B ravissimo! A fine display of orchestral bravado. SSO s Proms debut:

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1 B ravissimo! October 2014 Vol. 15 No. 4 MICA (P) 019/07/2014 The Quarterly Newsletter of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra SSO s Proms debut: A fine display of orchestral bravado Exclusive photographs from the Proms Singapore debut for violinist-conductor Thomas Zehetmair Backstage with Gulnara Mashurova

2 Editorial In this issue we bring you exclusive photographs from behind the scenes of SSO s triumphant debut at the BBC Proms in London, which received glowing reviews in the UK and in Singapore including 4-star reviews in The Guardian and Telegraph. In a night which marked the greatest milestone in the SSO s 35 years, it was a proud moment for the Singaporean supporters present in the 5,500-strong audience as the crowd burst into resounding applause at the end of the performance. Bravo, Maestro Lan Shui and the amazing musicians of the SSO! CINDY LIM Editor cindy@sso.org.sg Contents Backstage 14 Conrad Celebrities 09 SSO at the Proms 03 Conrad Celebrities: 08 Ray Chen & Thomas Zehetmair SSO News 10 Symphony Society 12 Backstage with Gulnara Mashurova 14 On My Playlist 15 The Autograph Collector 16 Symphony Society 12 On the cover: The SSO s night at the Proms Photography by Chris Christodoulou Editors: Cindy Lim chang Tou Liang BraviSSimO! is published by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Printed by First Printers. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

3 sso news Playing in the Royal Albert Hall SSO at the Proms The Singapore Symphony Orchestra s debut at the 120th BBC Proms season in London on September 2 played to a capacity audience of 5,500, including Singapore s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong. Under Music Director Lan Shui, the concert at the Royal Albert Hall saw the SSO take on two Russian masterworks Glinka s Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla and Rachmaninov s Symphony No. 2 as well as the European premiere of Postures for Piano and Orchestra by Zhou Long, with Swiss pianist Andreas Haefliger as the soloist. Responding with rapturous applause and stamping of feet, the enthusiastic audience was rewarded with an English encore, a flamboyant performance of William Walton s March for A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, bringing a magnificent evening to a rousing close. SSO s performance received 4-star ratings in the major UK newspapers The Guardian and Telegraph. Calling it a fine display of orchestral bravado for the SSO and Shui, The Guardian described the performance as intense without sentimentality, noble but never bombastic. The Telegraph described Lan Shui s interpretation of the Rachmaninov symphony as refreshingly airy and spruce, playing to his orchestra s strengths in a reading that, despite its flexibility, kept the rhythms taut and the textures remarkably clean. The Straits Times wrote: Shui s direction of the hour-long symphony from memory was exemplary intelligent, subtly nuanced and well-shaped. He was matched by an orchestra in sizzling form. Every player, every section without exception gave their best, with the principal clarinet, cor anglais, and percussion and horn sections deserving special mention.!

4 Minister Lawrence Wong on the podium during the rehearsal at LSO St Luke s Hidehiro Fujita Ma Yue, Zhou Long & Gudrun Sigurdardottir Nikolai Koval Prom Plus Intro session at the Royal College of Music: Petroc Trelawny, Kathy Lai, Chan Yoong-Han & Simon Calder 04 bravissimo!

5 Minister Lawrence Wong with Lan Shui Acting Proms Director Edward Blakeman addressing the SSO at the start of the dress rehearsal Rehearsing at the LSO St Luke s on Sep 1 Jin Ta Jon Fox & Mark Suter Zhao Ying Xue & Li Xin bravissimo! 05

6 Acknowledging the warm applause Acting Proms Director Edward Blakeman (left) congratulating Lan Shui backstage after the concert Shannon Pittaway & Roberto Alvarez 06 bravissimo! Paul Hughes, SSO Chairman Goh Yew Lin, Minister Lawrence Wong & Maestro Lan Shui

