VICE DEAN'S MESSAGE
At Sunset
Through adversity and joy
We've gone hand in hand; We rest now from our wanderings Upon this quiet land.
- From Im Abendrot (1841), Josef von Eichendorff
Welcome, and thank you for joining us in the final concert of YST’s 2023-24 Orchestral Institute Series: Sunset Cavatine, featuring the music of Richard Wagner, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Richard Strauss. From the metaphysical dualism
evoked by Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde, which opens tonight’s concert, to the decidedly more humanistic take on life’s farewells found in the grace-filled resignation of Strauss’s Four Last Songs, that concludes it, we hope to take you on a musical voyage of reflection and awe.
There are few pieces more iconic in the orchestral repertoire than Wagner’s prelude to his 1859 music drama, Tristan and Isolde. With its harmonic ambivalence introducing us to the opera's central themes of yearning and desire, the Prelude’s musical swells depict the seas upon which the drama is set and reflect the tumultuously conflicted emotions of the lovers, Tristan and Isolde. In the Liebestod (love+&=death)—the drama’s final aria— we witness the culmination of their love, as Isolde transcends earthly existence and embraces death as the ultimate union with Tristan.
With Lohengrin (1850)—his first internationally recognized masterpiece—Wagner firmly established himself as an operatic genius. The opera’s plot, steeped in Arthurian mythology, offers a glimpse into the creative evolution of the composer who would later craft his renowned tetralogy, Der Ring des Nibelungen. In the Prelude to Act I, Wagner's music vividly portrays the descent of the Holy Grail to Earth, entrusted to the care of an angelic host.
Through an extended crescendo, we are guided to a brilliant orchestral climax before returning to the initial serene murmur. Wagner's use of a recurring majestic theme throughout the composition serves as a versatile musical motif, symbolizing not only the opera’s protagonists, Lohengrin and Elsa, but also the enigmatic presence of the Grail itself. The brilliantly jubilant Prelude to Act III, showcasing Wagner’s mastery of brassy orchestration, heralds the joyous wedding of Lohengrin and Elsa.
The Cavatina from Beethoven’s final String Quartet, Op. 130, beautifully adapted by the Orchestral Institute for string orchestra, stands as one of Beethoven’s most deeply personal and profound compositions. Evoking a sense of peace-filled contemplation, it serves as a poignant farewell from the composer. We feature YST’s Espoir Quartet performing the Allegro finale, Beethoven’s joyously ironic response to his publisher’s critique that the Grosse Fugue—originally intended to conclude the quartet—was too complex for a lay audience. As this allegro was among the last music Beethoven ever composed, one cannot help but sense in its infectious vitality Beethoven's defiant spirit, shaking humanity’s collective fist at death itself. Much like Beethoven, Richard Strauss masterfully
captures a poetic sense of bittersweet acceptance of death’s transfigurement in his 1948 Four Last Songs, performed stunningly by YST guest solo artist, Iulia Maria Dan. In the closing bars of the final song, Im Abendrot (At Sunset), the eighty-fiveyear-old composer tenderly nods to his twenty-sixyear-old self, including a fleeting quotation from his 1890 tone poem, Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration).
This touching gesture reminds us that whether young or old, through life’s flowing resonances, we are bound by sunset cavatines.
Associate Professor Brett Stemple Vice Dean (Ensembles, Research & Professional Awareness)
ABOUT YST
Inspirational life-affirming music-making is at the heart of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore. Centred in one of the world’s most dynamic countries, the Conservatory is uniquely placed to offer a distinct and powerful contemporary Asian voice.
Founded in 2003, YST quickly established a reputation as Asia’s most exciting international conservatory by bringing together a worldclass faculty and facility to develop excellence in instrumental performance and composition.
Building on this strong foundation, the Conservatory has evolved over the past two decades to become one of the world’s most distinctive music schools, diversifying its offerings and continually seeking to connect authentically with its surrounding community. Specialisations added subsequently include Voice, Audio Arts & Sciences, Conducting, Music & Society and Music, Collaboration & Production. Alongside students from Singapore, the Conservatory community is internationally diverse, with representation from over 20 countries and five continents.
Keenly focused on nurturing identity as a driver for excellence, YST’s Bachelor of Music programme
offers full financial support for all its undergraduate students, enabled by major gifts from the Yong Loo Lin Trust. The Conservatory’s continuum of offerings further includes Master of Music and Master of Music Leadership degrees, NUSfacing Second Majors, Minors and modules, Continuing Education & Training courses for adult learners, and a Young Artist programme. We host a vibrant performance calendar with around 200 concerts annually, featuring students and faculty alongside international artists and ensembles. Our community engagement and professional integration programme has extensive local, regional and global reach. Students are supported to find their own artistic pathways through exchanges, festivals, competitions and projects. More broadly, our international networks and partnerships further enhance the educational experience and ensure our continued evolution.
