The Planets • Rite of Spring

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CONTENTS

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Concert Information

About OMM

Conductor Biography

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About VOS Ladies Choir

Programme Notes

The Music Makers

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VOS Ladies Choir

Upcoming Concerts

OMM’s Donors

Fri, 11 July 2025, 7.30pm Esplanade Concert Hall Orchestra of the Music Makers Tito Muñoz, conductor Voices of Singapore Ladies Choir Darius Lim, chorus master HOLST – The Planets (52’) STRAVINSKY – Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) (33’) Today’s performance lasts approximately 2 hours, including a 20-minute intermission.

Presented with Generous Support from Karim Family Foundation.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to KFF for their generous support as the Presenting Sponsor of tonight’s performance of The Planets and The RIte of Spring. Their commitment to the arts makes evenings like this possible.

Photographs and videos will be taken at the event, in which you may appear. These may be published in OMM’s publicity channels and materials. By attending the event, you consent to the use of these photographs and videos for the foregoing purposes.

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ABOUT

OMM “We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.”

— Arthur O’Shaughnessy, “Ode”

The Orchestra of the Music Makers (OMM) is a Singapore-based symphony orchestra established in 2008, comprising over 140 highly-trained volunteer musicians. Although many have chosen careers outside of music, our musicians are dedicated to the high standards of music-making and community work which OMM stands for.

Under the mentorship of Chan Tze Law, a leading Singaporean conductor and Vice-Dean of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, OMM has become an integral part of Singapore’s classical music scene and has gained international repute for presenting works of epic proportions, including the critically-acclaimed Singapore Premieres of Bernstein’s Mass, Wagner’s Das Rheingold and Die Walküre.

OMM was among the most active arts groups in Singapore during the COVID-19 pandemic, receiving the COVID-19 Resilience Certificate for organising a wide array of digital productions, live performances, and outreach events between August 2020 to December 2021. Recordings of these digital productions have also been featured at the Expo 2020 Dubai, as well as on the Singapore Airlines Inflight Entertainment System.

Highlights of OMM’s 2024-25 season include performances with Lü Shao-Chia, Paul Huang, Stella Chen, Lang Lang and Tito Muñoz.

Orchestra of the Music Makers Ltd. is supported by the National Arts Council under the Major Company Scheme for the period from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2028.

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@omm.sg @orchmusicmakers @omm.sg www.orchestra.sg

CONDUCTOR

TITO MUÑOZ

Praised for his versatility, technical clarity, and keen musical insight, Tito Muñoz is internationally recognized as one of the most gifted conductors on the podium today.

After 10 years as the Music Director of The Phoenix Symphony, Tito’s tenure concluded at the end of the 2023-24 season, and he now continues as their newly appointed Artistic Partner. Tito previously held Music Director positions with the Opéra National de Lorraine and the Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy in France and Assistant Conductor positions with Cleveland Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and Aspen Music Festival.

Tito has appeared with many of North America’s most prominent orchestras, including those of Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, New York and Utah. Recent international engagements include the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, SWR Symphonieorchester, Deutsche Radio

Philharmonie Saarbrücken, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony, Ulster Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic (London), Luxembourg Philharmonic, Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier, Opéra de Rennes, Auckland Philharmonia, Sydney Symphony, Sao Paolo State Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

Born in Queens, New York, Tito began his musical training as a violinist in New York City public schools. He made his professional conducting debut in 2006 with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and made his Cleveland Orchestra debut at the Blossom Music Festival that same year.

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ABOUT

VOS LADIES CHOIR

Formally founded in 2014 as VOCO Singapore Ladies Choir by Artistic Director Dr. Darius Lim, the choir is Singapore’s first independent all-female choral ensemble. Consisting of semiprofessional singers, musicians, educators, and passionate amateurs, the choir joined the Voices of Singapore (VOS) Choral Society in 2019 and was subsequently renamed the Voices of Singapore Ladies Choir (VSL). The choir’s mission is to empower women in Singapore and present a diverse range of choral music to a worldwide audience.

VSL has actively represented Singapore on the international stage. In 2016, the choir embarked on its inaugural European tour, performing in Amsterdam, Krakow, London, Great Rissington,

and Cardiff, and was awarded 2nd Prize in the Chamber Choir category at the Cracovia Cantans International Choir Competition in Krakow, Poland.

In 2021, VSL received a Gold award at the World Choir Festival. In 2023, the choir made history by winning the Grand Prix (Overall Best Choir) at the 16th International Festival of Advent and Christmas Music in Bratislava, Slovakia — the first time a Singaporean choir had achieved this honour.

Most recently, in April 2025, VSL was awarded two Gold diplomas at the 8th Vietnam International Choir Festival in Hội An — including Winner of the Equal Voices category and 2nd place in the Sacred Choral category. The choir also advanced to the Grand Prix final round, selected as one of the topperforming choirs of the festival.