7 A fine debut at the Proms SSO Chairman Goh Yew Lin with SSO friends Toh Chee Hung & Dennis Lee Lan Shui leaving the stage after a flamboyant Walton encore bravissimo! 07

8 CONRAD CELEBRITIES RAY CHEN A ray of light Violin sensation Ray Chen has appeared in many concerts since his triumph at the Queen Elisabeth (2009) and Yehudi Menuhin Competitions (2008). Before every concert you will find him in his dressing room downing a sandwich and a can of Coke. The caffeine and sugar give me an energy boost before I play, explains Chen. Right before I walk on stage, I make sure my pants are zipped and then hold out my hand and do a countdown and when I reach 1, I whip out my hands as pistols and say pow, pow, pow, making everyone backstage, including the conductor, laugh. This may sound ridiculous, but it helps me feel psychologically in control of the situation (I choose when the door opens!) which is important when you re about to walk into a high-pressure environment where anything could happen. Born in Taiwan, Chen s family moved to Brisbane when he was just four months old. Based in Philadelphia, where he graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music, he also spends much of his time in New York where his manager and many of his friends live. Russian virtuoso Maxim Vengerov has praised Chen for his beautiful youthful tone, vitality and lightness. Yet despite his shining achievements, the 25-year-old rising star remains modest. I really hope to continue growing as a musician and as a person, and I m always looking for opportunities for new and exciting projects. I ve recently started planning a project Ray Chen performs with the SSO at the Esplanade Concert Hall on October 17. Tickets available from SISTIC. with Israeli mandolinist Avi Avital, who plays classical music but also dabbles in folk, jazz, and traditional music. In our project, we plan to showcase a variety of sounds from different corners of the world including China and Eastern Europe. On October 17 he will partner Günther Herbig and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in Mendelssohn s Violin Concerto in E minor. For this concert he will play on the 1715 Joachim Stradivarius violin loaned to him earlier this year by the Nippon Music Foundation. It s an incredible instrument that has such great depth to draw from, says Chen. Getting to know an instrument is definitely something that takes time - kind of like a relationship with a person. They can be difficult at times but the results are well worth it! The boyish musician is dressed by fashion maven Giorgio Armani for all his onstage appearances. Offstage he says he enjoys playing video games, trying new restaurants and going to the gym to unwind. With his father who recently visited him in the US, Chen took a Caribbean cruise, one of his all-time favourite activities. His parents are still based in Australia. Says Chen: I learned a lot about Taiwanese culture through my parents, and continue to feel a special connection towards Taiwan and Chinese people in general. Cindy Lim!

9 THOMAS ZEHETMAIR SSO debut for violinist-conductor Tickets to Thomas Zehetmair & Ruth Killius (Nov 1) and their chamber concert (Nov 2) are available from SISTIC. The celebrated husband-and-wife duo of Thomas Zehetmair and Ruth Killius will make their SSO debut with Mozart s Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra at the Victoria Concert Hall on November 1. Zehetmair will also direct the orchestra in Beethoven s Symphony No. 3 Eroica in E-flat major. The Concertante is an amazingly mature work with many dimensions and a perfect mixture between virtuoso solo playing and symphonic character, explains Zehetmair. Mozart requires scordatura for the solo viola part all strings are tuned a half tone higher. The Eroica is a revolutionary work, not only for the subject, but also an explosion of the classical form, bringing harmonic and formal dimensions unheard until this time. Both pieces are very popular; the complexity and depth of the pieces give extra pleasure to the listener. One of today s most outstanding artistic personalities, Zehetmair is the Music Director of the Royal Northern Sinfonia in England, Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Orchestre de chambre de Paris in France, and Artistic Partner of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in the United States. The prolific violinist has recorded nearly the entire violin repertoire and his recent CD releases include B. A. Zimmermann s Canto di speranza with the WDR Symphony Orchestra under Heinz Holliger, Paganini s 24 Capricci, Elgar s Violin Concerto with the Hallé Orchestra under Mark Elder (which won the Gramophone Award 2010) as well as Mozart s Violin Concertos with the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century under Frans Brüggen. Currently based in Berlin, this will be his first time performing in Singapore. The musical duo will also play in a chamber concert with musicians from the Singapore Symphony Orchestra at the Victoria Concert Hall on November 2. The programme will include such popular chamber masterpieces as Mozart s Duo for Violin and Viola Nos. 1 & 2, Hindemith s String Quartet and Haydn s String Quartet in F major, Op.3 No.5. Says Zehetmair: The Hindemith quartet is a very expressive piece of the Roaring Twenties in Germany. Hindemith as a string player knew how to make the instruments sing and how to make a string quartet sound like an orchestra as well as a very delicate chamber group. It is a perfect contrast to the classical pieces Mozart s Duos show his incredible mastery creating important pieces even for only two string players. The famous Serenade Quartet is a special case in music history: published as written by Haydn and getting famous as such, and nowadays experts think of Roman Hoffstetter as the real composer. The quality remains unchanged though! Cindy Lim! Conrad Centennial Singapore offers a choice of exciting dining venues. Dine on contemporary Cantonese cuisine and innovative dim sum creations by top Hong Kong chefs at awardwinning Golden Peony. Oscar s offers delicious buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a delectable Amazing Graze Sunday brunch. bravissimo! 09

