Philharmonic Chamber Winds in Concert - Russian Rarities

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Philharmonic Chamber Winds presents

A Soiree with the Tsar:

Russian Rarities Joost Flach conductor

9 SEPTEMBER 2017, SATURDAY VICTORIA CONCERT HALL

TONIGHT’S CONCERT

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Chamber music making is a vital yet organic stage in a musician’s career. New and exciting chamber music is born each and every time two musicians get together with their instruments. The youngest chamber group in the Philharmonic Winds family, the Philharmonic Chamber Winds serves to allow its members to express and experience the joy of close-knit music making and to present this music in a more intimate setting.

The history and relevance of wind chamber music from the past to today is rich and varied. The Philharmonic Chamber Winds strives to present quality wind chamber music and to contribute to Singapore’s growing chamber music scene.

The Straits Times wrote, ‘Judging by this performance by the Philharmonic Chamber Winds, the standard of playing in the best outfits is very high(‘Impressive Wind Playing’, 20th March 2017).

The Philharmonic Chamber Winds made its debut in March 2015 and was featured in the Singapore 5th Lieder Festival. Since then, the group has worked tirelessly to bring to audiences the gems in wind chamber music from a chest of riches that include music written both locally and regionally.

This evening, we bring to you music written by the biggest names in Russian music. We will hear Liadov, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-korsakov, Stravinsky and Taneyev in their chamber music for winds. Exceptional Clarinetist Desmond Chow will also be in the spotlight in bringing Rimsky-korsakov’s Clarinet Concerto to life.

Sergey TANEYEV (1856 – 1915)

Andante for Double Wind Quintet (2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 French Horns and 2 Bassoons) Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844 -1908)

Quintet in Bb for Piano and Winds

(Piano, Flute, Clarinet, French Horn and Bassoon)

I Allegro con brio

II Andante

III Rondo. Allegretto Pyotr TCHAIKOVSKY (1840 – 1893)

Adagio in F for Winds

(2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, Cor anglais, 2 Clarinets and Bass Clarinet) Igor STRAVINSKY (1882 – 1971)

Pastorale (1933 version for Violin and Winds) (Violin, Oboe, Cor anglais, Clarinet and Bassoon) Anatoly LIADOV (1855 – 1914)

8 Russian Folk Songs, op 58 (arr. Wind Quintet) (Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, French Horn and Bassoon)

I Liturgical Verse

II Kolyada – Christmas Carol

III Slow Song

IV Humorous Song

V A Legend about a Bird

VI Lullaby

VII Dance Tune

VIII Dance-In-A-Ring Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844 – 1908)

Concerto for Clarinet and Band

I Allegro moderato II Andante III Allegro moderato

PROGRAMME

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OOST FLACH, conducto

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Joost graduated in 1983 from the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. His teachers were Carlo Ravelli and Han De Vries, who trained him in the Dutch style of oboe playing. During his studies, he was an oboe / cor anglais player in the Dutch National Youth Orchestra, and he freelanced occasionally in the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and the Pepijn Wind Ensemble.

Having lived and worked in South East Asia since 1984, Joost has been an oboist in the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and Kuala Lumpur Symphony Orchestra before he took on the Sub-Principal Oboe position in the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. Over the years, he has made himself known to the music circle regionally, and numerous contemporary Asian composers have composed music especially for him. In addition, he has also given recitals and workshops together with an accompanying pianist in Singapore and Shanghai.

Joost is also an enthusiast in music education. He has lectured at the Institut Seni Indonesia in Jogjakarta as part of a Dutch governmental education programme and was also a music inspector and educational project officer with the Ministry of Education in Singapore. He is currently Head of Winds at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, School of Music, Singapore.

He has conducted several community and school bands, and many of his students are now professional players or conductors. He has practically founded a wind ensemble everywhere he worked – Ansamble Tiup Jogjakarta and Singapore Sling Ensemble. He has been an artistic leader of the High Winds Wind Ensemble in Kuala Lumpur for the past nine years and during these years, he has collected an impressive and tasteful library of music for wind instruments.

Experience has convinced him that performing chamber music contributes the most to the development and growth in the quality of wind players.

Desmond started playing the clarinet at the age of 13 when he joined the St Patrick’s School Military Band.

He went on to further his studies at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts to pursue his Diploma in Music, and was subsequently awarded a full scholarship for the bachelor’s degree in music, which he graduated with Honors. His teachers include Ma Yue and Tang Xiaoping from the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

Desmond is currently a member of The Philharmonic Winds, Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, and Clarinet Concord. He has freelanced with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Malaysia and does regular concerts with the Singapore Lyric Opera Orchestra since 2009.