ABOUT THE YST ORCHESTRAL INSTITUTE
The YST Orchestral Institute is a creative musicians’ laboratory, designed as an innovative forum for conservatory-level orchestral training. First conceptualized in 2018 by former YST Dean, Prof. Bernard Lanskey, as a way of revitalizing learning and teaching systems within a large ensemble context, the Orchestral Institute has emerged as a dynamic platform in which aspirational orchestral musicians work collaboratively alongside professionals drawn from Conservatory faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as YST partner institutions, from Southeast Asia and beyond. Pioneering interdisciplinary programming, a unique production style, collaborative-composition creation, musician
health & well-being, and an open-dialogue approach to rehearsing are all hallmarks of the Orchestral Institute approach – a philharmonie philosophy which seeks to create a safe ‘play-space’ emphasizing creativity, mutual learning, and skills development appropriate for large ensemble musicmaking, with the ambition of enabling musicians to be even more open, daring, questioning, collaborative and passionate about the music they make together.
Currently under the leadership of YST Conservatory Principal Conductor, Jason Lai; Vice Dean of Ensembles, Brett Stemple; OpusNovus Conductor (and YST Artist Fellow), Dr Lien Boon Hua, and Orchestral Manager, Yap Zi Qi; and working alongside Conservatory students, faculty, staff, and YST Artist Fellows – the Orchestral Institute has created and curated a number of groundbreaking orchestral productions including Telling Beyond Words (2019), and – despite the global pandemic – Springs of Uncertainty (2020), Lichtbogen (2020), Landscapes of Souls (2021), Transfigurations (2021), Dream for Future (as part of SoundBridge Music Festival 2021) and a special collaborative family concert with the Kids’ Philharmonic, Symphonies Simple and Philharmonic Friends (2021), among others, many of which are available for viewing at the YST Conservatory’s YouTube channel.
JASON LAI
PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR
Jason Lai is the Principal Conductor at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, Principal Guest Conductor at the Orchestra of the Swan, and former Associate Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Hong Kong Sinfonietta. He’s been a prominent figure in Singapore’s musical life since his arrival in 2010, but also active internationally giving masterclasses in Europe and China. He has also guest conducted the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, Podlasie Opera Philharmonic in Poland, Macao Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, and the Osaka Symphony.
Intent on broadening the appeal of classical music to audiences who would not normally think of going into a concert hall, Jason is also building a unique reputation as a communicator with mass appeal through his television appearances in both the UK and Asia. He has frequently appeared on BBC television as a judge in both the BBC Young
Musician of the Year competition and the classical talent show “Classical Star”. He reached his widest audience when, as a conducting mentor in the series “Maestro”, his celebrity student, the popular comedienne Sue Perkins, won with a nailbiting final in front of the BBC Concert Orchestra and a live studio audience. Other BBC television appearances have include “How a Choir Works” and “The Culture Show”. Jason also starred in “Clash” for the children’s television channel, CBBC.
Since settling in Singapore he has continued with his television work. He was presenter and conductor for “Project Symphony”, an eight part series for Okto where he was filmed setting up a community orchestra. He has recently been involved in filming for a BBC series “Heart of Asia” which explores the contemporary arts and culture scene in Thailand, Indonesia, Korea and the Philippines, and a further series for BBC World called “Tales from Modern China”.
Jason’s roots lie in Hong Kong but he was born in the UK and was a pupil at the prestigious specialist music school in Manchester, Chetham’s, where he studied cello. At Oxford University he studied both cello and composition, and went on to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where he was awarded a Fellowship in Conducting.
Despite having toured as a cellist with the Allegri String Quartet and having been a finalist in the BBC Young Composers Award, Jason gravitated increasingly towards conducting after he won the BBC Young Conductors Workshop in 2002. This led to his appointment as Assistant Conductor to the BBC Philharmonic with whom he made his BBC Proms debut in 2003. Following his work with various British orchestras, he was appointed Artist Associate to the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and became their Associate Conductor in 2009. Jason most recently had debuts with the Adelaide Symphony and Macau Orchestra and made return visits to conduct the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and Orchestra of the Swan.
Education is an important part of Jason’s work in Singapore. At the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory he trains the next generation of conductors, many of whom have had many successes both at home and abroad, and with the SSO he spearheaded the education and outreach programme, helping the orchestra reach new audiences notably through his Discovering Music and Children’s concerts.
