B ravissimo! Beethoven's Ninth in VCH

Transcription

1 B ravissimo April 2015 Vol. 16 No. 2 MICA (P) 019/07/2014 The Quarterly Newsletter of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra Beethoven's Ninth in VCH Lertkiat Chongjirajitra: Chasing the sun Steven Isserlis: Drawing strength from music Cho-Liang Lin: Passion and dedication

2 Editorial 2015 started on a high note for the SSO. Concerts featuring pianists Krystian Zimerman, Tengku Irfan and Makoto Ozone and even a concert featuring contemporary music by living composers played to highly enthusiastic audiences. The orchestra also gave three performances of Beethoven s ever-popular Ninth Symphony in the Victoria Concert Hall in March, joined by the world-famous BBC Singers and Singapore Symphony Chorus. The 8-concert SG50@VCH series also kicked off with a recital by Lynnette Seah and Shane Thio on March 21. In keeping with its mission to cultivate new and young audiences, the SSO s Concerts for Children on March 21 was attended by 2,000, and the orchestra also gave a free Lunchtime Concert in the Victoria Concert Hall. CINDY LIM Editor cindy@sso.org.sg Contents SSO News 03 Conrad Celebrities 08 SSO News 03 Conrad Celebrities: 08 Cho-Liang Lin & Steven Isserlis SSO News 10 Symphony Society 12 Backstage with Lertkiat Chongjirajitra 14 The Autograph Collector 15 On My Playlist 16 Conrad Celebrities 09 On the cover: Beethoven s Ninth in VCH Editors: Cindy Lim Chang Tou Liang Photography by Collin Tan Writer: Melissa Tan 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 Lan Shui & Paul Lewis Beethoven s Ninth in the Vic The Singapore Symphony Orchestra celebrated its 36th birthday with three performances of Beethoven s Ninth Symphony on March 12, 13 and 14 featuring the BBC Singers and Singapore Symphony Chorus alongside soprano Erin Wall, mezzo-soprano Allison Cook, tenor Barry Banks and bass-baritone Derek Welton. The concerts conducted by Music Director Lan Shui opened with English pianist Paul Lewis performing the popular Emperor Concerto by Beethoven. Performing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in the Victoria Concert Hall

4 Dangerous liaisons The Financial Times gave the SSO s January 16 concert, A Dangerous Liaison, a glowing 5-star review in a nod to the passionate artistry on display. Playing to a full-capacity audience at the Victoria Concert Hall, the concert showcased music by contemporary composers as well as two pairs of talented siblings. SSO s Associate Principal Horn Jamie Hersch was the virtuosic soloist in his older brother Michael s a sheltered corner, and turning their attention to Kalevi Aho s Double Cello Concerto were Australian twins Ng Pei-Sian (the SSO s Principal Cellist) and Ng Pei-Jee, who also gave a rousing encore from Elena Kats-Chernin s Phoenix Story. Preceding Aho s music was Rain Tree by the 30-year-old Singaporean composer Chen Zhangyi, whom FT described as a talent to watch. Twin cellists Ng Pei-Jee (left) and Ng Pei-Sian Jamie Hersch acknowledging the warm applause Chen Zhangyi takes a bow 04 bravissimo

5 SSO debut for young conductor Sarah Chang and Lan Shui acknowledging the applause Internationally acclaimed violinist Sarah Chang returned to join the SSO and Lan Shui for Dvořák s Violin Concerto in A minor at the Esplanade Concert Hall on March 6. The prize-winning Singaporean conductor Wong Kah Chun made his SSO debut in the first half, conducting Wagner s Tannhauser Overture and Liszt s Orpheus and Les Préludes. Wong Kah Chun conducting the SSO All that jazz Japanese pianist Makoto Ozone shone with his stylish interpretations of Gershwin s famous Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F major at the Esplanade Concert Hall on February 13. Playing under the baton of Associate Conductor Joshua Tan, the SSO and Ozone received multiple curtain calls and a standing ovation from its appreciative audience. A standing ovation for Makoto Ozone and the SSO bravissimo 05

6 Music for lunchtime The SSO s Lunchtime Concert at the Victoria Concert Hall on March 18 was well-received and attended by a fullcapacity audience of 673. The free performance, led by Associate Conductor Jason Lai, opened with the Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner and also included crowd-pleasing music from Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet. Jason Lai with the SSO SG50@VCH The celebratory SG50@VCH series opened with a concert featuring SSO s Co-Concertmaster Lynnette Seah and pianist Shane Thio on March 21. Seven more concerts have been scheduled for the rest of the year, with appearances by wellloved musicians including pianists Lim Yan, Dennis Lee and Toh Chee Hung, the violin-and-piano duo of Loh Jun Hong and Abigail Sin as well as XYO, an ensemble made up of former musicians from the Singapore Youth Orchestra. Lynnette Seah & Shane Thio 06 bravissimo