CHORUS MASTER

DARIUS LIM Singaporean Composer-Conductor Dr. Darius Lim is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Voices of Singapore. He has risen to prominence in the national and international music scene with more than 40 national and international awards in choral and composition competitions. An internationally published composer (Edition Peters, Walton Music, Pana Musica) and established conductor, he is most known for his unique infusion of lyrical, dramatic, instrumental, and theatrical elements in both the choirs he directs as well as his choral music.

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PROGRAMME

NOTES

The astute listener may notice that, by the end of this evening, we will have traversed our solar system. In the first half, we travel past the planets — all except Pluto — before returning home to Earth in the second. This is certainly one reason why these two works have been paired together tonight. But they share more than just subject matter.

To begin with, both works employ enormous orchestral forces. A glance at the stage reveals nearly a hundred musicians. And both works were composed in the same era, just after the turn of the 20th century. Much has been written about how groundbreaking they were. Adrian Boult, the conductor at The Planets’ premiere, saw it as a completely new musical language — so new in fact, that he feared audiences would not be able to tolerate the entire suite in one sitting. And of course, The Rite infamously caused a riot of sorts at its 1913 premiere.

Since then, both works have also permeated our shared cultural imagination. The noble tune from Jupiter became the patriotic hymn I Vow To Thee, My Country. Excerpts from the The Rite feature in Disney’s animation Fantasia 2000. But more subtly, both works have left an indelible mark on film music. Their vast orchestration and style set a precedent for a great deal of film music today. John Williams, in particular, seems to have been inspired by both when writing for Star Wars. Compare

the more threatening parts of the Main Title to Mars, or the otherworldly Dune Sea of Tatooine to the beginning of Part Two of The Rite, and the similarities become hard to miss.

Which brings us back to outer space. To be fair, our description of a journey through the solar system was not wholly accurate — The Planets reflects astrological personality traits, not the actual planets themselves. But there is still a journey to be heard tonight, one of the human spirit and destiny. In The Planets, it is a transformation: from aggression and conflict to serenity and mysticism. And in The Rite, it is a ritual and celebration, leading inevitably to the sacrifice.

Each work expresses its spiritual arc with absolute sincerity. There is no holding back in the sheer power of Mars, or the violence in the Sacrificial Dance. There is also awe and wonder, in the sacred blessing of the Earth, and in the quiet vanishing at the end of Neptune. We hope you enjoy this journey as much as we have.

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PROGRAMME NOTES

GUSTAV HOLST

THE PLANETS (1917) Since ancient times, mankind has studied the stars and planets. It began as a way for us to understand the physical world: the tides, the seasons, and the cycles of time. But we also looked to the skies to understand ourselves: our own human character, dictated by the movement of the celestial bodies.

In 1913, Gustav Holst fell deep into this rabbit hole known as astrology. He reportedly became quite good at reading horoscopes. But astrology was more than a hobby. It was also creative inspiration. In a letter, Holst wrote, “I only study things that suggest music to me…. Then recently the character of each planet suggested lots to me, and I have been studying astrology fairly closely.”

Although Holst had a clear vision of “a series of mood pictures”, he had limited time on his hands.

He was incredibly busy teaching as head of music at St Paul’s Girl School. Instead, over the next four years, Holst worked tirelessly through weekends and holidays, until The Planets was complete.

When Holst talked about “the character of each planet”, he was referring to the personality traits for people born under that planet. Each movement becomes, in effect, a study of human nature; a depiction of a particular facet of our being. For someone who had not been known much as a composer, Holst did this masterfully. A listener can spend hours indulging in the experience of each powerful characterisation. In his astrological studies, Holst heavily referenced a book, Alan Leo’s What Is A Horoscope And How Is It Cast?

For the curious listener, we have included excerpts of Leo’s astrological descriptions below, alongside brief musical synopses of each movement.

Besides the individual traits, it is also rewarding to trace the transformation across all seven Planets. Holst had definitely envisioned them as 8

a complete cycle. He disliked having incomplete performances, and especially hated when such performances ended with Jupiter instead of Neptune. He remarked, “in the real world the end is not happy at all”. Early drafts also suggest that he intentionally re-ordered the set to begin with Mars instead of Mercury, likely for its musical impact. Clearly, Holst had a strong vision of the overall trajectory of this suite — beginning in war and conflict, moving through joy and struggle, and finally ending in an ultimate serenity that lies beyond the material world.

Holst’s own star chart. He was a Virgo, under the influence of Mercury.

PROGRAMME NOTES

MARS, THE BRINGER OF WAR “Mars becomes ruler over the fate and fortune… as these persons will make much of their own fate by impulse, and their strong desire-nature… It will be hard to repress them, and there are indications of their being headstrong and at times too forceful….”

Quietly, ominously, a rhythmic ostinato begins.

