celebrated conductors including Daniel Barenboim, Charles Dutoit, Zubin Mehta, Gustavo Dudamel, Klaus Mäkelä, Gianandrea Noseda, Gustavo Gimeno, SanttuMatias Rouvali, Simone Young and Vladimir Jurowski.
The 2024/25 season features an array of high-profile concerts, including the Spanish premiere of Francisco Coll’s Ciudad sin sueño with Les Arts, Valencia, and performances with Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, NDR Elbphilharmonie, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Residentie Orkest and Antwerp, BBC Scottish, Stavanger, Singapore, San Diego and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras. Perianes will perform Jimmy Lopez Bellido’s Piano Concerto with the Naples Philharmonic, FL, and play/ direct Galicia Orchestra, and all five Beethoven concerti with Orquestra de la Comunitat Valencia and touring with Philharmonia Orchestra. Perianes ends the season by performing with Auckland Philharmonia and Sydney, Queensland, Adelaide, Tasmania and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras.
Perianes frequently appears in recitals across the globe, with performances at Wigmore Hall, Radio France in Paris, Festival Pianistico Internazionale in Bresica and Bergamo and Adelaide this season. As a natural and keen chamber musician, he regularly collaborates with violist Tabea Zimmermann and the Quiroga Quartet. This season sees Perianes and Zimmermann tour to Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Regensburg and Zorneding.
Perianes exclusively records for Harmonia Mundi and his most recent releases feature Granados’s Goyescas, and Chopin’s Sonatas No. 2 and No. 3 interspersed with the three Mazurkas from Op. 63.
Perianes was awarded the National Music Prize in 2012 by the Ministry of Culture of Spain and named Artist of the Year at the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) in 2019.
MARIO VENZAGO conductor
Mario Venzago was, until summer 2021 and for 11 years, the Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Bern Symphony Orchestra. Prior to that, he has led as Principal Conductor or General Music Director of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the Basque National Orchestra in San Sebastian, the Basel Symphony Orchestra, the Graz Opera und Graz Philharmonic Orchestra, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Frankfurt (now Bremen), the Theatre and Philharmonic Orchestra of the City of Heidelberg and the Musikkollegium Winterthur. He was also Principal Conductor of the Royal Northern Sinfonia, Artist in Association of the Finnish Tapiola Sinfonietta and Artistic Director of the Baltimore Summer Fest, as successor to Pinchas Zukermann and David Zinman.
Venzago has conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the orchestras in Philadelphia and Boston, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Filarmonica della Scala and the NHK Symphony Orchestra. He is a regular guest conductor with internationally renowned orchestras and has given concerts with the world’s famous soloists, and collaborated with directors such as Ruth Berghaus, Peter Konwitschny and Hans Neuenfels.
Several of his CDs have won international prizes such as the Grand Prix du Disque, the Diapason d’or and the Edison Award. Most recently, his recording of the Suite from Bernard Herrmann’s Wuthering Heights with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra was released on Chandos Records in June 2023.
In addition to his activity as a conductor, Venzago has recently devoted himself to his passion for composing. In 2021 he premiered his Violin Concerto with Soyoung Yoon and the Bern Symphony Orchestra. Currently, various works by Venzago are in preparation for publication by Universal Edition, including two operas.
British cellist Steven Isserlis CBE enjoys an international career as a soloist, chamber musician, author, educator, and broadcaster. Equally at home in music from baroque to the present day, he performs with the world’s greatest orchestras, including period ensembles, and has given many world premieres, including Sir John Tavener’s The Protecting Veil, Thomas Adès’s Lieux retrouvés, four works for solo cello by György Kurtág, and pieces by Heinz Holliger, Jörg Widmann, Olli Mustonen, Mikhail Pletnev and many others.
His vast award-winning discography includes most of the cello repertoire, including the J.S. Bach Suites, Beethoven’s complete works for cello and piano, and the Brahms Double Concerto with Joshua Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. His latest recording, Mendelssohn Piano Trios with Joshua Bell and Jeremy Denk, was released in October 2024.
As an author, his latest book is a criticallyacclaimed companion to the Bach Cello
Suites, while his two books for children about music are among the genre’s most popular ever written and have been translated into many languages. He has also authored a commentary on Schumann’s famous Advice for Young Musicians. As a broadcaster, he has written and presented two in-depth documentaries for BBC Radio, on Robert Schumann and Harpo Marx.
He was awarded a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998, in recognition of his services to music. International recognition includes the Piatigorsky Prize (USA) and the Glashütte Original Music Festival Award (Germany). Since 1997, he has been Artistic Director of the International Musicians Seminar, Prussia Cove, Cornwall.
He plays the 1726 ‘Marquis de Corberon’ Stradivarius, on loan from the Royal Academy of Music.
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
David Coucheron
Co-Principal Guest Concertmaster
Kevin Lin
Co-Principal Guest Concertmaster
Kong Zhao Hui1
Associate Concertmaster
Chan Yoong-Han2
Fixed Chair
Cao Can*
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
Nikolai Koval*
Sayuri Kuru
Hai-Won Kwok
Margit Saur
Shao Tao Tao
Tseng Chieh-An
Wu Man Yun*
Xu Jueyi*
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
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
Guo Siping Principal
Liu Chang Associate Principal
Christoph Wichert
Zhao Ying Xue
CONTRABASSOON
Zhao Ying Xue Assistant Principal
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.
BEETHOVEN WITH JAMES EHNES AND LAWRENCE RENES | 8 & 9 NOV 2024
FIRST VIOLIN
Alexander Kagan Guest Concertmaster
SECOND VIOLIN
Martin Peh
NIGHTS IN THE GARDENS OF SPAIN | 5 & 6 DEC 2024
VIOLA
Yeo Jan Wea
CELESTA
Aya Sakou
STEVEN ISSERLIS AND MARIO VENZAGO – KABALEVSKY AND SCHUBERT 20 & 21 DEC 2024
FIRST VIOLIN
Yew Shan
ALTO SAXOPHONE
Samuel Phua
HORN
Eric Yen
TROMBONE
Hu Shaozhen
Fri & Sat, 8 & 9 Nov 2024
Victoria Concert Hall
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Lawrence Renes conductor
James Ehnes violin*
BEETHOVEN
Coriolan Overture, Op. 62
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61*
Intermission
Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60
Auditions will be held for shortlisted Singaporean instrumentalists performing concertos written for t heir instrument and Singaporean vocalists performing any vocal work with orchestra.
ELIGIBILITY:
Applicants should be Singapore citizens and should be no more than 25 years of age, as of 1 July 2025.
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
Applicants are invited to submit their online appli cation by , with the following items:
DEADLINE 13 December 2024 13 December 2024
1. including their date of birth, musical background and contact information
2. A high-quality featuring a recent performance of a complete concerto with either piano or orchestra accompaniment, with composer name, duration of each movement and edition (if applicable) of the work cl early labelled.