10 SSO NEWS SSO in the Park Over 8,000 people turned up at the Botanic Gardens on August 10 for a free SSO concert celebrating Singapore Press Holdings 30th birthday and Singapore s 49th birthday. Under the direction of Associate Conductor Jason Lai, the orchestra performed popular classics such as Home by Dick Lee, Sketches of Singapore by Kelly Tang, Nimrod from Elgar s Enigma Variations as well as the Pirates of the Caribbean medley.! Botanic Gardens Lunchtime Concert The SSO s Lunchtime Concert at the Victoria Concert Hall on August 4 was attended by a full capacity audience of 670. Marking the 30th anniversary of SPH, the free performance opened with Carillon de Westminster by Louis Vierne featuring Margaret Chen on the pipe organ and also included music from West Side Story and Star Wars.! The cake-cutting ceremony was led by SPH Chairman Dr Lee Boon Yang, CEO Mr Alan Chan and SPH directors

11 Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong with Jason Lai and musicians of the SSO after the concert at Victoria Junior College Sharing the joy of music As part of Temasek s 40th Anniversary series of community events, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and conductor Jason Lai gave performances at three neighbourhood venues on August 1, 2 and 3. The concerts at ITE College Central, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory and Victoria Junior College drew a combined audience of more than 2,300 people. Concert highlights included Johann Strauss II s Voices of Spring and Bizet s Carmen Suite, music from blockbusters such as Star Wars and West Side Story, and Kelly Tang s Sketches of Singapore.! A family at ITE College Central Pre-Tour Concerts More than 1,400 people attended the SSO s free pre-tour concerts in the heartlands: ITE College Central (August 22) and Republic Polytechnic (August 28). Under the baton of Music Director Lan Shui, the SSO performed Rachmaninov s Symphony No. 2 in E minor, a classical favourite which was performed at the orchestra s BBC Proms debut in September.! Performing at Republic Polytechnic bravissimo! 11

12 SSO Homecoming Concert symphony society After four years, the beautifully restored Victoria Concert Hall opened its doors once again on July 15 with a special SSO concert conducted by Music Director Lan Shui. The private concert was attended by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Mrs Lee as well as Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Culture, Community & Youth, amongst other distinguished guests. The curtain raiser for the evening was the Capriccio for Orchestra by Singaporean composer Kelly Tang, a work specially commissioned for this joyous occasion. In the charming Sinfonia Concertante by Haydn, the SSO turned the spotlight on four of its principal musicians: Lynnette Seah, Ng Pei-Sian, Rachel Walker and Zhang Jin Min.! Lynnette Seah, Ng Pei-Sian, Rachel Walker & Zhang Jin Min PM Lee Hsien Loong passing the baton to Lan Shui A standing ovation for the SSO