The unusual clattering timbre comes from the strings playing using the stick of their bows.

A menacing motif pushes its way up through horns and woodwinds, growing throughout the movement.

At its heart, Mars is a battle-march, complete with harsh percussion batteries and battling brass fanfares. Even in its quietest moments, it simmers potently. The listener would be forgiven for thinking that this was a reaction to the First World War. In actual fact, Holst completed this movement before the war started.

Nonetheless, he seems to have captured a premonition of the conflict.

In the second half, the incessant ostinato returns, with a biting snare drum and powerful trumpet cutting through the dense texture. At the movement’s devastating climax, dissonant chords are sustained unbearably like cries of anguish.

They give way to a frenzy of running notes. As it screeches to a halt, the ostinato is pounded out a final time. Fractured beyond recognition, it collapses into the last note.

Mars the Bringer of War.

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PROGRAMME NOTES

VENUS, THE BRINGER OF PEACE “The beautiful planet Venus is considered the most fortunate star under which to be born. This is probably owing to the even disposition and refined nature of those under this planet’s influence.”

Out of the chaos of Mars, a solitary horn line emerges, calm and pastoral. A chorus of flutes and oboes respond. This leads us into two alternating chords, rocking gently like waves on a calm lake. Atop the alternating chords, simple melodies ebb and flow. The overall impression is one of elegance and beauty.

While Mars shows the full strength of the orchestra, Venus demonstrates its most delicate moments. Various solo instruments create a sense of intimacy, and even when the whole orchestra plays together, the sound is transparent and ethereal. The result is a sense of stillness and quiet that pervades the movement.

MERCURY, THE WINGED MESSENGER “Known as the ‘winged messenger of the gods’, [Mercury] is a favourable planet to those who have left the senses for the mind… [it] gives adaptability, fertility of resource, and the ability to use the mind in various ways….”

Mercury is essentially a series of fleet-footed arpeggios and scales. Each phrase seems to flit to a different key, with various cross-rhythms adding to this complexity. The effect is one of constant movement and motion.

This is a piece that simply would not work if played by a smaller ensemble. The breadth of orchestral timbres is essential to the character of Mercury. Each phrase is traded between different instruments, creating a kaleidoscope of colours: glistening violin harmonics, shining glockenspiel, even a cheeky timpani ostinato at the end. Holst uses the full orchestral palette at his disposal to create a perfect musical depiction of its mercurial nature.

Mercury the Winged Messenger.

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PROGRAMME NOTES

JUPITER, THE BRINGER OF JOLLITY “[Jupiter] will give an abundance of life and vitality. Those born under its influence are cheery and hopeful in disposition, and possess a noble and generous spirit…”

Jupiter bursts to life with a flurry of activity from violins and woodwinds. A bold, syncopated brass theme asserts itself, brimming with energy. This is the first of several contrasting sections in this movement. Next there is a rustic folk dance, before a noble, hymn-like tune appears — which was later adapted into the patriotic hymn I Vow To Thee, My Country.

Each section returns again, with variations here and there. Right before the end, the noble tune reappears majestically amidst sparkling arpeggios.

For now, there is no time to linger as the music accelerates into a celebratory coda.

SATURN, THE BRINGER OF OLD AGE “The planet Saturn as lord and ruler makes the progress through life slow and steady. Those under its influence will be more plodding and persevering… They are very faithful… but are undemonstrative and rarely if ever enthusiastic.”

Flutes intone alternating chords, harkening back to Venus. However, where they used to be cushioned and gentle, here they are hollow and tense. Out of the depths, a long, dragging line unfolds, rising through different instruments. Then, a plodding march begins. Imperceptibly, it gains mass, becoming thicker with every phrase. At the peak, the alternating chords from the opening return, reimagined as the furious tolling of bells.

Even this fades away, and suddenly, we arrive in a place beyond time. Amidst cascading flutes and harps, the long line is transfigured into an image of serenity. Distantly, the bells toll again, now soft and gentle. In these moments we catch a glimpse of something mystical — a hint of the final destination of this suite.

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PROGRAMME NOTES

URANUS, THE MAGICIAN “When leaning toward the adverse and material side of [Uranus’s] influence, persons will be eccentric, strange and erratic…

They will be very independent and unique characters, possessing a nervously organized temperament quite out of the common.”

The seeming resolution in Saturn is not meant to last. With a shock, a tremendous four-note motif blares out. This jumpstarts a cheeky triple metre dance, which one writer described as “a series of merry pranks”. Throughout this, the four-note motif is ever-present, peeking out of the dance. At one point, Holst also brilliantly transforms it into a skittering flute arpeggio.

The off-kilter dance gains great momentum as it spins round and round. Its terrific climax is topped by a massive organ glissando, before it completely evaporates. Here, we catch another glimpse of the mystical. The four-note motif becomes veiled in mystery as it is quietly plucked by the harp.