For application enquiries, please contact: pypc@sso .org.sg
SCAN TO APPLY
Tonight, the brilliance of Beethoven takes centre stage in a spectacular symphonic journey.
In our ongoing support for classical music and the arts, Singapore’s only classical music station Mediacorp Symphony924, together with our partner of over two decades, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), are delighted to bring you an all-Beethoven programme of concert hall favourites. Taking the stage are DutchMaltese conductor Lawrence Renes, highly regarded in both the operatic and symphonic spheres; and Canadian violin virtuoso James Ehnes, one of the world’s most sought-after violinists, gifted with a rare combination of stunning virtuosity and an unfaltering musicality.
The musical journey begins with the Coriolan Overture, Op. 62, a stirring prelude that sets the stage for an exploration of the heart. Then, prepare to be entranced as James Ehnes unveils the Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61, a masterpiece that dances between elegance and passion, showcasing the depths of his artistry.
The evening will culminate in the spirited embrace of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60, featuring exuberant melodies and vibrant orchestral textures that celebrate the composer’s joyful genius.
Get ready to be enchanted with the magic of Beethoven and lose yourself in timeless beauty and profound emotion.
Simone Lum Head for Growth & Audio, Mediacorp
Coriolan Overture, Op. 62 (1807)
Inspiration is usually the most commonly thought of motivation for composers, but less often thought about, though arguably more important, is the need to pay bills. Any artist who has had to produce work merely to put food on the table will understand how Beethoven produced a stream of overtures (some less inspired than others) on demand.
While the name Coriolan (Latin “Coriolanus”) evokes to English speakers the historical tragedy Coriolanus by William Shakespeare, Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture was written for an 1804 German tragedy of the same name by Heinrich Joseph von Collin. It was premiered in March 1807 at Palais Lobkowitz, the Vienna palace of Beethoven’s patron Joseph Franz Maximilian, Prince of Lobkowitz, who had a private orchestra. This was the same place and orchestra that saw the 1804 premiere of Beethoven’s Third Symphony, dedicated to Prince Lobkowitz.
The overture is in C minor, a key which was later to become intimately associated with Beethoven as an impatient hero at his most extroverted. An opening full of foreboding assures us that drama is to follow, and Beethoven gives us plenty of it. Unrelenting yet full of sudden breaks and dynamic contrasts, the music is eminently suited to the story of a Roman revolutionary. Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus was a semimythical Roman general of the 5th century B.C., renowned for his bravery and military brilliance, who fell out of favour with the corrupt government and was subsequently exiled. In exile, he raised a rebel army with the help of the Volsci, enemies of Rome,
A scene from Shakespeare’s Coriolanus. Engraving by James Caldwell after a painting by Gavin Hamilton.
and marched on Rome, intent on regime change. Von Collin’s play casts Coriolan as a tragic hero, a figure dear to the German Romantic mind.
As Beethoven develops the music, a majormode melody appears but is overtaken by the dramatic elements, perhaps representing the futile efforts of Coriolan’s mother and wife to dissuade him from besieging Rome, an act of high treason for a Roman citizen, in the face of Coriolan’s fiery determination.
Instrumentation
2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings
World Premiere Mar 1807, Vienna
First performed by SSO 29 Mar 1985
Allegro ma non troppo Larghetto Rondo. Allegro
Franz Clement was a violinist, conductor of the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, and a friend of Beethoven. The young Clement had given Beethoven useful advice when the latter was writing his opera Fidelio, and Beethoven returned the favour with a violin concerto in 1806. However, it is said that Beethoven was late in furnishing the solo part, and Clement had to sight-read part of the performance. This first performance on 23 December 1806 was not well-received, causing the work to languish in neglect for many years. In 1844, some seventeen years after Beethoven’s death, a 12-year-old Joseph Joachim, together with the orchestra of the London Philharmonic Society conducted by Felix Mendelssohn, performed the work and triggered a revival. Beethoven’s Violin Concerto – his one and only –has since become one of the most beloved in the genre, widely played and recorded today.
The first movement Allegro ma non troppo opens with four timpani strokes, almost like a jazz drummer’s “a one two three four”, which turn out to be the rhythmic basis of the whole movement as it gets reinterpreted and recast throughout. The soloist’s entrance is preceded by a long orchestra introduction some three minutes long – this was considered rather too avant garde by the early audiences, as it summarises the entire thematic content. Perhaps they thought it gave too much away too early?
The first movement
Allegro ma non troppo opens with four timpani strokes, almost like a jazz drummer’s “a one two three four”
The Larghetto which follows has muted strings introduce the principal idea, whose simplicity is then developed and ornamented by the soloist. Similarly, the orchestra gives the second theme, which the violin expands and comments upon like a series of variations. Both themes are revisited and the movement ends with a serene coda.
The catchy Rondo bubbles over with energy and liveliness. A brief minor-key episode of great beauty features the bassoon in a moment that is unfortunately not repeated. A general merry folk-dance mood permeates the entire movement, with horns adding pastoral punctuation. Meanwhile the violin negotiates the most difficult writing in the
entire concerto – Beethoven has saved the best for last. The concerto thins out at the end playfully but closes suddenly with a pair of hammered orchestral chords in which we see a younger and jollier Beethoven, a welcome contrast to the usual image of the surly, serious composer.
A portrait of Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler.
Instrumentation
solo violin, flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings
World Premiere 23 Dec 1806, Vienna
First performed by SSO 25 Apr 1980 (Yossi Zivoni, violin)
Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60 (1806)
Adagio. Allegro vivace
Adagio
Allegro vivace
Allegro ma non troppo
In 1806, Beethoven spent the summer as a guest of his Bohemian patron, Karl Alois, Prince Lichnowsky, at his country seat in Silesia (now divided up between Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic). On a visit to the nearby castle of Count Oppersdorff, the count commissioned a new symphony from Beethoven, and thus we came to have the Fourth Symphony, premiered in Vienna in 1807. Sandwiched between the two giants: Symphony No.3 “Eroica” and Symphony No. 5, it has suffered comparative neglect.
The symphony begins with an ominous minor-key Adagio where the theme is first played on the double basses and then carried upwards suspensefully through the strings and winds – it is as if we have woken up in a dark room and trying to figure out where we are in the brooding gloom. A series of major chords announce that we have found the curtains and thrown them open, with light suddenly streaming in through the Allegro vivace – and then the music alternates between major and minor as it develops back in the ‘right’ key of B-flat major. The development is ingenious in how it leads us back to the recapitulation, a codetta based on the main theme.