7 Jonathan Jason Lai Fox with and the Alasdair SSO Malloy livening things up Hearing Disney tunes live The SSO s Concerts for Children, Adventures in the Magical Kingdom, played to 2,000 over three sessions at the Victoria Concert Hall on March 21. Joined by presenter Alasdair Malloy and Associate Conductor Joshua Tan, the orchestra brought a smile to the faces of the little ones with their lively rendition of popular melodies from Disney cartoons Frozen, Toy Story, Lion King, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and more. SSCC names choirmaster Well-known choral conductor Mrs Wong Lai Foon has been appointed Choirmaster of the Singapore Symphony Children s Choir, with 28-year-old Singaporean Darius Lim taking up the Assistant Choirmaster position. The newly created position of Choirmaster will lead the choir through the next phase of its development, including setting the artistic direction and overseeing the longterm viability of the SSCC, and developing a structured choral programme for young singers. Wong Lai Foon bravissimo 07

8 CONRAD CELEBRITIES CHO-LIANG LIN Passion and dedication Having taught at two of America s leading musical institutions, the Juilliard School and Rice University s Shepherd School of Music, internationally renowned violinist Cho-Liang Lin has mentored many young talents who aspire to achieve his level of fame and success. To Lin however, the greatest achievement he hopes to see in them is simple: a passion for music. Says the dedicated teacher: I started teaching mostly because I had received so much from my mentors when I grew up. I wanted to give back and to do so for a younger generation of musicians. It becomes immensely gratifying to see a student grow up and become a person with a real sense of purpose in life and with the passion for music as I always did. Of course there are growing pains, nor can every student be the next great thing. Some flame out. Some start off with challenges. Some stumble along the way. Nothing is ever smooth-sailing. But most of my students manage to carve a good career for themselves and I think they tend to find happiness and a comfort zone. The Taiwanese-American violinist, who has judged many competitions, adds: I honestly think the biggest competitions no longer carry the newsworthy cachet they used to have in the 1950's to the 1980 s. There are so many competitions now. I am glad young players get so many chances to test their talents, but the return has diminished as the number of competitions proliferates. No one winning a major competition today will get an instant career launch like Van Cliburn or Vladimir Ashkenazy. But on the other hand, a competition can provide a wonderful opportunity to discover top talents. In Asia Lin is Artistic Director of the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra s Youth Music Summer Camp and the Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival. He is also the Singapore Symphony Orchestra s Artist-in-Residence in the 2014/15 season. Now based in Houston, Texas, where Rice University is located, Lin enjoys spending time with his wife and 14-yearold daughter when he is home, trying out new recipes and pairing the food with wines. Houston is lovely during the winter warm and sunny. No snow storms. Summers can be like Singapore, and Houston can actually exceed Singapore on the thermometer, Lin muses. My daughter has zero interest in classical music. She thinks the K-Pop bands and One Direction are far more appealing than the music her father plays. But she is a good kid who enjoys the side benefits of her father s work travel. She is the best-travelled child I know. As a result, she has a rather cosmopolitan world view. Cindy Lim Cho-Liang Lin will play the five Mozart violin concertos over two concerts at the Victoria Concert Hall on May 23 & 24.