ESPOIR QUARTET
Espoir Quartet, based in Singapore, brings together musicians from Venezuela, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Korea. Mentored by Mr. Ng Yu Ying, 1st Violin of the T’ang Quartet at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, the quartet has honed their craft through masterclasses with renowned ensembles like the Miró Quartet, Verona Quartet, AOI Trio, and Sitkovetsky Trio.
The name 'Espoir,' meaning hope in French, reflects the quartet's aspiration to embark on a musical journey with their audience and share their music widely.
Espoir Quartet's repertoire includes notable performances and recordings, such as Beethoven's String Quartet No. 4 in C Minor and Singaporean composer Chen Zhang Yi's String Nonet "Twin Cinema" (with T'ang Quartet) in March 2023. Their debut 45-minute recital in November 2023 featured
works by Beethoven and Shostakovich. In 2024, Espoir Quartet participated in the Singapore Chamber Music Festival, receiving coaching from esteemed faculty. Additionally, they were awarded 4th prize in the 18th International Cecilia Competition held in Tokyo, Japan.
TEXT AND TRANSLATIONS
I. Frühling
I. Spring
In dämmrigen Grüften
In dusky vaults
Träumte ich lang
I have long dreamt
Von deinen Bäumen und blauen Lüften, of your trees and blue skies, Von deinem Duft und Vogelsang. of your scents and the songs of birds.
Nun liegst du erschlossen
Now you lie revealed In Gleiß und Zier, in glistening splendour, Von Licht übergossen flushed with light, Wie ein Wunder vor mir. like a wonder before me.
Du kennst mich wieder, You know me again, Du lockest mich zart, you beckon tenderly to me; Es zittert durch all meine Glieder all of my limbs quiver Deine selige Gegenwart. from your blissful presence!
II. September
II. September
Der Garten trauert, The garden is mourning, Kühl sinkt in die Blumen der Regen. the rain sinks coolly into the flowers. Der Sommer schauert Summer shudders
Still seinem Ende entgegen. as it meets its end.
Golden tropft Blatt um Blatt
Leaf upon leaf drops golden Nieder vom hohen Akazienbaum. down from the lofty acacia. Sommer lächelt erstaunt und matt Summer smiles, astonished and weak, In den sterbenden Gartentraum. in the dying garden dream.
Lange noch bei den Rosen
For a while still by the roses
Bleibt er stehen, sehnt sich nach Ruh. it remains standing, yearning for peace.
Langsam tut er die großen
Slowly it closes its large Müdgewordnen Augen zu.
eyes grown weary.
III. Beim Schlafengehen
III. While Going to Sleep
Nun der Tag mich müd gemacht, Now that the day has made me so tired, Soll mein sehnliches Verlangen my dearest longings shall Freundlich die gestirnte Nacht be accepted kindly by the starry night Wie ein müdes Kind empfangen. like a weary child.
Hände, laßt von allem Tun, Hands, cease your activity, Stirn vergiß du alles Denken, head, forget all of your thoughts; Alle meine Sinne nun all my senses now Wollen sich in Schlummer senken. will sink into slumber.
Und die Seele unbewacht
And my soul, unobserved, Will in freien Flügen schweben, will float about on untrammeled wings
Um im Zauberkreis der Nacht in the enchanted circle of the night, Tief und tausendfach zu leben. living a thousandfold more deeply.
IV. Im Abendrot
IV. At Sunset
Wir sind durch Not und Freude
Through adversity and joy Gegangen Hand in Hand, We've gone hand in hand;
Vom Wandern ruhn wir beide
We rest now from our wanderings Nun überm stillen Land.
Upon this quiet land.
Rings sich die Thäler neigen, Around us slope the valleys, Es dunkelt schon die Luft, The skies grow dark;
Zwei Lerchen nur noch steigen
Two larks alone are just climbing, Nachträumend in den Duft.
As if after a dream, into the scented air.
Tritt her, und laß sie schwirren, Come here and let them whir past,
Bald ist es Schlafenszeit,
For it will soon be time to rest;
Daß wir uns nicht verirren
We do not wish to get lost In dieser Einsamkeit.
In this solitude.
O weiter stiller Friede!
O wide, quiet peace
So tief im Abendrot, So deep in the red dusk...
Wie sind wir wandermüde --
How weary we are of our travels –Ist das etwa der Tod?
Is this perhaps - Death?