The Adagio second movement in E-flat major is in rondo form, and unusually features timpani, as well as rather animated sections still echoing the rhythms of the opening movement. The third movement
The third movement reflects Beethoven’s pushing of boundaries.
reflects Beethoven’s pushing of boundaries – what was normally an ABA becomes an ABABA in his hands, and the traditional minuet gives way to a scherzo.
The final movement was marked Allegro ma non troppo and shows the influence of Beethoven’s teacher Haydn. Cheerful animated semiquavers in the strings form the first subject and keep the mood light, while a second subject from the oboe gives us some textural change. The motum perpetuum is interrupted when snatches of the main theme are suddenly played at half speed or punctuated by rests, as if the orchestra were breaking down as a joke, before the full orchestra abruptly comes back for the punchline.
Notes by Edward C. Yong
Instrumentation
flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings
World Premiere
c. Mar 1807, private concert in Vienna
First performed by SSO 13 Feb 1981
HORN CONCERTO NO. 4
Fri, 22 Nov 2024
Victoria Concert Hall
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Rodolfo Barráez Associate Conductor
Austin Larson horn*
MOZART
Symphony No. 29 in A major, K. 201
Horn Concerto No. 4 in E-flat major, K. 495* (SSO Premiere)
Intermission
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550
Allegro moderato Andante
Menuetto
Allegro con spirito
Written in 1774 when Mozart was 18, as part of a set of seven for the Prince Archbishop of Salzburg, the Symphony No. 29 in A major K. 201 was considered unremarkable by its recipient – no record or remark on its premiere survives. Yet it held a special significance for Mozart, who carried it around with him for the rest of his life, scheduling it for performance whenever he could.
Under the tutelage of Joseph Haydn, the “Father of the Symphony”, the young Mozart created not only a synthesis of the various symphonic styles then current, but developed it in a way distinctively his own, and this symphony is a perfect example of his early maturity shining in the graceful Viennese style of balance between vigorous energy and lyrical elegance.
Softly glowing muted strings suggest gentle sunlight through forest foliage.
A pregnant, gentle opening to the Allegro moderato gains momentum swiftly in bursts of intensity punctuated by dramatic octave
jumps. We almost expect the bubbling to boil over, but Mozart keeps cool, restraining the orchestra as he leads it into the melodic ideas of the lyrical second theme. A small development follows, with chasing scales, before a tender reflective passage appears briefly. A recapitulation ends the overturelike moment, leaving the listener almost expecting an opera to begin.
The second movement, a serene Andante, is poised and radiant. Softly glowing muted strings suggest gentle sunlight through forest foliage, double-dotted rhythms suggest rococo court music, yet the soulful woodwinds add a wistful edge and depth. 18th century clichés are transformed into such spontaneous and lovely phrases that while repeated and repeated, the movement still seems too short.
A Menuetto, the court dance par excellence of the 18th century follows, but any attempt at dancing is thwarted by the rebellious young composer’s creative treatment – a briskly aggressive and almost business-like opening with staccato phrases and dotted rhythms sabotaging convention, before giving way to a smoother reflective trio to soothe any ruffled feathers.
The Allegro con spirito hunt-style finale is where the galloping energy returns in a chase with the horns in their natural element as symbols of the hunt, but always with
Mozart’s signature dramatic development (note the octave leap in the first theme) and attention to detail (the grace-note-accented second theme represent the barks of hunting hounds). Mozart infuses this movement with an irresistible sense of fun, never dipping into the dark melancholy that punctuates his later works, and the music remains elegant and poised to the end.
Instrumentation
2 oboes, 2 horns, strings
World Premiere unknown
First performed by SSO 8 May 1981
Horn Concerto No. 4 in E-flat major, K. 495 (1786) SSO Premiere
Allegro maestoso Romanza. Andante cantabile Rondo. Allegro vivace
Mozart had something of reputation as a practical joker, but managed to combine his sense of humour with his skill as a composer. Noticing a singer had a tendency to lower her head for low notes and throw it back for high ones, he wrote an aria with constant leaps from low to high in order to make her head “bob like a chicken on stage”. A favourite target of his jokes was his close lifelong friend Joseph Leutgeb, perhaps the most outstanding horn player of his time, for whom Haydn wrote a concerto. Mozart’s four horn concerti were written for him and require techniques extremely difficult to perform on the horn of the period, attesting to masterful playing.
The Horn Concerto No. 4 in E-flat major, K. 495, was referred to by Mozart as “Ein Waldhorn Konzert für den Leutgeb” (“a hunting horn concerto for Leutgeb”) and begins Allegro maestoso, charming the audience with a winsome beginning before the horn enters lightly soaring above the orchestra. Here and there the horn and ensemble join to underline and punctuate the theme, but horn is mostly doing its own thing. Whereas bowed strings find it easy to play softly, it is a challenge for brass instruments to play gently, and Mozart’s writing, including the chromatic notes, shows his confidence in Leutgeb’s skill. A short orchestral coda ends the movement.
The slow Romanza is essentially an aria with the horn taking the place of a tenor soloist,
and, if given lyrics, would not have been out of place in one of Mozart’s operas. Mozart manages to turn what was regarded a crude instrument for hunting calls two generations ago into a sublime vehicle for his pleadingly sweet melody, ethereally exploring its full range.
The Rondo-Allegro vivace ending, one of Mozart’s most famous melodies, brings 18th-century horn, depicted in portrait of horn player and composer Jean-Joseph Rudolphe (1730-1812), by Louis-Gabriel Blanchet.
us back to the hunting origins of the horn, evoking a jaunty ride through the countryside scenery. Mozart’s manuscript of the concerto is written in four colours of ink: black, red, blue, and green. This was thought to have been Mozart’s attempt to rattle Leutgeb by making the music harder to read, but some scholars have conjectured this was not a prank but actually a sort of code, in the way students sometimes use different inks when annotating their textbooks. We may never know, but nevertheless in this last movement, with its genial and cheerful mood, Mozart’s playful smile shines through and surely makes the listener’s day much brightened.
Instrumentation solo horn, 2 oboes, 2 horns, strings
World Premiere unknown
Molto allegro
Andante
Menuetto and Trio. Allegretto
Allegro assai
While D minor was Mozart’s choice for tragedy and darkness, his works in G minor reflect much of that same dark intensity. One of only two symphonies he wrote in a minor key, his 40th Symphony in G minor was composed in 1788, three years before his death. The exact date of its first performance is unknown, however there is a record of it being performed at the home of Mozart’s friend Baron Gottfried van Swieten, but so badly performed that Mozart had to leave the room.
The famous first movement begins with the accompaniment figures before the actual main theme emerges, a technique that became popular later among Romantic composers. Tension prevails, perhaps a reflection of Mozart’s situation – his concerts were becoming less popular, bills were piling up due to his extravagant lifestyle, his family had moved to the suburbs after vacating their central Vienna apartment, and his infant daughter Theresia had died that year. Still, Mozart is not one to wallow, and the movement has moments of happiness and grace amidst the turbulent waves.