9 STEVEN ISSERLIS Drawing strength from music Britain s best-loved cellist Steven Isserlis will be in Singapore on April 30 to perform Shostakovich Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major with the SSO, a work he recently recorded along with Prokofiev s Cello Concerto. Says Isserlis: Comparatively recent though the concerto is, in my opinion several lazy performance cliches have already grown up around it, as is the case with all famous works. For instance, the opening is actually marked to be played softly; it rarely is. Also, the tempo relationships in the last movement: perhaps people will find the middle section unusually fast in our performance, but that s how it s marked. And I love it that way. Anyway I just hope that people enjoy it. It is such a powerful masterpiece Born into a musical family in London his grandfather Julius Isserlis was a famous pianist and composer who was among the first 12 Soviet musicians allowed to leave Russia Isserlis, along with his sisters and family friend, pianist Sam Haywood, recently worked on an album of piano music composed by his grandfather which was released in We re all very proud of our grandfather, Isserlis adds. Not just because of his beautiful music (and the few recordings of his playing show that he was a very fine performer, as well), but also because everybody who knew him seems to have loved him deeply. He was evidently a wonderful, gracious, kind man. It was so nice that both my sisters and I could be involved with the album also saw the release of his album of Beethoven s Cello Sonatas. It s a cliche to say that Beethoven s music becomes more important as one gets older, but it s true, says the cellist. It is the incredible strength of his spirit the fierce joy that helps one through one s life. As my girlfriend s mother, the writer Edith Aron, puts it: For me, Beethoven is the greatest human spirit who has ever lived. I like that Cindy Lim Steven Isserlis performs with Lan Shui and the SSO at the Esplanade Concert Hall on April 30. Concert sponsored by Singapore Airlines. 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 Lan Shui conducts the OMM SSO NEWS It was a richly rewarding experience for the 77 young musicians of the Orchestra of the Music Makers (OMM) on January 11 as Maestro Lan Shui, the SSO s Music Director, conducted a 2-hour reading session of Tchaikovsky s Symphony No. 6 in the SOTA Orchestra Rehearsal Studio. Says OMM s President Toh Xue Qian: "It was a great honour to be able to work with Maestro Lan Shui, who has led the SSO for all of our formative years. His wealth of experience in conducting was on full display as he conveyed the sound he was looking for to us through simple words and gestures. He managed to coax a sophisticated and rich sound out of the orchestra by the end of the two-hour rehearsal. We were all amazed at how much we learned and progressed over such a short period of time, and certainly developed a deeper appreciation for orchestral music and performance. It was a worthwhile experience and I look forward to working with the Maestro again in the future." Lan Shui conducting the OMM at the School of the Arts Photos by Lee Guan Wei

11 Rehearsing in the Victoria Concert Hall Xie Yelin working with SSO Principal Horn Han Chang Chou Qu Siyuan with SSO Principal Double Bassist Guennadi Mouzyka Shanghai Orchestra Academy In January the SSO played host to two students from the Shanghai Orchestra Academy, a new Masters programme created in partnership with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the New York Philharmonic. The brainchild of Chinese maestro Yu Long, this internship programme saw 27-year-old double bassist Qu Siyuan and 32-year-old horn player Yelin Xie join the SSO for four concerts between January 19 and 30. Both players were also mentored by SSO s principal musicians, Guennadi Mouzyka and Han Chang Chou. bravissimo 11

12 Dinner with twin cellists Conversations flowed at the SSO s dinner meet-and-greet for twin cellists Ng Pei-Sian and Ng Pei-Jee on January 8. Held at The Quarters in Icon Village and attended by over 30 Friends of the SSO, guests were delighted to interact with the talented brothers over a 3-course dinner. symphony society The twins with Carolyn Lee and Marilyn Teo With Lim Looi Ying and Juliana Tong Tamar Nursella with Pei-Sian & Pei-Jee bravissimo

13 Ode to Joy To mark its 36th anniversary, the SSO gave three sold-out gala performances of Beethoven s Ninth Symphony under Music Director Lan Shui in the Victoria Concert Hall on March 12, 13 and 14. The three concerts were sponsored by Tote Board and the Singapore Turf Club and over 300 invited guests attended the opening concert on March 12. SSO Chairman Mr Goh Yew Lin with pianist Paul Lewis Mike Barclay, Isabel Barclay, Kate Barclay & Gemma Barclay Mr Ong Pang Boon, Mrs Tang Chor Hiap & Mr Tang See Chim Ms Koh Ee-Jian & Mr Koh Choon Hui bravissimo 13

14 Lertkiat Chongjirajitra Chasing the sun Since he joined the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) in August last year, Lertkiat Chongjirajitra has been taking many photographs of Singapore s sunrises and sunsets around the island. His favourite spot for capturing these golden times of the day, he says, is at the Marina Bay Sands, where he gets a glorious view of the sun setting over the financial district. I feel that spot has Singapore's signature on it backstage The 39-year-old trumpeter studied at Chulalongkorn University in his native Thailand, during which time he performed with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra for many concerts. He later won a scholarship to continue his studies at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, before returning to teach in Chulalongkorn University. Lertkiat has performed as a freelance musician with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Nagoya Philharmonic and the SSO. I joined the school band when I was 11 and the trumpet wasn't my choice but my teacher chose it for me. I actually wanted to play flute he recounts with a laugh. I have been in love with orchestral music for as long as I can remember, maybe because of the Star Wars Theme. The avid photographer says he also enjoys running. I usually try to run about 4 to 5 km around my neighbourhood before dinnertime, unless there is a concert that day. I believe it helps me to stay focused at work when I am healthy. Cindy Lim A 12-year-old Lertkiat Visit Lertkiat Chongjirajitra s photography blog at Facebook.com/lertkiatography on Instagram.