For a brief moment, the forceful opening crashes back in, and it seems on track to end catastrophically like Mars. But the crisis is averted.

There is no pounding end this time. Instead, the four-note motif continues to disappear, echoing like a faint memory.

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PROGRAMME NOTES

NEPTUNE, THE MYSTIC “The more they come under [Neptune’s] influence, the more will their psychic tendencies develop…. These persons should endeavour to live as purely as possible, so that they may sense a few of those vibrations that so rarely come to the ordinary human being…”

In many ways, Neptune is a synthesis of everything we have heard before. Low flutes intone a mysterious figuration in 5/4: the same metre as Mars. Harmonically, it slowly alternates between chords: an expansion of the alternations in Venus and Saturn.

Although these elements are similar, the mood and effect is vastly different. Many passages in this movement are purely textural. Gossamer and translucent, the harmonies are filled out with trembling strings, harp arpeggios, and the twinkling of the celesta. The whole movement is hushed, but quietly charged with suspense.

The true magic appears about midway through.

Wordlessly, unseen voices begin to mingle with the sound of the orchestra on stage, as the music climbs upwards. By the end, the orchestra gradually drops out of the picture, until only the offstage chorus is left. They sing two alternating chords, over and over again, “until the sound is lost in the distance”.

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PROGRAMME NOTES

IGOR STRAVINSKY

THE RITE OF SPRING (1913) It is 29 May 1913. In the Théâtre des ChampsÉlysées in Paris, the curtain rises at the premiere of The Rite of Spring. This ballet is the product of star-studded collaborators. Composed by the already-acclaimed Igor Stravinsky, choreographed by the genius Vaslav Nijinsky, and supported by the wealthy Diaghilev, sponsor of the worldacclaimed Ballet Russes — surely the audience is in for a treat!

The hill setting (set design) from Part One of The Rite.

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Yet, just minutes after the dancers appear on stage, there is booing, hissing, even physical fights amongst audience members. The disturbance was so bad that the theatre had to turn up the lights to quell them. What caused this outrage?

PROGRAMME NOTES

Was it the plot? Stravinsky’s storyline is certainly disturbing. “I saw in my imagination a solemn pagan rite: sage elders, seated in a circle, watched a young girl dance herself to death. They were sacrificing her to propitiate the god of Spring.”

With this initial concept, he reached out to Nicholas Roerich, a painter and a folklorist. The result was something savage and primitive, quite unlike the usual refinement and sophistication one would expect from high-brow art.

Was it the choreography? The choreography, designed by Vaslav Nijinsky, was equally fitting for the scenario. Instead of subtle and elegant movements, the dancers stomped and jumped with angular movements. The group formations formed circles and lines, fully embodying the ritualistic nature of the scene. Many critics complained that it was clumsy and crude, unbecoming of dancers.

Or was it the music? Seemingly random rhythms, dissonant harmonies, and relentless repetitions would have been completely different from audiences’ expectations. While Stravinsky drew on folk melodies, he transformed them utterly.

The music becomes less about melody, and more about rhythm and gesture. It is small wonder that many regard the premiere as the beginning of 20th-century modern classical music.

our expectations are completely different. In any case, it is hardly “new music” anymore — The Rite is more than a hundred years old! Over this time, tomes of academic ink have been spilled dissecting The Rite, picking apart each and every chord and melody, and finding the various logical connections throughout.

But one must remember that the music can also be enjoyed simply on its own terms. In a video interview (viewable online), Stravinsky talks about The Rite. Sitting at a piano, he says, “I like very much this chord”. With a wide grin, he begins playing the jolting chords from the Augurs of Spring. In that brief moment, there is no high-brow analysis or complex music theory. There is just the thrill of the sound itself.

Perhaps this was part of what threw the Parisian audience off. The audience in 1913 was expecting something sophisticated, something refined. But The Rite is, in many ways, pure sensation and energy. For the modern audience, allow yourself to hear the sound for what it is — or as Stravinsky and Roerich described it, “the great surge of creative power of Spring”.

So which of these — plot, dance, or music — caused the intense outrage at the premiere?

In truth, it was probably all three put together, a kind of sensory overload for the sensitive Parisian audience. But none of this is shocking anymore. The innovations of The Rite have become absorbed into artists’ imaginations, and

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PROGRAMME NOTES

MUSICAL SYNOPSIS The Rite of Spring is divided into two halves, “The Adoration of the Earth” and “The Sacrifice”, played without a break between. Each half is essentially a series of scenes or tableaux. This block-like structure is reflected in the score as well. Each section of The Rite is clearly delineated by changes in musical material and mood.