An elegant, major-key Andante follows, giving us a respite of quiet moonlit serenity, punctuated with chromatic intensity. The instruments take turns in a magical conversation that goes from hushed awe to tenderness and pity, giving us a glimpse into a world that was to be developed further
in The Magic Flute. The Menuetto begins with an unusual hemiola – the melody is written as if the metre were 2/4, yet the accompaniment is in the correct 3/4! The result is a juggernaut’s momentum that drives us forward, dark and ferocious, with relief only at the Trio, where Mozart gives us uninterrupted major-key happiness from the horns and woodwinds before taking us back into a ride through the haunted house.
With the final Allegro assai, Mozart returns to the storm, presenting contrasts of loud and soft balanced by strict form, but this boat is constantly rocked by furious runs from the violins. A happier second theme appears but is overtaken by an almost twelve-tone row chromatic turbulence that uses every note except G – the tonal centre of the work – before reappearing worse for wear in a minor key version. Tension builds and fireworks ensue, but anger – never. All through to the end, the maestro shows us he is always in control.
Notes by Edward C. Yong
Instrumentation
flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, strings
World Premiere unknown
First performed by SSO 2 Jun 1980
Thu & Fri, 5 & 6 Dec 2024
Victoria Concert Hall
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Vasily Petrenko conductor
Javier Perianes piano*
DE FALLA
BEETHOVEN
Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48
Nights in the Gardens of Spain*
Intermission
Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
Duration: approximately 2 hrs (including 20 mins intermission)
(1840–1893)
Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48 (1880)
Pezzo in forma di sonatina: Andante non troppo – Allegro moderato
Valse: Moderato – Tempo di valse
Elegie: Larghetto elegiaco
Finale (Tema russo): Andante – Allegro con spirito
Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky considered Mozart “the greatest of all composers”, praising his works as “the highest, most perfect culmination ever attained by beauty in the realm of music”. Such was his admiration for Mozart that a number of his works make use of Mozartian forms and instrumentation: the Rococo Variations, the fourth orchestral suite (Mozartiana), and the Serenade for Strings that opens this evening’s concert.
In the autumn of 1880, Tchaikovsky was working simultaneously on two pieces, one of which was the Serenade. The other one was an overture commissioned for the unveiling of a Pushkin memorial in Moscow, which he considered an ardous undertaking – “What can you write on the occasion of the opening of an exhibition except banalities and generally noisy passages?” he asked rhetorically. He admitted that he wrote it “with no warm feeling of love” so “there will probably be no artistic merits in it” and described it to be “in a style unsuitable for symphony concerts”. The result was the 1812 Overture, which became, much to Tchaikovsky’s displeasure, one of his most celebrated compositions.
The Serenade however, as he wrote to his patroness Nadezhda von Meck, was composed “from inner conviction” and “a heartfelt piece […] not lacking in real qualities”. It started its life as a potential
symphony or string quartet, eventually ending up as an in-between. On first listening, the serenade sounds nothing like the quintessential Classical work, with its full string sonorities and lyrical melodic lines.
The first movement Pezzo in forma di sonatina is book-ended by a stately chorale, and in between is a faster section which takes the form of the sonatina. This was Tchaikovsky’s homage to Mozart – “it is intended to be an imitation of his style”, he wrote to von Meck, and what transpired was a work that was Classical only in form and spirit, a charming fusion of eras and styles.
Mozart’s Minuet and Trio became Beethoven’s Scherzo, which became Brahms’ Intermezzo, and eventually became Tchaikovsky’s Valse. For the second movement, it seemed natural that Tchaikovsky would replace the Minuet, a dance form popular in the 18th century, with the waltz that was popular in the 19th century. The different string sections take turns to carry the melody and accompany, ending gently and softly.
Like the Valse, the third movement Élégie is built on a rising scale. A deeply expressive and tender melody enters, played first by the violins and then the lower strings, while the violins later embellish with another intricate melody. The darker and more desperate overtones of this movement foreshadow a side of Tchaikovsky later found in his last three symphonies.
The Finale (Tema Russo) as its name suggests, is based on two Russian folk songs; the slower one for the introduction, and the second, more exuberant one as the principal theme for the faster section. Towards the end the stately theme from the first movement makes a brief appearance, unexpectedly transforming back to the faster theme and showing us that the end, after all, is not so far from the beginning.
Instrumentation strings
World Premiere 3 Dec 1880, Moscow (private performance)
First performed by SSO 15 Mar 2009
En el Generalife (In the Gardens of the Generalife)
Danza lejana (A Dance in the Distance)
En los jardines de la Sierra de Córdoba (In the Gardens of the Sierra de Córdoba)
“The Garden at Aranjuez. Arbor II”, by Santiago Rusiñol, 1907.
In 1903, the Catalan artist Santiago Rusiñol published the album Jardins d’Espanya, containing a collection of forty of his numerous landscape paintings of formal gardens in Spain accompanied by poems from various authors. Rusiñol believed that the gardens were relics of a world of grandeur, areas full of imagination and escapism, and sought to capture these in his paintings.
Manuel de Falla had moved to Paris in 1907, the most fashionable place to be in
Europe at that time, absorbing the sights, sounds, and newest French styles the artistic capital had to offer. However, his musical heart remained in Spain, where he had taken lessons from the conservatory in Madrid and formed friendships with likeminded young composers such is Joaquín Turina, Isaac Albéniz and Enrique Granados.
In 1909, he wrote to his family, asking for them to send him a copy of Jardins d’Espanya. Inspired by the pictures in the album, he started sketching out a set of four
piano nocturnes that eventually became Nights in the Gardens of Spain after multiple revisions. The final iteration, completed in 1915 when Falla was back in Madrid, contained three movements, or ‘symphonic impressions’. This note was written by Falla for the premiere at Madrid’s Royal Theatre in 1916:
The author of these symphonic impressions for piano and orchestra considers that, if his aims have been successful, the simple listing of their titles should be guidance enough for their listeners […] Bear in mind that the music of these nocturnes does not try to be descriptive, but rather simply expressive, and that something more than the echoes of fiestas and dances has inspired these musical evocations, in which pain and mystery also play a part.
For audiences hearing this in a different part of the world and more than a century later, perhaps a few words more would be helpful in appreciating the music. The title of the first movement En el Generalife refers to the 14th-century summer palace and gardens of the Moorish leaders in Alhambra, Granada. The gardens are designed in the Arab style, with the music based on an expressive Andalusian song, a jaleo, accompanied by clapping. In the hushed, mysterious character of the music, one can almost imagine being alone in the gardens in at night: the shadows of the trees dancing gently in the wind, the soft trickle of the fountains, the heady scent of flowers, and perhaps, a sense of past glamour and glory.
