100 Keyboards by ASUNA (Japan)

100 KEYBOARDS ASUNA (Japan)

17 – 20 May Fri, 8pm Sat, 7pm & 10pm Sun, 8pm Mon, 3pm Gallery II, Festival House

Photo by minoru sato-m/s

1h 20m, no intermission

MESSAGE FROM THE FESTIVAL DIRECTOR When I was appointed as the new Festival Director for Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) last year, one of the central tenets of the curation process we put in place was to present work by game-changing artists.

From the outset of my three-year tenure, it was important to me that SIFA challenges audiences intellectually, emotionally and artistically, allowing them to experience works they would not normally have a chance to see in Singapore.

Last year, I found myself huddled amid the sand dunes and pine forests of Terschelling Island off the north coast of The Netherlands, to watch Bedtime Stories, a brilliant one-man show which we are bringing to SIFA this year.

It reminds us that powerful stories can be told with the simplest of tools - in this case, the actor’s voice. Or through elaborate work such as the cross-cultural, multi-faceted Dionysus

by Tadashi Suzuki. Game-changing artists and work exist everywhere – it is our mission to find them and bring them to you.

This season, SIFA 2019 is proud to present provocative and challenging works by artists from Singapore and abroad. Our local Festival commissions explore contemporary issues and daringly bring to the spotlight lesser-known facets of Asian history and culture. Toy Factory will realise its innovative re-interpretation of a beloved Ming play. Checkpoint Theatre delves into the realities of the humanitarian aid industry, while Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen investigates some of Southeast Asia’s most shadowy historical figures.

On the international front, SIFA is delighted to welcome to our shores works by worldrenowned theatre directors Tadashi Suzuki and Simon McBurney, legendary musicians Ryuichi Sakamoto and Bill Frisell, and groundbreaking choreographers Gisèle Vienne and Sasha Waltz.

SIFA 2019 audiences can also expect to see a greater range of multidisciplinary work that defies easy classification, from pushing boundaries between theatre and dance in ST/LL by Japanese artist Shiro Takatani, to the use of virtual reality and binaural sound in Frogman by UK company curious directive.

SIFA will also present Silo Theatre’s Peter and the Wolf for families, as well as free outdoor performances in non-traditional venues for audiences of all ages.

Festival House will be back this year, as the epicentre of SIFA 2019. Here, audiences and artistes can extend their engagement with the Festival beyond the performance, as well as engage with each other, through a range of talks, workshops and master-classes to delve deeper into the themes and perspectives of each show.

SIFA 2019 would not have been possible without the support of CEO Sarah Martin; our three extraordinary producers – Junmin, Rydwan and Sara; and the phenomenal team at Arts House Limited. I would like to thank each of them for their dedication and passion.

Finally, I would like to warmly welcome you, our audience, to SIFA 2019. We look forward to taking you on this exciting journey with us.

Gaurav Kripalani Festival Director

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO What does the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) mean to you? A doorway to the world’s performances out there? An escape from the routine of everyday life?

An opportunity to indulge your curiosity? Or something more?

It would not be unusual for each of you to take away something different from the Festival.

When I look back at my years attending the Festival, what stands out in my memory are thrilling moments of discovering a work or artist that slowly built my own love for festival making.

In everything we do, SIFA brings audiences and artists on a personal journey, creating a shared experience across different touch-points with a wider community of art lovers, international and local artists.

Every edition of the Festival is also unique and contributes to the development of Singapore’s cultural landscape. 2018 was an encouraging year, with SIFA seeing heartening growth in the number of new – and especially – younger audiences. I believe this is a testament to the success of Festival Director Gaurav Kripalani’s balanced curatorial approach, emphasising diverse works with multiple levels of accessibility.

In 2019, the 42nd Singapore International Festival of the Arts will continue to enrich the spectrum of audience experiences with a diversity of artistic genres and innovative platforms. Over 17 days, SIFA will showcase a spectrum of world-class performances by game-changing artists, alongside a range of distinctive multi-disciplinary works.

As one of the cultural peaks of Singapore’s arts calendar, the Festival will allow audiences to engage with a fascinating range of contemporary issues and create avenues for critical dialogue. The Arts House will once again transform into our Festival House, a unique gathering point to share ideas and viewpoints and to engage with the artists on a more intimate level.

Working behind the scenes at SIFA are many passionate individuals who have been critical to the Festival’s success over the years. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has played their part in shaping SIFA, and to Gaurav for leading the Festival to new artistic heights.

I hope you leave this year with a fresh perspective of what the Festival means to you, and with wonderful memories of your own personal discoveries.

Sarah Martin CEO, Arts House Limited

ABOUT 100 KEYBOARDS Making its Singapore premiere at SIFA 2019, Japanese avant-garde sound artist ASUNA presents his landmark work and site-specific listening experience, 100 Keyboards. A stalwart of Tokyo’s experimental music scene, ASUNA’s playful genre-bending sonic experiments cross from ambient to hip-hop to low-fi pop and improvisation.

ASUNA’s creative genius is on full display in 100 Keyboards. With 100 battery-operated analogue keyboards, he manipulates sound waves to create an intriguing and fascinating ambient wash of overlapping notes and sonic textures that envelop you from every direction.