He is a highly sought after performer in musicals and has been involved in the productions of Cabaret (2006), The Phantom of the Opera (2007, 2013), My Fair Lady (2014), The Sound of Music (2015) and The LKY Musical (2016) to name a few. He has also performed with international singers Aska (2008), Andrea Bocelli (2010), Russell Watson (2010), Katherine Jenkins (2011) and Sarah Brightman (2012).

Desmond is an active chamber musician performing on Clarinet, Bass Clarinet and Baritone Saxophone, and also an experienced music educator.

DESMOND CHOW, SOLOIST

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Piccolo

French Horn

Darence Leng

Bryan Chong Linda Chua Marcus Kwek Ong Hwee Ling

Flute

Shaun Leoi Miki Wong

Cornet Oboes

Leow Ruiqing Jeremy Wong

Choy Wei Peng Lee Tjen Chew Trombone

Cor anglais

Tay Kai Tze

Sebastian Koh Lam Bo Xiang Jasper Tan

Bb Clarinet

Liang Jiayi Yap Fangyu Desmond Chow

Euphonium

Erica Goh Tuba

Bb Clarinet / Bass Clarinet

Daniel Kiang

Ralph Emmanuel Lim Percussion Bass Clarinet

Lim Lip Hua

Chan Qi Feng Chan Tuck Ging Melvin Leong

Bassoon

Ivy Fung Jo Anne Sukumaran

Violin

Ng Wei Ping Piano

Wong Chee Yean

Musicians

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Programme Notes

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Sergey TANEYEV (1856 – 1915)

Andante for Double Wind Quintet Taneyev studied composition with Tchaikovsky and Piano with Anton Rubinstein at the Moscow Conservatory and would subsequently become the first student at school to win gold Medals for both piano and composition (Sergey Rachmaninov was the third!).

Little is known about this work written in 1883 though through this short Romantic work, his interest and mastery in counterpoint could be seen.

Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844 -1908)

Quintet in Bb for Piano and Winds

Written in 1876 for a Chamber Music competition, which young Rimsky-korsakov did not win. Although he blamed the pianist for not doing justice to the piece during the competition, it seemed to have redeemed itself somewhat by finding favour with audiences during future performances.

Pyotr TCHAIKOVSKY (1840 – 1893)

Adagio in F for Winds

Tchaikovsky’s Adagio for a Wind Octet was probably written between 1863 and 1864 as a student of Anton Rubinstein’s at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Sparse in texture at first, the clarinets and flutes soon combine in a sleigh bell-like figuration while solo lines converse between the bass clarinet and the cor anglais.

Igor STRAVINSKY (1882 – 1971)

Pastorale (1933 version for Violin and Winds) Pastorale first originated as a Song without words for Soprano and Piano. Written in 1907, Stravinsky himself arranged several versions of which the one performed this evening was made for Violin and four reed instruments. While the violin takes on the singer’s line, albeit more embellished than the original, the winds timbre lend themselves well to a more rustic atmosphere.

Anatoly LIADOV (1855 – 1914)

8 Russian Folk Songs, op 58 (arr. Wind Quintet) Liadov’s Eight Russian Folk Songs were composed in 1906 for the orchestra as a result of his active search and collecting of Russian Folk Songs from various parts of the country. His teacher, Rimsky-korsakov’s influence can be seen in the way Liadov colours the orchestration.

Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844 – 1908)

Concerto for Clarinet and Band

Rimsky-korsakov was an Inspector of Music in Russia’s Navy Bands in the 1870s. His newly acquired understanding of wind instruments led him to write three concerti of which the clarinet concerto was the last to be written in 1878. There are three distinct movements in this concerto in a traditional fast-slowfast fashion but are played without a break.

Programme Notes

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THE PHILHARMONIC WINDS

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The word “Philharmonic” translates to a fondness or devotion to music, and The Philharmonic Winds truly embraces that.

The members of the wind orchestra came together because of a common love for music, and ever since have endeavoured to present the finest music for wind orchestra to the Singaporean audience.

Formed in 2000, The Philharmonic Winds has grown to more than 80 dedicated members. A congregation of skilled musicians from all walks of life – tertiary students to working professionals, music students to wind band instructors – The Philharmonic Winds is proud to be home to a thriving musical community.

Amongst a myriad of notable performances, The Philharmonic Winds has performed a collection of landmark works from the wind band repertoire, ranging from the symphonies of Paul Hindemith and James Barnes to well-known favourites of Alfred Reed and Adam Gorb. The wind orchestra is also well-versed in a variety of musical styles, having explored the lush and humorous music of Percy Grainger, the genius of Mozart and Varèse, and jazz standards.