Danza lejana (A Dance in the Distance) is set in an unidentified garden of a different
sort. The triple-time dance puts the listener in a garden party, where activity abounds and the piano imitates the strumming of a Spanish guitar. In a far corner of the garden a dancer dances a malagueña, dramatic, expressive, but filled with a sense of tiredness.
A sudden upward sweep takes us to the final movement, En los jardines de la Sierra de Córdoba, a gypsy encampment in the Sierra Morena (mountains) behind Córdoba in Southern Spain. Making use of the traditional flamenco form of Zambia Gitana, a song inspired by Moorish weddings and later as gypsy music. The wild evocation of a festival alternates with contrasting impressionistic scenes, until the music is carried off with the wind into the infinite night, reflective and quiet as it began.
solo piano, 3 flutes (1 doubling on piccolo), 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, triangle, cymbals, suspended cymbal, harp, celesta, strings
World Premiere 9 Apr 1916, Madrid
First performed by SSO 18 Feb 2000 (Joaquin Achucarro, piano)
Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 (1812)
Poco sostenuto – Vivace
Allegretto
Presto
Allegro con brio
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 was completed in April 1812, but the premiere only came a year and a half later, on 8 Dec 1813, together with his Op. 91 Wellington’s Victory at a concert held as a benefit for Austrian and Bavarian soldiers. It had been five years since the Viennese public had heard a new symphony by Beethoven. The last two were premiered together: the Fifth had a clear trajectory of fate and the triumph over it, and the Sixth was explicitly programmatic. What would this new Seventh Symphony be?
For mid-19th century listeners, who tried to find meaning in all they heard, this symphony was “a procession in an old cathedral”, a tale of Moorish knighthood, or even more absurdly, a political revolution from beginning to end. Fellow composers too, tried to put a meaning to the music. To Richard Wagner, this symphony was “the apotheosis of the dance”, Schumann thought of a peasant wedding, and Berlioz heard a ronde des paysans or a barn dance in the first movement.
Each movement in the Seventh Symphony has its own distinctive rhythm.
But Beethoven was disgusted and enraged by their speculations. He wrote a letter in 1819 to a friend and amateur musician Dr. W.C. Müller, protesting “energetically against such interpretations of his music.” Arguably, that is where Beethoven might just have succeeded because his music inspired a multitude of diverse and personal interpretations.
The secret to unlock the meaning in his music may just lie in the very basic building blocks – Beethoven’s distinctive use of rhythm and innovative harmonic relationships. Unlike the Fifth Symphony where a single rhythmic motif binds the symphony together, each movement in the Seventh Symphony has its own distinctive rhythm.
The first movement begins with an expansive introduction marked Poco sostenuto, one of the longest introductions to a symphony in history up till then (64 bars, or approximately 3 minutes!), meandering to distant, different keys such as C and F major and yet making them sound as comfortably at home as the original key of A major. This sets the harmonic stage for the rest of the first movement, which gains momentum from unison E notes, repeated, echoed, and then as though catching fire, launches into the joyous Vivace section where the allusions to dance stemmed from, with repeated dotted notes.
The second movement Allegretto was a roaring success from its premiere, that the public demanded an encore of it. It is also the most well-known movement played independently of the symphony and used in the entertainment scene, such as the soundtrack of the films Knowing and The King’s Speech. Coupling nostalgia and mystery, the music begins with a minor chord, and the low strings follow with the melody that we first hear: an astounding example of how Beethoven could fashion a vast world from the humblest of materials. The solemn intensity is built up slowly and beautifully, each voice entering and forming a layer above the previous by counterpoint.
The blazingly fast third movement Presto takes place in the key of F major, one of the ‘foreign’ keys introduced in the first movement, now brought back with an upgraded status. As if a reminder not to take life too seriously, Beethoven writes in musical jokes by reversing the dynamics and playing with the orchestration.
To come full circle by the end, Beethoven punctuates the opening of the Allegro con brio with two big chords, and creates a dynamic whirlwind in the home key of A major. Of course, the keys of C and F majors
make an appearance and settle for a while but are soon chased away as the music spins into a jubilant close, mirroring the energy of the first movement.
Notes by Natalie Ng
Instrumentation
2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings
World Premiere 8 Dec 1813, Vienna
First performed by SSO 11 Feb 1980
Auditions will be held for shortlisted Singaporean instrumentalists performing concertos written for t heir instrument and Singaporean vocalists performing any vocal work with orchestra.
ELIGIBILITY:
Applicants should be Singapore citizens and should be no more than 25 years of age, as of 1 July 2025.
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
Applicants are invited to submit their online appli cation by , with the following items:
DEADLINE 13 December 2024 13 December 2024
1. including their date of birth, musical background and contact information
2. A high-quality featuring a recent performance of a complete concerto with either piano or orchestra accompaniment, with composer name, duration of each movement and edition (if applicable) of the work cl early labelled.
For application enquiries, please contact: pypc@sso .org.sg
SCAN TO APPLY
THE UNFINISHED SYMPHONY COMPLETED
Fri & Sat, 20 & 21 Dec 2024
Victoria Concert Hall
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Mario Venzago conductor
Steven Isserlis cello*
WEBER
KABALEVSKY
SCHUBERT
Overture to Der Freischütz
Cello Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 77* (SSO Premiere)
Intermission
Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 “Unfinished” (Reconstructed version by Mario Venzago)
Duration: approximately 2 hrs (including 20 mins intermission)
“A more German composer than you has never lived,” Wagner eulogised at Weber’s graveside in 1844. Indeed, Weber was the founding father of German Romantic opera, establishing a tradition that would be carried forward by Meyerbeer and Wagner. He pioneered the use of leitmotifs, recurrent musical themes associated with specific characters or ideas. In 1810, Weber had stumbled across the Gespensterbuch, ghost stories collected by Johann Apel and Friedrich Laun. Fuelled by the Industrial Revolution and its ensuing social anxieties, sinister tales of the supernatural were all the rage then; in Victorian England, ghost stories were Christmas staples. Unlike its predecessors in this genre, Der Freischütz (“The Marksman”) was not music about kings, gods, or heroes. Set in a village, the ancient German legend tells of a luckless but ambitious marksman, Max, who makes a pact with the devil to forge magic bullets that will aways hit the target. In the upcoming shooting contest where Max must compete, the hand of his sweetheart, Agathe, is the prize.
The overture begins with a questioning, surging motif, and a beautiful horn chorale follows to represent hunting and the country life. The mood darkens suddenly with the unsettling tremolo of the strings and a diminished seventh chord: the seventh bullet actually belongs to the devil, and his treacherous companion, Caspar, has persuaded the devil to use it to kill Agathe. The music alternates between violent and passionate strings in C minor and a stately march, as Max is torn between good and evil. Moments of serenity, flowers, and
An illustration from Gespensterbuch, depicting “Der Freischütz”, 1811.
meadows shine through as a rhapsodic C major melody in the clarinets and violins embody Agathe. In the end, C major triumphs over C minor, love conquers evil with the help of a hermit, and the seventh bullet strikes Caspar rather than Agathe.