The first tableau, the Introduction, opens with a now-famous bassoon solo. Straining in its highest register, it takes on an eerie, almost unrecognisable timbre. The bassoon is soon joined by other woodwinds: flowing clarinet lines, insistent oboe jabs, and whirling flutes. Stravinsky described this as “a swarm of dudki [spring pipes]”. Layer upon layer of contrasting gestures and tone colours accumulate, teeming with movement. Then, abruptly, the spring pipes stop, and the bassoon solo returns.

The strings respond with tiptoeing pizzicatos, before repeatedly grinding out a rugged polychord. This is the next tableau, the Augurs of Spring. As Stravinsky remarked, “[the accents] are really the foundation of the whole thing”.

The chords jolt with sudden accents, seemingly without pattern. Even with no dancers present, there is an intense physicality to the music.

Unremitting downbows evoke hopping and stomping, while bright flourishes bring to mind athletic leaps and turns.

The Sage prostrates themself and kisses the earth.

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This episode is interrupted by the Ritual of Abduction. Bold timpani strikes set off jagged lines in woodwinds and brass, chased by frenetic strings and hunting horn calls.

A flute trill and a winding folk-like melody usher in the Spring Rounds. The youths dance the Khorovod, a centuries-old Russian folk dance. The pace is laborious and dragging. At its peak, dense dissonant chords collide with sliding trombones.

But the trilling flutes return to close off this episode, creating a self-contained tableau.

Warlike battle music begins the Ritual of the Rival Tribes. Melodies clash, with different lines playing in different keys all at the same time.

Amidst this chaos, the tuba begins a deep chant: the Procession of the Sage. With each repetition, it steadily grows in intensity. As both tribes pay their respects to the sage, a whole battery of percussion joins in, with each percussion instrument pursuing its own rhythmic pattern.

Suddenly, silence. The sage falls prostrate to the ground. Gentle taps from the timpani mark the sage kissing the earth. With this blessing, the youths erupt into the Dance of the Earth, a celebratory frenzy filled with repeated notes and fanfares. With a great crescendo, it ends almost as abruptly as it began.

PROGRAMME NOTES

Part Two begins with a hazy and slow-moving introduction, stagnant and almost sweltering.

Sluggish woodwinds drift over sustained chords, while brasses intone small melodic fragments distantly. The music picks up pace as the youths begin dancing in the Mystic Circle of the Young Maidens. Folk-like tunes go round and round, with each phrase looping back onto itself. Twice, this circle is interrupted. Each time, the same girl has stumbled, marking her as the chosen sacrificial victim.

The youths dance in a circle, selecting the Chosen One.

With the girl chosen, there is a rush of activity.

A brutal chord is hammered out eleven times, beginning the Glorification of the Chosen One. Once again, the music is gestural in nature.

Stravinsky uses just a small handful of fragments, pieced together in different lengths and combinations. But the orchestration makes each gesture viscerally physical.

A crashing timpani and series of brass fanfares summon the ancestors to witness the sacrifice.

They then commence the Ritual Action of the Ancestors. Subdued, hypnotic beats pulse insistently, while snaking melodies swirl like eddies in a dark pool.

The Chosen One dances the Sacrifical Dance.

Finally, the Sacrificial Dance. The music works itself into a frenzy as the Chosen One begins to dance herself to death. Almost every bar is in a different metre, creating a disorienting atmosphere. Towards the end, the dance becomes still more fragmented. Then a brief pause. A delicate ascending scale in the flute — perhaps the Chosen One’s final breath — then a brutal thud. The Rite has reached its end.

Programme notes written by Isaac Tah Illustrations by Yun En Lam 17

THE

MUSIC MAKERS MUSIC DIRECTOR

DOUBLE BASS

FRENCH HORN

Chan Tze Law

Chia Ying Yin PRINCIPAL Damien Chew Kenrick Lam Hyoseok Lee Lee Mian Jun Lee Zi Xuan Alvin Liew Alwyn Loy Pan Jiaying Kevin Seah

Hoang Van Hoc PRINCIPAL Xavier Tan PRINCIPAL Nigel Leong ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Christopher Shen ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Okkar Aung Harsharon Kaur Chloe Lau Lim Shi Zheng Ong Hwee Ling

ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR Seow Yibin

VIOLINS Chan Yoong Han CONCERTMASTER Kimberlyn Wu PRINCIPAL SECOND VIOLIN Wilford Goh ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Yvonne Lee ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Erlyn Alexander Ang Dun Jie Ang Zien Xu Chanz Boo Chan Ning Chantal Chan Kayler Chu Chui Yingqi Tina Gao Regan Ho Ho Yin Shan Joel Hoe Naomi Kertonugroho Esther Lam Jaslyn Lee Loi Si Xian Estee Ng Preston Ng Cylvin Sim Natalie Tan Isabel Tay Josiah Teo Gary Teoh Xu Hong Yun Natalie Yee Zheng Kai