15 the Autograph collector Whoever said that autographs collected during and after a concert must be those of musicians and performers? It has become increasingly common to find celebrities attending SSO concerts these days. If one is eagle-eyed and inquisitive enough, there are opportunities to get autographs from some of these luminaries, who are more often than not happy to meet their fans. PRESIDENT & MRS S.R. NATHAN The first SSO concert in July is usually designated the President s Young Performers Concert. Over the years, one can get up pretty close to Singapore s Presidents, including Ong Teng Cheong, S.R. Nathan and more recently, Tony Tan. Both Mr and Mrs Nathan were pleased to autograph the editor s copy of the presidential autobiography An Unexpected Journey. CHARLES DUTOIT & CHANTAL JUILLET The famous Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit has yet to conduct the SSO, but he and his violinist wife Chantal Juillet were spotted attending the SSO concert in October last year conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy. Sitting next to them in Circle One were their colleagues Thomas Zehetmair and Ruth Killius, who performed with the orchestra later in the week. KLAUS HEYMANN & TAKAKO NISHIZAKI Those who collect Naxos recordings will recognise these names. Klaus Heymann is the founder of Naxos, the world s most successful budget record label, while his wife, violinist Takako Nishizaki, figured in many of the label s best-selling recordings. While attending the 1st Singapore International Violin Competition in January, they were particularly thrilled to meet someone who actually has their biography. If you have any interesting autographs to share, please send a high resolution copy and accompanying texts to: corporate@sso.org.sg CHO-LIANG LIN plays MOZART VICTORIA CONCERT HALL 23 May 15 SAT, 4pm MOZART Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-flat major, K.207 Violin Concerto No. 2 in D major, K.211 Rondo in C major, K.373 Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K May 15 SUN, 4pm MOZART Rondo in B-flat major, K.269 Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K.218 Adagio in E major, K.261 Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K.219 TICKETS: $20 - $72 from SISTIC ( / Concessions: $15, $20 Booking fees apply For school or group bookings, please call or marketing@sso.org.sg PATRON SPONSORS HOTEL TRAINING PARTNER RADIO STATION OUTDOOR PARTNER POSTAGE SPONSOR AIRLINE

16 On My Playlist What SSO musicians have been listening to LI XIN Associate Principal Clarinettist Recently I've been listening to a lot of chamber music. There are two CDs that have been with me since my secondary school days. The first is a recording of Walter Gieseking & the Philharmonia Wind Quartet playing Mozart & Beethoven. One of the real experts of Beethoven's music, Walter Gieseking is joined by some of the greatest wind players, including horn player Dennis Brain. Recorded in the mid-1950s, the ensemble sounds so fluent and the keyboard part is played with such aristocratic grace. I could listen to this version of Beethoven anytime Herbert von Karajan also conducts Mozart s Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat major on this disc. Many say this is one of Karajan's few successful Mozart recordings, aided immeasurably by the expert first-desk soloists of the Philharmonia Orchestra. The CD is in mono sound, but everyone will easily enjoy the fine playing. This album features the Emerson String Quartet and clarinettist David Shifrin in the Clarinet Quintets by Brahms and Mozart. The performance is very smooth with expressive phrasing and an excellent blend of sound in the Mozart. Tempos are really comfortable. Brahms Clarinet Quintet is one of his most emotionally engaging works. The ensemble had dramatic playing with lyricism and beautiful tone and I like especially David Shifrin's pure sound. The technical quality of the recording is also excellent. 1 Jun 15 MON, 11AM, 2PM & 4PM VICTORIA CONCERT HALL Why does the orchestra tune to A at the beginning of a concert? Get your answers at this fascinating children s concert where Associate Conductor Jason Lai will take you through the A to Z of classical music in a fun and entertaining manner Jason will also direct the orchestra in selections from well-loved masterpieces written by some of the greatest composers of all time. Each concert lasts one hour and is suitable for ages 4 to 14. All patrons require a ticket for admission. No admission for infants-in-arms. For school or group bookings, please call or marketing@sso.org.sg. Jason Lai conductor TICKETS: $30, $25 Family of 4 packages available at $108 & $90 from SISTIC ( / Booking fees apply PATRON SPONSORS HOTEL TRAINING PARTNER RADIO STATION OUTDOOR PARTNER POSTAGE SPONSOR AIRLINE