Instrumentation
2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings
World Premiere 18 Jun 1821, Berlin
First performed by SSO 13 Mar 1981
(1904–1987)
Cello Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 77 (1964) SSO Premiere
Molto sostenuto – Allegro molto e energico
Presto marcato
Andante con moto – Allegro agitato – Molto tranquillo
Kabalevsky, a composer whose greatest happiness was writing music for children and for whom today’s pedagogues have much to thank, is not regarded as favourably in the West compared to his more politically dissident Soviet compatriots, Shostakovich and Prokofiev. Throughout his career, Kabalevsky received several awards, including the Stalin Prize and the title of People’s Artist of the USSR. Some view him as a political sellout for conforming to Socialist Realist artistic policies, and his stylistic conservatism has also led to the sidelining of his music. Yet both matters can be viewed subjectively: after all, music that is accessible, uplifting, and in service of the people holds great social and artistic value, and one might respect his ability to work as a creative artist in circumstances where many others faced great difficulties.
One of his weightier works and uncharacteristically raw in its expression, Kabalevsky wrote his Cello Concerto No. 2 for the virtuoso Daniil Shafran (1923–1997). Unlike a traditional concerto, it is structured slow-fast-slow, no doubt influenced by his teacher at the Moscow Conservatory, Nikolai Myaskovsky. The movements are played attacca without breaks and linked by cadenzas, another unusual feature. Gritty, mature, and with undertones of tragedy, the first movement, dually cast in Molto sostenuto – Allegro molto e energico, opens with a haunting pizzicato melody from the soloist above a
dark, searching bass, quiet timpani rolls, and eerie trills from the strings. The melody passes over to the flutes and violins, swathed by a heartfelt, soaring descant from the soloist. With a sudden change in tempo, the cello embarks on a propulsive, angular melody before giving way to an oppressive, descending semitone figure in the orchestra. The cellist briefly returns to the mystery and melancholy of the opening material. While concerto cadenzas tend to be high octane and outwardly flamboyant, Kabalevsky challenges the soloist musically
with fragmented, improvisatory grumblings and melodic notes placed atop chordal pizzicatos.
The highly entertaining Presto marcato opens with a bluesy alto saxophone introducing the theme in a gallivanting fashion. With perpetual forward motion, this second movement proceeds like a wild horse, the momentum only briefly stalling for a strident brass and percussion statement. The cadenza again functions like a bridge between movements, this time in a more conventionally virtuosic manner. With a largely introspective and restrained atmosphere, the Andante con moto – Allegro agitato – Molto tranquillo offers considerable lyrical depth, featuring an expansive melody for the soloist and reminiscences of the first movement’s lower registers and darker textures. An agitated central section peters out into a momentary quietness that oscillates between pastoral tranquillity and simmering turmoil.
The Concerto closes with four open Cs from the cellist—the rawest timbre with the lowest note of the instrument. Such an understated conclusion might bar the concerto from the ranks of the most popular 20th century concertos, yet it most certainly deserves its place.
Notes by See Ning Hui
Instrumentation solo cello, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, alto saxophone, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, suspended cymbal, tam-tam, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, harp, strings
World Premiere 1964
(Reconstructed version by Mario Venzago)
Allegro moderato Andante con moto Scherzo Finale I II III IV.
In 1823 the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra or, as it was then called, the Orchestra of the Styrian Music Society (I myself became its principal conductor 168 years later) invited Schubert to become an honorary member. Schubert was pleased to accept the invitation and brought with him his brand new B minor symphony.
Since we know only the first two movements in their entirety, it soon became known as Schubert’s “Unfinished” and the focus of all manner of legends. The fact that one of these movements is fast and the other one slow was deliberately overlooked, with the result that both movements were played at perversely slow speeds designed to invest them with the aura of a requiem and with the significance of the composer’s “last words”. Even today no one is particularly disturbed by the fact that Schubert lived five more happy years.
No one with even a modicum of common sense will claim that in 1822 Schubert sat down with the deliberate aim of writing an incomplete symphony, but just as nonsensical is the suggestion that he was so overwhelmed by the high quality of the first two movements that he no longer dared continue with the work. Nor is it conceivable that Schubert would have given his friend half a symphony as a present. To have done so would have been an inconceivable
Schubert’s “Unfinished” became the focus of all manner of legends.
affront. The movements 3 and 4 are simply lost.
A good deal of material has survived that relates to the ostensibly lost Scherzo. There is a complete sketch of this movement, which resembles a piano score. So we shall be able to complete this movement on the strength of the existing material.
As for the Trio, it has to be conceded that only the first part has survived in the form of a monophonic melody. But we can propose at least a Schubertian solution to the blank pages with the help of music from Schubert’s incidental music for the play Rosamunde: same key, same instrumentation, same year, and same attitude. It requires only a certain luck and understanding to piece together the fourth movement of the Unfinished Symphony from the existing music for Rosamunde.
What a gift the people of Graz received from Schubert in 1823!
It is the task of this performance to open this present.
Notes by the composer and tonight’s conductor, Mario Venzago
Instrumentation
2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings
World Premiere 17 Dec 1865, Vienna
First performed by SSO 24 Jan 1979
Scan to see Mario Venzago’s reconstructed score for the Scherzo and Finale of Schubert’s 8th.
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.