Translations © by Emily Ezust, reprinted with permission from the LiederNet Archive
MUSICIANS
FIRST VIOLIN
MA QICONG , concertmaster
LEONID DATSIUK
FOO YUE NING
KOMILA IZATULLOYEVA
MEGAN LOW SHUEN WEI
VIKTORIA IVAYLOVA MARINOVA
PENG YIYANG
EDGAR JAVIER LUCENA RODRIGUEZ
GUM SENG AUNG DU BAKHODIR RAKHIMOV
SUN ZHENYAO
SYU CHENG-YI
RENEE TOH
WU TSAI-JOU
ZHONG YIFAN
SECOND VIOLIN
ZOU MENG, principal
CHAN WAI MUN JOANNE
CHANG CHANG-YEN
DU YUNZHOU
ALYSSA GOH HUI YI
HOI KHAI WEING
JIANG HAO
QIU ZHENGYI
TSAO WEI-CHUN
YANG SHUXIANG^
ZHANG HANZHI
ZHAO TONGZHOU
ZOU ZHANG
VIOLA
HUANG YI, principal
CHAN SHEE ANN SHANNON
LEE WEI-FAN
LIU WEI-JIA
LIU LE
PAO YU-LIN
XIAO LEI
YU YANG
ZHENG JINGJING *
Guest
Faculty ^
Musican
CELLO
LIU CHIEN-WEI, principal
CHUA YI JUN EUGENE
SARAN CHAROENNIT
HO CHIEN-YU
HAN HUIJAE
LIU YOU-YU
SIM YEIN
WU ZUHUI
ZHAO LEYAN
ZHU ZEYU
DOUBLE BASS
KHEE YU HANG, principal
NG LAI TING
HIBIKI OTOMO
WANG MINGYUAN*
YUAN MOER
CHIA YING YIN^
FLUTE
LEE MINJIN, principal
LI JIA-EN, principal
OH SEONYOUNG
KELSEY TAN YU XI
SIMEON YAP SHENG KIAT
* Faculty
^ Guest Musican
`
OBOE
SONIYA RAKHMATULLINA, principal
QUEK JUN RUI
SHO YONG SHUEN
CLARINET
ZHENG SHANXI, principal
CHUA JAY ROON
YANG JINLIANG
BASSOON
JAVLON KHAYITOV, principal
MUHAMMAD AFIQ BIN HUSSAINI
RACHEL NG WEI TING
ZHONG TIANAI
HORN
TSAI YI-FANG, principal
YEN SHIH-HSIN, principal
KALIA DIANE CRAIG
GAO XIAOXUAN
LIN SHU-YU
LAU EN QI CHLOE
TRUMPET
CHEN HUNG-SHUN, principal
RAVIT LEELASIRI, principal
AW PING HUI
CHANAN MALLANOO
AMIR HASIF BIN ROSLI
LOI CHIANG KANG
TROMBONE
ONG AUN GUAN, principal
ZHU JIANYU, principal
HUANG SHAO-WEI
NG JUN JIE
JENIFFER STEPHANIE SILVA CORESMA
TUBA
LIU JUN-JIA
YANG JUNXIANG
TIMPANI
LAI JO-WEI
ADAM SHARAWI BIN AMIN HUSSAINI
PERCUSSION
ADAM SHARAWI BIN AMIN HUSSAINI
EVELYN KUO CHAN
ISABEL CHIN CHUN EN
VANESSA JAZZY WAHYUDY IRWANTO
CELESTA
EDENIA MAUREEN HARP
OUR BENEFACTORS
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
For their support in the establishment of a conservatory of music in Singapore
YONG LOO LIN TRUST
Yong Siew Toh Endowment and Scholarship Fund
THE LATE MR RIN KIN MEI AND MRS RIN
Rin Collection String Instruments
SHAW FOUNDATION
Ones to Watch Concert Series
SINGAPORE TOTALISATOR BOARD
LEE FOUNDATION
Ong Teng Cheong Professor of Music
FACULTY, STUDENTS, ALUMNI OF YST CONSERVATORY
Steven Baxter Memorial Scholarship Fund
THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SINGAPORE
S R Nathan Music Schoalrship Endowment Fund
PROF KWA CHONG GUAN AND MS KWA KIM HUA
Mabel and Soon Siew Kwa Scholarship
MDM YONG LIEW CHIN
Yong Liew Chin Music Scholarship
MR GOH GEOK KHIM
Madeline Goh Professorship in Piano
CHENTER FOUNDATION
Chenter Foundation Cathy and Tony Chen
Community Outreach Fund
KRIS FOUNDATION
Kris Foundation Viola Masterclass Fund
MDM ONG SU PIN AND MR MERVIN BENG
OKK Wind Prize
MR GEOFFREY YU
Guy Hentsch Prize for Piano Performance
MS VIVIEN GOH
Goh Soon Tioe Leadership Award
DEAN'S CIRCLE