VIOLA May Loh PRINCIPAL Christopher Cheong Joshua Chong Joan Fun Gao Wei Skyler Goh Shawn Gui Joelle Hsu Elizabeth Ip Ryan Koh Jayson Loo Aaron Soh Oliver Tan Toh Xue Qian

CELLO James Ng PRINCIPAL Theophilus Tan ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Rachael Chan Joy Chen Lavinia Chu Sharon Ham Joshen Lim Rio Liu Charis Low Edward Neo Tobias Teo Wong Yi Kai

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FLUTE Jasper Goh PRINCIPAL Cheryl Lim PRINCIPAL Alvin Chan Natasha Lee Kelsey Tan Matthew Tan

PICCOLO Alvin Chan Jasper Goh Matthew Tan

ALTO FLUTE Alvin Chan Cheryl Lim

OBOE Seow Yibin PRINCIPAL Tay Kai Tze ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Chan Chen John Fung Quek Jun Rui

ENGLISH HORN Quek Jun Rui Seow Yibin Tay Kai Tze

CLARINET Miao Kaiwen PRINCIPAL Benjamin Wong PRINCIPAL Natalie Gail Claudia Toh

BASS CLARINET Claudia Toh Daniel Yiau

E-FLAT CLARINET Miao Kaiwen

BASSOON Guo Siping PRINCIPAL Lim Tee Heong PRINCIPAL Emerald Chee Li Rui Dan Rachel Ng

CONTRABASSOON Emerald Chee Lim Tee Heong

WAGNER TUBA Harsharon Kaur Ong Hwee Ling

TRUMPET Lau Wen Rong PRINCIPAL Lee Jinjun Lim Jit Xin David Marley Joshua Tan

PICCOLO TRUMPET Lau Wen Rong

BASS TRUMPET Kang Chun Meng

TROMBONE Don Kow PRINCIPAL Hendrik Kwek

BASS TROMBONE Aldwyn Tan

TUBA Tan Yao Cong PRINCIPAL Shawn Yap PRINCIPAL

EUPHONIUM Kang Chun Meng

HARP Charity Kiew PRINCIPAL Kaitlyn Tan

CELESTA Ng Yun Wen

ORGAN Evelyn Lim

TIMPANI Lim Xing Hong PRINCIPAL Yuru Lee ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

PERCUSSION Thaddeus Chung PRINCIPAL Cheong Kah Yiong ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Rei Lim Gordon Tan

OMM

BOARD & MANAGEMENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lee Guan Wei Daniel CHAIRMAN Assoc. Prof Chan Tze Law Christopher Cheong Jesher Loi Sanjiv Malhotra Edward Neo Toh Xue Qian Prof Bernard Tan ADVISOR

MANAGEMENT TEAM ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT Michael Huang HEAD Lee Jinjun Fredrick Suwandi Joshua Tan Oliver Tan Isaac Tah

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

BRANDING & MARKETING Chan Chen HEAD Chua Jay Roon Chloe Goh Elizabeth Ip Josiah Teo

PRODUCTION COORDINATION

Isaac Tah HEAD Ang Zien Xu Natasha Lee Skyler Goh Shi Jia Ao

Chanz Boo Skyler Goh Michael Huang Preston Ng Isaac Tah Joshua Tan

HUMAN RESOURCE

LIBRARY & LOGISTICS

Ang Zien Xu Chanz Boo Nathanael Goh Lee Jinjun Lee Yuru Jayson Loo Estee Ng Preston Ng Fredrick Suwandi Kelsey Tan Joshua Tan Josiah Teo Kimberlyn Wu

Wu Tianhao HEAD Lee Jinjun Lee Yuru Edward Neo Preston Ng Isaac Tah Joshua Tan

AUDIENCE EXPERIENCE Rayner Tan HEAD Lam Hoyan Estee Ng

FINANCE

Neo Wei Qing HEAD Calvin Dai Edward Neo

SPONSORSHIP & PARTNERSHIP Edward Neo HEAD Rayner Tan

TECHNOLOGY Chay Choong HEAD Lam Yun En Tasya Rukmana

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VOS

LADIES CHOIR CHORUS MASTER Darius Lim

REHEARSAL PIANIST Roe Curie

VOS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Catherine Tan CHAIRPERSON Christopher Cheong Katherine Ho Tan Shook Wah

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SOPRANO

Allen Losey Anna-Maria Haas Annemarie Lim Arielle Chiang Cinqin Ho Cornelia Wong Diana Narbutaite Leanne Lim Lina Lim Liudmila Kokoulina Low Ai Ling Megan Roberts Nicole Lee Kah Hui Priscilla Lim Roe Curie Sureeporn Ho Tan Shiao Yeh Tay Hwee Ling Teo Zi Yi

VOS TEAM

ALTO

Cindy Chua Tsin Li Germaine Leong Jasmine Lam Josephine Sim Joyce Ang Law En Tian Liu Yan Jun Melisa Leung Ong Wei Ling Rachel Poo Thilaiga Ramakrishnan Yang Huilin Yuwen Teo