PATRON SPONSOR
Tote Board Group
(Tote Board, Singapore Pools & Singapore Turf Club)
MAESTRO CIRCLE
Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin
Stephen Riady Group of Foundations
Estate of Tan Jiew Cheng
Temasek Foundation
The HEAD Foundation
SYMPHONY CIRCLE
Dr & Mrs Antoine & Christina Firmenich
Holywell Foundation
Lee Foundation
Lee Li Ming
Paige Parker & Jim Rogers
Jacqueline Yeh
Yong Hon Kong Foundation
Anonymous (2)
CONCERTO CIRCLE
Prof Chan Heng Chee
Cara & Tamara Chang
Geraldine Choong & Dennis Au
Elaine and Eduardo Saverin Foundation Ltd
Embassy of France in Singapore
Far East Organization
Christopher Fussner
Geh Min
Miriam & Merle Hinrich
IMC Group Asia (S’pore) Pte Ltd
Karim Family Foundation
Kris Foundation
Frans & Marie-Pierre Mol
Neo Group Limited
Paul & Lena Ng
Andreas & Doris Sohmen-Pao
Dr Edwin Tan
UOB
Geoffrey & Ai Ai Wong
Wong Hong Ching
Dr Thomas & Mrs Mary Zuellig
Odile & Douglas Benjamin
BINJAITREE
BreadTalk Group
Lito & Kim Camacho
Cavazos Tinajero Family
Cham Gee Len
Prof Cham Tao Soon
Alan Chan
Vivian P J Chandran
Chen Xiaoyan
Chng Hak-Peng
Daniel Choo & Family
Chopard Asia Pte Ltd
Dr & Mrs Choy Khai Meng
Prof Arnoud De Meyer
Energeo Systems Pte Ltd
Karen Fawcett & Alisdair Ferrie
FRED Jewelry
Dorian Goh & Rathi Ho
Goh Swee Chen
Haidilao Hotpot
Hong Leong Foundation
Illumia Medical Pte Ltd
Vanessa & Darren Iloste
JCCI Singapore Foundation
Ross & Florence Jennings
Jin Lu
Vivian Kao & Shou Zi Chew
Jeffrey Khoo
Dr & Mrs Adrian Koh
Mr & Mrs Koh Chye Hock
Krishnan Family
Kenneth Kwok
Mark Lee & Kelly Keak
Lee Ming San
Colin & Janet Leong
Leong Wai Leng
LGT Bank (Singapore)
Liew Wei Li
Lim Boon Heng
Mavis Lim Geck Chin
Marina Bay Sands
NEON Global
NSL Ltd
Christina Ong
PCS Pte Ltd
Poh Khim Hong
Prima Limited
Xu Ren
Priscylla Shaw
Martin Siah & Wendy Long
Prof Gralf & Silvia Sieghold
Sirivadhanabhakdi
Eugene Sng
Tan Meng Cheng Ivan
Joy & Han Li Toh
Tow Heng Tan
Tower Capital Asia
V3 Group Limited (OSIM)
Watson Farley & Williams LLP
Woh Hup (Private) Limited
Kevin T Yap
Grace Yeh
Yong Ying-I
Guy Hentsch & Geoffrey Yu
Zeng Fuzu
Zeng Liqing
Anonymous (5)
Marcelo Viccario Achoa & Silvia Bordoni
Su Pin & Mervin Beng
John & Eliza Bittleston
Bryan Carmichael
Hartley & Hong Lynn Clay
Gan Seow Ann
Goh Hui Kok Michael
Liwen & Steven Holmes
Rebecca Hong
Katherine Kennedy-White
Maisy Koh
Lorinne Kon
Mr & Mrs Paterson Lau
Leong Wah Kheong
Ang Jian Zhong
Lawrence & Celeste Basapa
Cheong Hee Kiat
Evelyn Chin
Chor Siew Chun
Adrian Chua Tsen Leong
Ee Kim Lock
Gallery Nawei Pte Ltd
The Gangoso Family
Jerry Gwee
Ho Bee Foundation
Hwang Chih Ming
Sylvie Khau
Belinda Koh
In Memory of Timothy Kok Tse En
Winston & Valerie Kwek
Jeanne Lee
Jennifer Lee
Sean Lee
Gin & Douglas Leong
Caroline Lim
Charmaine Lim
Darren Lim & En Yu Tan
D-Y Lin
Michelle Loh
Joanna Ludkiewicz & Robert Hunziker
Kishore & Anne Mahbubani
Christopher & Clarinda Martin
msm-productions
Ms Oang Nguyen & Dr Dang Vu
SC Global Developments Pte Ltd
Dr June & Peter Sheren
Tan Seow Yen
G L Wee
Chuin Wei Yap
Anonymous (6)
Dr Victor Lim
JN Loh
Jesher Loi
Francoise Mei Meng
Stephanie Mualim
Debra Ng
Kenneth Oo
Esmé Parish & Martin Edwards
Terese Poh
Ian & Freda Rickword
Audrey Ruyters
Farhana Sharmeen
The Sohn Yong Family
Julian Tan
Tang See Chim
Anthony Tay
Amanda Walujo
Eric Wong
Wong Yan Lei Grace
Wu Peihui
Anonymous (5)
Hyder Ahmad
Aloha Dental Clinic
Adeline Ang
Ang Seow Long
Tatiana Antonova & Stanislav Miroshnichenko
Anthony & Chloe Tan from ACE Team Foundation
BDA Partners Pte Ltd
Hans Michael Brandes
John Cai
Pauline Chan
Chang Chee Pey
Chang Julian
Jeanie Cheah
Cynthia Chee
Y C Chen
Zhihong Chen
Cheng Eng Aun
Andrew Cheong Zhiren
Dr Chew Chee Tong
Faith Chia
Chin Soon Yenn
Anthony Chng
Pamela Chong
Ruby Chong
Tiffany Choong & Shang Thong Kai
Clarissa Chow
Belinda Chua
Jennie Chua
Pierre Colignon
CP
Jeremy Ee
Jamie Lloyd Evans
J-P & Colette Felenbok
John & Pauline Foo
Dr Foo Swee Sen
Gan Yit Koon
Soumyadip Ghosh
Goh Chiu Gak
Mrs Goh Keng Hoong
Prof Goh Suat Hong
Yvette Goh
Heinrich Grafe
Gu Zhenhao
Parthesh Gulawani
Ilya Gutlin
Winston Hauw
Henry & Tiffany
Nishioka Hiroyuki
Dr Ho Su Ling
In memory of 黄招娣 (Huang Zhao Di)
Arjun Jolly & Priyanka Nayar
Claire & Ian Jones
Ad Ketelaars
Khim
Elizabeth Khoo
Ernest Khoo
Dr & Mrs Khoo Teng Kew
Dr Khoo Wei Ming
Khor Cheng Kian Kye
Colin Lang
Dr & Mrs Winson Lay
SuYin L
Lee Hyunsun
Kristen Lee
Dr Norman Lee
Lee Wei Jie
Voon S Leong
Wendy Leong Marnyi
Li Danqi & Liu Yi
Derek Lim
Edith & Sean Lim
Suzanne Lim
Lim Yuin Wen
Rachel Lin
Ling Yang Chang
Low Boon Hon
Alwyn Loy
Fabian Lua
Benjamin Ma
April Mak
Andre Maniam
Mattopher
McCann Family
Minwei
Dr Tashiya Mirando
Devika & Sanjiv Misra
John Morley
Ngiam Shih Chun
Mdm Ngo Hwee Bee
Ong Chee Siong
Ong Kay Jin Jason
Xinyi Ong
Victor Ow
Phua Ching Shyen
Pigar & William
Robert Khan & Co Pte Ltd
Danai Sae-Han
Kadir Satar
Hisaaki Sato
Sayawaki Yuri
Marcel Smit & Hanneke Verbeek
Soh Leng Wan
Ron & Janet Stride
Superb Cleaning Pte Ltd
Andrew & Jacqueline Tan
Casey Tan Khai Hee
Christine Tan & Jeremy Ting
Dr Giles Tan Ming Yee
Gillian & Daniel Tan
Gordon HL Tan
Jean Tan
Tan Kok Huan
Dr Tan Lay Kok
Michelle Tan
Min Tan
Dr Pamela Tan
Tan Peng Peng
Tan Siew Ling Celine
Linda Tan Soo
Tan Yee Deng
Tay Kim Ann
David Teng
Teo Eng Chai
Teo Kien Boon
Kyra Teo
Teo Wee Poh
Alessandro Tesei
Alicia Thian & Brian Bonde
Alan & Akashnee Thompson
Yang Tian
The Tomsik Family
Wang Lei & Gao Bo
Wang Meng
Wang Pei Zhong
Tania Wee
Kris Wiluan
Dr Wong Hin Yan
Jinny Wong
Wicky Wong
Jennifer S Wu
Valerie Wu
Xiao Li
Elaine Xu
Yan Xia
Yeow Ooh Teng
Lillian Yin
Yong Seow Kin
Zhang Zheng
Zheng Hongbo
Zhu Yulin
Anonymous (41)
This list reflects donations that were made from 1 Oct 2023 to 30 Sep 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/ Chamber and Organ /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
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. JIN TA
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 Chelsea Zhao at chelsea.zhao@sso.org.sg.