13 President s Young Performers Concert Taking centrestage at the 2014 President s Young Performers Concert on July 24 and 25 was 16-year-old saxophonist Samuel Phua. Currently a student at the School of the Arts Singapore, Phua earned glowing praise for his outstanding rendition of Ibert s Concertino da Camera and Escapades from John Williams Catch Me If You Can with the SSO under Jason Lai. Sponsored by the Singapore Institute of Management, the concert opened on a high note with the premiere of Bernard Tan s Aspirations Overture.! Young saxophonist Samuel Phua Mr Ronald Tan & Prof Pang Eng Fong Prof & Mrs Bernard Tan bravissimo! bravissimo! 13

14 Gulnara Mashurova At home in Singapore 10 years ago, Gulnara Mashurova moved to Singapore from New York to take up the position of Principal Harpist with the SSO. We still very much enjoy living in Singapore, said the Kazakhstan-born musician. There is always something new to do and we enjoy the international feeling that Singapore offers. It has been a very exciting and fulfilling time for me. Her husband Mark Suter is Associate Principal Percussionist with the SSO and they have a five-year-old son Jasper. Gulnara started piano lessons when she was six, and three years later she started harp lessons under Natalia Sibor at the pre-moscow Conservatory. She then received a full scholarship to study at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York under Nancy Allen, the Principal Harpist of the New York Philharmonic. Her advice to parents who aspire for their kids to become musicians is simple: be encouraging and supportive. Be patient; it takes time to develop technique and sound and sometimes it s not that apparent until much later. Gulnara with her husband Mark backstage Gulnara with her son Jasper Her son Jasper is currently fascinated with the cello, but is now taking Suzuki violin lessons. He likes his violin lessons but he does not like to practise, Gulnara adds. He is really looking forward to starting Suzuki cello lessons in school. I am enjoying learning how to play violin more than he is! She singles out Sentosa and East Coast Park as their favourite destinations for family excursions. Jasper loves the Skyline Luge at Sentosa. He is too small to drive by himself, but loves to speed down the hill. He also likes to ride his scooter or watch wake boarding when we go to East Coast Park. Sometimes we have a picnic there or go for walks. After these outings we always go for pizza or soup dumplings, Jasper s favourite food! she added with a smile. Cindy Lim!

15 On My Playlist What SSO musicians have been listening to Roberto Alvarez SSO Flautist & Assistant Principal Piccolo Prokofiev s Romeo and Juliet is one of my favourite pieces for orchestra, and this version by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Seiji Ozawa brings out so many different colours, details and textures that it is possible to imagine the scenes as if it was a movie. it is the last long piece written by Falla and the sonorities that Achúcarro displays are fantastic. I have very fond memories of preparing the premiere of this work in Singapore and I listen to it often. It is so energetic and really gets you ready to confront any challenge! I totally love this Concerto for Harpsichord and 5 Instruments by Manuel de Falla performed here by Joaquin Achúcarro and members of the London Symphony Orchestra. At 15 minutes, SSO_148x210_YEFIM_FA.pdf 1 9/29/14 11:21 AM

16 the Autograph collector In celebration of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra s début performance at the BBC Proms, we feature autographs of the three personalities that distinguished that historic concert on 2 September SSO led by Music Director Lan Shui and Swiss pianist Andreas Haefliger gave the European premiere of Postures, the newly commissioned piano concerto by Pulitzer Prize winning Chinese- American composer Zhou Long. Below is a photograph of conductor, composer and pianist receiving their accolades immediately after the brilliant performance at the Royal Albert Hall. Incidentally, Andreas Haefliger also appeared on the cover of the September 2014 issue of International Record Review, and here he is autographing that very magazine! To complete the full monty, we also have the autographs of Zhou Long and Maestro Lan Shui. If you have any interesting autographs to share, please send a high resolution scan and texts to: cindy@sso.org.sg