Darius Lim CEO AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Seraphim Cheong GENERAL MANAGER Gabriel Ching MANAGER (PROJECTS AND VENUES) Roe Curie MANAGER (MARKETING) Priscilla Lim MANAGER (FINANCE & HR) Lim Jing Xiuan SENIOR ARTISTIC COORDINATOR Justin Goh ARTISTIC COORDINATOR Daniel Goh ARTISTIC COORDINATOR Stephanie Boon ASSISTANT MANAGER (CHORAL PROGRAMMES) Ho Ching Yee ASSISTANT MANAGER (CHORAL PROGRAMMES) Samantha Tham ASSISTANT MANAGER (COMMUNITIES) Tay Hwee Ling ASSISTANT MANAGER (OUTREACH) Jaclyn Chong ASSISTANT MANAGER (DEVELOPMENT & PARTNERSHIPS) Eve Tan EXECUTIVE (PROJECTS AND VENUES) Sharham Sridhar EXECUTIVE (PROJECTS AND VENUES) Fatin Humaira Binte Mohd Ashik EXECUTIVE (MARKETING AND COMMUNITIES) Rachel Wang EXECUTIVE (CHORAL PROGRAMMES) Joyce Tay EXECUTIVE (FINANCE)

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ARTIST HIGHLIGHTS

Yo-Yo Ma, Julia Hagen, Chloe Chua, Leonidas Kavakos, Daniel Lozakovich, Bertrand Chamayou, Eric Lu, Sayaka Shoji, Simon Trpčeski, Yeol Eum Son and Sergei Nakariakov with conductors Han-Na Chang, Joe Hisaishi, Mikhail Pletnev, Masaaki Suzuki and Kahchun Wong.

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

An Alpine Symphony, The Planets (with a new Earth), Pictures at an Exhibition in two orchestrations, New World Symphony, Scheherazade, Saint-Saëns’s Organ Symphony, and masterpieces by Mahler, Nielsen, Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky.

FEATURING SINGAPORE'S

Ding Yi Music Company, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Isaac Lee, Churen Li, Lin Chien-Kwan, Lien Boon Hua, Jonathan Shin ... and many more.

Hans Graf

Quantedge Music Director

Rodolfo Barráez Associate Conductor

Hannu Lintu

Music Director-Designate

Concert Season

25 26 22

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“the world’s most cultured counter-tenor voice” – The Times

“Magnetic stage presence!”

– Operaworld

Andreas Scholl with Sarah Traubel and Red Dot Baroque (Germany, Singapore)

Photo Credit: Marco Borggreve, Harald Hoffmann, Bernard Mui

Classics

From $35

(1hr 40mins, with 20min intermission)

Limited concessions available

Esplanade&Me specials available Join for free at esplanade.com/membership Terms and conditions apply.

BOOK NOW esplanade.com/classics

A programme of 60 Connections – At Home and Afar, a year-long season of Singapore stories and international collaborations in celebration of SG60.

Esplanade is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. Help us bring the joy and inspiration of the arts to different communities, including the underserved.

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UEN: 199205206G Information correct at time of print.

20 Jul 2025, Sun, 5pm | Esplanade Concert Hall

OMM’S

DONORS (2022-2025) $25,000 and above Anonymous (3) Karim Family Foundation Lionel Choi Qi Jian Shiv Puri Will Oswald

$10,000 and above Anonymous (1) Agnes Tjandranegara Aileen Tang Arts Junior Montessori LLP Bipin Balakrishnan Chua Siew Eng Fabian Jee Goh Yew Lin Joshua Tan Lee Foundation Michelle Liem Rohet Tolani Wilson Ho

$5,000 and above Anonymous (1) Chiang Zhan Xiang Choo Chiau Beng Christopher Cheong David Lim Jen Hong Dr June and Peter Sheren Francis Tan Han Jiak Siew Ignatius Wang Jennie Tan Whye Chin Kan Shook Wah Low Sin Leng msm-productions Ng Pei Sian Winston Kwek

$1,000 and above Anonymous (3) Abigail Sin Adriene Cheong Ai Ee Ling Alwyn Loy Alyce Chong Chyi Yiing Aw Kian Heng Aw Ling Hui Adeline 26