CORPORATE PATRONAGE
GAO JIAN ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL HORN
HEARTFELT THANKS TO OUR CORPORATE PATRONS
Temasek Foundation
The HEAD Foundation
Stephen Riady Group of Foundations
Holywell Foundation
Lee Foundation
Yong Hon Kong Foundation
Aquilus Pte Ltd
Elaine and Eduardo Saverin Foundation Ltd
Embassy of France in Singapore
IN-KIND SPONSORS
Raffles Hotel Singapore
SMRT Corporation
Singapore Airlines
Steinway Gallery Singapore
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.
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.
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 Sarah Wee at sarah.wee@sso.org.sg.
CHAIR
Goh Yew Lin
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chang Chee Pey
Chng Kai Fong
Andress Goh
Kenneth Kwok
Clara Lim-Tan
Jesher Loi
Lynette Pang
Prof Qin Li-Wei
Jovi Seet
Farhana Sharmeen
Doris Sohmen-Pao
Prof Peter Tornquist
Geoffrey Wong
Andrew Yeo Khirn Hin
EXECUTIVE & NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Goh Yew Lin (Chair)
Chng Kai Fong
Lynette Pang
Geoffrey Wong
HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE
Doris Sohmen-Pao (Chair)
Jesher Loi
Prof Qin Li-Wei
Heinrich Grafe*
Carmen Wee*
FINANCE & INVESTMENT COMMITTEE
Geoffrey Wong (Chair)
Andress Goh
Chua Keng Hong*
Alex Lee*
AUDIT & RISK COMMITTEE
Jovi Seet (Chair)
Prof Peter Tornquist
Andrew Yeo Khirn Hin
Ryan Siek*
COMMUNITY & YOUTH ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Clara Lim-Tan (Chair)
Chang Chee Pey
Farhana Sharmeen
Asst Prof Kat Agres*
Cecilia Pang*
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
Prof Arnoud De Meyer
Dr Geh Min
Heinrich Grafe
Khoo Boon Hui
Liew Wei Li
Lim Mei
Sanjiv Misra
Paige Parker
Dr Stephen Riady
Priscylla Shaw
Prof Gralf Sieghold
Prof Bernard Tan
Dr Tan Chin Nam
Wee Ee Cheong
Yong Ying-I
*co-opted member
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Kenneth Kwok
DEPUTY CEO, PROGRAMMES & PRODUCTION
Kok Tse Wei
DEPUTY CEO, PATRONS & CORPORATE SERVICES
Jenny Ang
CEO OFFICE
Shirin Foo
Musriah Bte Md Salleh
ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT
Lillian Yin
ARTISTIC PLANNING
Hans Sørensen (Head)
Artistic Administration
Jodie Chiang
Terrence Wong
Jocelyn Cheng
Michelle Yeo
OPERATIONS
Ernest Khoo (Head)
Library
Lim Lip Hua
Wong Yi Wen
Adlina Bte Ashar
Cheng Yee Ki
Orchestra Management
Chia Jit Min (Head)
Charis Peck Xin Hui
Kelvin Chua
Production Management
Noraihan Bte Nordin
Nazem Redzuan
Leong Shan Yi
Asyiq Iqmal
Khairi Edzhairee
Khairul Nizam
Benjamin Chiau
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Community Engagement
Kua Li Leng (Head)
Samantha Lim
Whitney Tan
Lynnette Chng
Choral Programmes
Kua Li Leng (Head)
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
PATRONS
Development
Chelsea Zhao (Head)
Nikki Chuang
Sarah Wee
Brandon Lim
PATRONS
Communications, Digital & Marketing
Cindy Lim (Head)
Communications
Elliot Lim
Elizabeth Low
Clairene Tan
Digital & Marketing
Chia Han-Leon
Calista Lee
Myrtle Lee
Hong Shu Hui
Jana Loh
Kashmira Kasmuri
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
Throughout its long history, Tanglin Trust School has sought to enable all its students to fulfil their individual potential. The Tanglin Centenary Music Scholarship gives talented young musicians who demonstrate a passion for music, coupled with outstanding musical proficiency, the opportunity to reach new musical highs.
The comprehensive scholarship programme comprises workshops, masterclasses, and both solo and ensemble performances. We hope that these opportunities will enable each scholar to achieve their personal best, and in turn, be an aspirational leader to all Tanglin students.
Find out more about the Centenary Music Scholarship and how you can apply at www.tts.edu.sg
9 JAN 2025 l 7.30PM
SSO Chamber Series: Novelettes
Musicians of the SSO
Bacewicz Suite for Two Violins
Glazunov
Five Novelettes, Op. 15
Glinka Grand Sextet in E-flat Major
Ticket s from $10
26 JAN 2025 l 4PM
7 MAR 2025 l 7.30PM
Isaac Koh organ
Holly Yang organ
Max Zou organ
Melina Leong soprano
Raeanne Wong soprano
Highlights
John Rutter Toccata in Seven
Phoon Yu
Dayung Sampan and Rasa Sayang from Straits in Sepia for Organ Duet (SSO Commission)
J.S. Bach
Allegro from Concerto in A minor, BWV 593
Vivaldi
Laudamus Te from Gloria in D major, RV 589
SSO Chamber Series: The Viola, Centrestage
Diyang Mei viola
Musicians of the SSO
Telemann
Viola Concerto in G major
Schubert
Arpeggione Sonata (arr. for Viola and Strings)
Weber
Andante e Rondo Ongarese, Op. 35
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