LIFETIME AMBASSADORS
Mr Chan Wing To and Luon
Ms Chong Siak Ching and Mr Seah Cheng San
Mrs Doris Sohmen-Pao and Mr Nicholas Chan
Ms Gao Jun
Mr Geoffrey Yu
Mr Goh Geok Khim
Mr Goh Yew Lin
Mr Hamish McMillan Dyer
Mr Hsieh Fu Hua
Ms Ong Su Pin & Mr Mervin Beng
Ms Phalgun Raju & Mr Nicholas A. Nash
Mr Rin Kei Mei & Mrs Rin*
Ms Rin Huei Yen
Mr Tan Kah Tee
Ms Vivien Goh
Mr & Mrs Willy Tan Kian Ping
Mr Whang Tar Liang
Dr & Mrs Yong Pung How
BinjaiTree
CapitaLand Chenter Foundation
The Community Foundation of Singapore
Far
East Organization*
Hong Leong Foundation*
Keppel Corporation Limited
Kris Foundation
Lee Foundation*
National Arts Council
National University of Singapore Society
NUS Alumni Student Advancement Committee
OUE Foundation
Shaw Foundation
Singapore Airlines Ltd
Singapore Pools
Singapore Technologies Electronics Ltd
Singapore Technologies Engineering
Singapore Technologies Pte Ltd
Singapore Technologies Telemedia
Singapore Telecommunications Ltd
Singapore Totalisator Board
Yong Loo Lin Holdings
Anonymous donor
* Founding Partners of the Singapore International Violin Competition
ANNUAL MEMBERS
Prof Alan Bennett
Assoc Prof Brett Stemple
Assoc Prof Chan Tze Law
Ms Chan Chia Lin
Amb Chan Heng Chee
Mr Chan Yoong Han
Prof Christopher Cheng
Mr Christopher Franck
Ms Chung Wei Han
Dr Dang Vu and Ms Oanh Nguyen
Assoc Prof Eleanor Wong
Dr Geh Min
Mr Geoffrey Wong
Dr Guy Hentsch
Mr Han Oh
Assoc Prof Ho Chee Kong
Holywell Foundation Ltd
Dr James C M Khoo
Ms Jenny Ang
Asst Prof Jonathan A. Chu
Dr June Goh
Prof Karst De Jong
Ms Kathy Lai
Mr Kenneth Kwok
Mr Kok Tse Wei
Ms Kyin Nwe Moong
Ms Layla Pi and Mr Hendrick Huang
Prof Lee Eng Hin
Lien Properties Pte Ltd
Mr Lim Yan
Mr Low Jia Hua
Prof Lynette Shek
Dr Mary Ann Tsao
Ms Paige Parker and Mr Jim Rogers
Ms Pang Siu Yuin
Dr Paolo Adragna
Prof Peter Tornquist
Prof Qian Zhou
Prof Qin Li-Wei
Ms Rachel Tang
Dr Robert Teoh
Mr Robert Tomlin
Singapore Tyler Print Institute
Prof Tan Eng Chye
Mr Tan Wei Boon
Ms Xiaozhi Zhang
Mr Xinglong Huang
Yamaha Music (Asia) Pte Ltd
Ms Yolyn Ang
Ms Yvonne Tham
Assoc Prof Zhang Jin Min
Assoc Prof Zhang Manqin
Assoc Prof Zuo Jun
INSTRUMENT DONORS
Mr Goh Yew Lin
Paul McNulty fortepiano
Mr Tan Kah Tee
Bösendorfer Imperial Model 290
Bösendorfer Johann Strauss
MUSIC COLLECTIONS
Family of the late Mr Leong Yoon Pin
Leong Yoon Pin Manuscripts
The late Mr S R Nathan Digital Music Resources from the Madras Music Academy
Mr Nicholas Zaklama
Oboe Resources
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ORCHESTRAL INSTITUTE AND ENSEMBLES
VICE DEAN OF ENSEMBLES
BRETT STEMPLE
ORCHESTRA MANAGER
YAP ZIQI
TEACHING ASSISTANT
WANG MINGYUAN
AUDIO
YST AUDIO ARTS AND SCIENCES
VIDEO POCO PRODUCTIONS
CREATIVE CURATION
BRETT STEMPLE
LIN XIANGNING
O'RYAN ("THE ROJAK LAB")
PRODUCTIONS
ALISON WONG
MIKE TAN
COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT
ONG SHU CHEN
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
FAEZAH ZULKIFLI