The Philharmonic Winds is privileged to have collaborated with renowned musicians and soloists from all over the world, and performed under the baton of distinguished conductors such as Principal Guest Conductor Timothy Reynish (GBR), Felix Hauswirth (SWE), Douglas Bostock (GBR), Johan de Meij (NL), Luis Serrano Alarcón (ESP), Yasuhide Ito (JPN), Surapol Thanyawibool (THA), John Boyd (USA), Zechariah Goh Toh Chai (SG), Luk Hoi Yui (SG), founding Artistic Director Robert Casteels (BEL/SG) and Music Director Leonard Tan.

As one of Singapore’s premier arts flag-bearers, The Philharmonic Winds is proud to have received much recognition on the world stage, from being the first wind orchestra from Singapore to be awarded a Gold medal with Distinction in the First Division (Harmony Band) in the World Music Contest in Kerkrade, the Netherlands in July 2005, to invitations to perform at the prestigious Japan Band Clinic (2009) and World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) Conference in Chiayi, Taiwan (2011).

More recently, The Philharmonic Winds clinched Second Prize at the 127th Certamen Internacional de Bandas de Musica – Ciudad de Valencia (the International Wind Band Contest “City of Valencia”) in 2013, and performed at the closing gala concert of the Hong Kong International Band Fair in 2014.

An avid supporter of local music, The Philharmonic Winds has staged four concerts dedicated to works by Singaporean and Singapore-based composers. The Philharmonic Winds has collaborated with many local talents from other musical and arts genres, such as stage actors Sebastian Tan and Gani Karim, singers Benjamin Kheng, Charlie Lim, Nathan Hartono, Tay Kewei, Tay Kexin, George Chan and Lindy Chia. The wind orchestra has also collaborated with Dingyi Music Company, Ministry of Bellz, Vocal Associates, sand artist Lawrence Koh, young soprano Corey Koh, storyteller Kamini Ramachandran and narrator/actor William Ledbetter.

THE PHILHARMONIC WINDS

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THE PHILHARMONIC WINDS

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Besides its regular concert seasons at the Esplanade Concert Hall and overseas performances, The Philharmonic Winds also regularly participates in arts outreach performances and presents free community outreach concerts in the heartlands including Tampines and Ang Mo Kio, as well as in malls, to reach out to the masses, build new audiences and bring music to more Singaporeans. As The Philharmonic Winds develops into a mature music institution, it believes in playing a part to better society in more ways other than bringing music and the arts into the lives of Singaporeans. In December 2014, The Philharmonic Winds held a concert entitled “Circle of Life – A Night of Musicals” and helped to raise $35,000 for children cared for by the six member charities under The Children’s Charities Association of Singapore. In 2015, The Philharmonic Winds performed at the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run which raised more than $85,000 for the Yellow Ribbon Fund. At the Run, The Philharmonic Winds performed with two inmates, including a special arrangement of a song written by one of them.

The Philharmonic Winds is constantly striving to present fresh and exciting quality music to its audiences and aspires to achieve professionalism in all aspects of musicmaking, with the aim of becoming one of the finest wind orchestras in the region.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

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The Philharmonic Chamber Winds would like to express our deepest gratitude to the following, without whom this concert would not have been possible:

The Philharmonic Winds Singapore, for its support towards this chamber concert, and for being the family where we grew up musically together.

The Philharmonic Winds’ Board of Directors, for their unstinting support towards our artistic endeavours.

Mr Joost Flach, for his astute musical direction, friendship and guidance to Philharmonic Chamber Winds.

Ms Sheng Jia-min, Ms Chen Jiaxin and Ms Jodie Chiang, for their assistance in the front-of-house and backstage operations for tonight’s concert.

All individuals and organisations who have, in one way or another, contributed to the development of the Philharmonic Chamber Winds.

Our families, friends and loved ones, for their support and understanding.

And you, our audience, for your presence here with us tonight.

The Philharmonic Winds is a recipient of the National Arts Council’s Major Company Scheme.

Design & Layout

Jerry Tan, behance.net/tanjerry

The Philharmonic Winds Singapore 2017/18 Season

Philharmonic Youth Winds Presents:

Songs Our Parents Love III 24 September 2017, Sunday 7.30pm Esplanade Concert Hall

The Philharmonic Winds Chamber Series:

Toki Otozuru - A Concert of Japanese Chamber Music 1 October 2017, Sunday 7.30pm Victoria Concert Hall

Philharmonic Youth Winds Presents:

Classiques! X 28 January 2018, Sunday 7.30pm Esplanade Concert Hall

UPCOMING CONCERTS

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Philharmonic Chamber Winds