Foreword

Dear esteemed guests, friends and family – a very warm welcome to NTU Symphony Orchestra’s Masterworks!

We are a symphony orchestra founded in 2019, with roots dating back to 1994 as the now-defunct NTU String Orchestra. After 25 years, we made a bold decision to expand our soundscape and repertoire As we continue to build upon our soundscape and musicianship as young musicians, we believe that while our journey to maturity will be a long and perhaps even difficult one, it is undoubtedly a rewarding and fulfilling one. As this year marks the fourth year of NTU Symphony Orchestra since its establishment, we would like to look back and reminisce about our humble beginnings. Our orchestra has grown a lot in the past few years, from having a small string section and only two members in the brass section to a fullfledged orchestra. We are proud to say that we have come a long way We are incredibly grateful for the efforts of past and present members – from establishing a foundation for our orchestra to the expansion in size that we are now able to enjoy and experiment with.

In taking up the challenge of a demanding and complex repertoire, we are once again pushing the limits of our orchestra and our members. Tonight's repertoire is a testament to what NTUSO has achieved thus far

We are honoured and grateful to be having our second concert today at the School of the Arts (SOTA) Concert Hall, following from our previous concert, CODA, last year We are proud to present Masterworks – a concert paying homage to two prominent and talented Romantic era composers who were known to be masterful in classical music.

Our programme tonight features works by Sergei Rachmaninoff and Antonin Dvorak - two composers that are highly revered in the history of classical music. The first half of our concert features Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No 2, performed by NTU Symphony Orchestra’s very own member, Ng Ze Wei – a dedicated member since our establishment in 2019. Following the concerto will be Dvorak’s 9th Symphony (“From the New World”) For both works, our orchestra has worked tirelessly throughout the semester amidst studies under the tutelage of our conductor, Mr Chan Wei Shing, to build towards the rich and invigorating sounds of both pieces.

Foreword

We would like to extend our gratitude to all the support we have received over the past years, including but not limited to – NTU Students’ Affairs Office and NTU Cultural Activities Club for their continued support towards our programmes; our sponsors for extending a helping hand to make this event possible; NTU Symphonic Band, NTU Piano Ensemble and NTU Chinese Orchestra for their help with logistics and instrument support; SOTA for the concert venue, as well as technical and administrative support; our members and guest players for their hard work, dedication and passion for music-making; and finally, you, the audience for making all of our concerts worth working for

Tonight, we hope that the iconic and unforgettable melodies performed by our orchestra, as well as their backstories, will take you on an emotional and musical journey – one that reminds us of the inherent powers of music for self-expression and navigating one's life

As we come to the end of another academic year at NTU, we hope to celebrate it on a high note by showing you the wonders of music We thank you once again for your constant support throughout the years in our journey as a growing student orchestra. Sit back and enjoy the show as we bring you into the New World!

From the NTUSO Committee, AY 22/23