Carol Goh Chay Choong Cheah Sui Ling Chikako Sasaki Christina Cheong Foong Yim Cynthia Goh Dandan Wang Darrell Chan David and Catherine Zemans Dominic Khoo Kong Weng Dr Mandy Zhang and Mr Philip Chang Elizabeth Fong Ei Lie Hanbaobao Pte Ltd Hemantkumar Hasmukhrai Amin Ian Rickword James Poole Jeremy Tan Yu Jie Jesher Loi Julia Raiskin Kenneth Chan Kay Shan Kenny Ooi Khoo Kim Geok Jacqueline Koh Tien Gui Kuik Sing Beng Lee Guan Wei Daniel Lena Ching Lim Tanguy Yuteck Loy Kaixun Jeremy Pang Peter Yu Hin Peter Yu Hin Pang Rajah Vijaya Kumar Raymond Robert Sim Weipien Revival Vintage Jewels & Objects Robert Tomlin Saurabh Agarwal Sophie Ana binti Mohamed Harith Kassim Tatsu Works Pte Ltd Thuraisingam Sellathurai Vincent Ong Wei Gao Xinan Liu Yeo Wei Ping Patricia Zhao Tian

Up to $1,000 Anonymous (20) Aik Keong Neo Alvin Wang Hanxiong

Amane Chu Yi Min Amelia Dizon Ang Xueqi Angel Phuay Li Ting Angela Lim Ai Lian Anne Elise Rifkin-Graboi Anomymous Arvind Mathur Bai Yizhuo Beingessner Christopher Timothy Bennett Carin Chow Carol Lim Phek Nai Chan Wai Leong Chea Ruei-E Chester Tan Chew Sutat Chia Chee Boon Chia Miao Ting Genesis Chin Mei Kuan Chua Chun Hsien Nelson Chuan Hiang Teng Chung Phuong Dinh Claude Ludlow Cristina Bargan Deanna Wong Jia-Wei Dennis Khoo Derek Lim Dian Marissa Sumadi Diana Diana Silva Francoise Mei Fym Summer Gerald Wang Goh Chay Hiang Gwyneth Choo Han Soon Lang Heng Boey Hong Ho Yee Choo Samantha Ho Yin Shan Huey Lin Teo Ivan Demodov James Leanne Kerry James Ng Teck Chuan Jaslyn Lee Jason Jess Jessie Ong Jia Jia Joanne Goh

Jumabhoy Iqbal Justina Leong Jing Wen Kenny Wong Kenrick Lam Keong Jo Hsi Khee Zi Ling Kiat Kee Ng Kim Huat Soh Koh Wei Ying Ann Kong Yee Mun Konstantin Spirin Kwan Wei Meng William Lai Car Man Lai Jun Zhen Lai Kum Chow Lalvani Jetu Jacques Taru Lauren and Mr Marvs Laurent Ye Lee Boon Yew Lee Guo Lee Hui Chiao Lee Jee Soo Lee Sue-Ann Lee Tse Liang Lenis Leslie Tan Leung Hui Qi, Selena Lewis Jennifer Theresa Li Jiaying Lim Ang Tee Lim Huey Yuee Lim Mei Jean Lim Swee Boey

Lim Xuanzi Cheryl Lim You Zhen Liong Khoon Kiat Loh Zheng Jie Benedict Long Shi Ying Lydea Gn Wei En Lynn Ho Margaret Chew Sing Seng Markey Pauline Anastasia Marty Randall Mckay Kenneth Freeman Mervyn Ye Michael Huang Michelle Tan Shimin Nadia Adjani Soerjanto Nathanael Goh Neo Peck Hoon Nancy Neoh Swee Beng Ng Ruenn Sheng Nirmala C Bharwani Oi Way Lee Ong Yen May Pan Jiaying Pearly Ma Li-Pinn Peggy Kek Peter Yap Wan Shern Putu Sanjaya Setiawan Raphaela Koenig Richard Lee Seng Hoon Sam Chee Chong Sarah Goh Sarika Sayawaki Yuri

Seiko Ushijima Sharon Teo Woon Ching Shen Xichen Siddharth Biswas Siew Kee Lau Soo Ping Lim Sun Haichun Tan Geok Choo Tan Sze Meng Sara Tan Wei Jie Kelvin Ted Toth Teo Hwee Ping Teo Mei Yin Olivia Teo Wei Lin Teo Wei Lin Tetsu Serizawa Tulsi Ratakonda Naidu Vadapalli Raju Valarie Koh Vincent Wang Wang Chen Chung Winson Lay Chee Loong Winston Kwek Wong Man Di Amanda Wong Mee Fong Wong Yick Mun Edmund Wong Yoon Foong Xia Hongwei Yap Yuling Eunice Yew Wan Qing

SUPPORTING PARTNER:

WITH THE SUPPORT OF:

OFFICIAL HOTEL:

SUPPORT US Orchestra of the Music Makers Ltd. (UEN: 201002361G) is an Institution of a Public Character (IPC) and donations are eligible for 2.5 times tax deduction.

POST-CONCERT SURVEY Please spare 30 seconds of your time to complete this post-concert survey for us! This will help us improve on the quality of our future programmes.

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Key Art: Chan Chen Programme Booklet Designer: Bernice Ng Programme Booklet Team: Chan Chen, Michael Huang, Elizabeth Ip, Isaac Tah