Listen to the subtle variations of sound as they vary based on your location in the performance space.

100 KEYBOARDS (MOIRÉ RESONANCE BY INTERFERENCE FREQUENCY) 100 Keyboards is a live music performance and exhibition featuring over 100 keyboards.

Multiple sound waves on the same frequency are disseminated in multiple directions, creating a complex distribution of acoustic pressure.

This causes what is known as a moiré pattern of sound interference. In this site-specific listening experience, audiences listen to subtle variations of sound interference and resonance that vary based on their location in the performance space.

By changing the direction of one’s ears or while moving around the keyboards, complex interference and resonance in the space can reveal different sound beats and loops between minute changes in position. destructive interference peak

constructive interference

trough

destructive interference

beats

high intensity sound

X100 low intensity sound

BIOGRAPHY ASUNA is a new talent within the Japanese sound artist and experimental music scene.

Creating experimental music and installation work from a very young age during the late 90’s, he has gone on to become a pioneer within the experimental ambient, drone and improvisation scene in Tokyo, influencing and collaborating with many Japanese electronic musicians. He has also released a prolific number of albums for Europe, America and Japanese labels.

Alongside his first major work, Each Organ (2002), a sound installation reconsidering the concept of etymology, he has also produced experimental composition works, recording with acoustic instruments and electronics under the title 100 Toys, a performance that uses many tiny toys to create a multi-layered and fascinating plastic universe of drones, loops, sonic moirĂŠ and occasional pop implosions.

TICKET HOLDER PRIVILEGES

FLASH YOUR SIFA 2019 TICKET

TO ENJOY SPECIAL DEALS AT OUR PARTNER OUTLETS Empress

Kuro Izakaya

1 Empress Place, #01-03, Asian Cilivilisation Museum, S179555

3 Temasek Boulevard, #01-604/605, Suntec City Tower 3, S038983

10% off dine-in ala carte food and drinks purchased at EMPRESS.

Enjoy 15% off total food bill.

Esplanade Mall

OTC Café

Esplanade – Theatre on the Bay, 8 Raffles Avenue, S039802 Beware of Pity, ST/LL, Körper and Ryuichi Sakamoto ticket holders are entitled up to 15% savings on dining and shopping at Esplanade Mall on the day of performance. Visit www. esplanade.com for details.

House Pour @ Festival House

The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane, S179429 Chill out and soak in the festival buzz at House Pour. Enjoy a glass of signature Housepour cocktail or a serving of ancho chicken tacos at only $4.20nett and all other items at 15% off.

In addition, complimentary premium ice cream in assorted flavours will be given out daily.

(Limited to the first 30 guests each day)

JW Marriott Singapore South Beach 30 Beach Road, S189763

Enjoy 25% off at Beach Road Kitchen and 15% at Akira Back.

100 Victoria Street, #03-01 National Library Building S188064 15% off food and beverages.

Privé ACM

1 Empress Place, #01-02 S179555 10% off dine-in ala carte food and drinks purchased at Privé ACM.

The Naturally Better Company

9 Raffles Boulevard, #02-46, Millania Walk, S039596 5%* storewide discount and 20%* discount for 2nd pair of MELISSA shoes. *Discount not applicable on selected nett-priced brands and promotional items.

The NCO Club

32 Beach Road, S189764 Enjoy 15% off dine-in ala carte food and beverage (Cool Cats, Madame Fan, Stags Room & Fish Pool)

Kith Café

Bras Basah: 51 Bras Basah Rd, #01-03A Manulife Centre, S189554 Marina Square: 6 Raffles Blvd, #02-49 S039594 Enjoy 10% off dine-in ala carte items purchased at KITH CAFÉ (Bras Basah, Marina Square).

Capital Zouk

3C River Valley Road The Cannery, #02-02, S179022 Enjoy free entry into Capital Zouk before midnight.

For more Festival deals, visit sifa.sg.

Unless otherwise stated, all promotions are valid till 2 June, Sunday. Not applicable with other promotions, discounts, vouchers and offers by credit or privilege cards. Ticket stubs presented must be in its original condition and e-tickets must be shown via electronic devices clearly. Management reserves the right to amend any promotional terms and conditions without prior notice. Merchants’ terms and conditions apply.

ABOUT SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS As Singapore’s annual pinnacle arts festival, the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) presents captivating and diverse works across theatre, music, dance, film and visual arts. First launched as the Singapore Festival of Arts in 1977, the festival has gone through several evolutions and inspired generations of arts lovers and practitioners.

Today, the highly-anticipated festival is a high-point on Singapore’s arts and cultural calendar.

Under the helm of Festival Director Gaurav Kripalani from 2018–2020, SIFA continues its festival mission to champion the creation and presentation of Singaporean and international works.

ARTS HOUSE LIMITED BOARD Chairperson Christine Ong Members Chong Yuan Chien Deborah Ho Eduardo Ramos-Gómez Kelvin Ang Kenneth Kwok Lynette Pang Madeleine Lee Maniza Jumabhoy Mok Wei Wei Ong Chao Choon Ong Choon Fah Sarah Martin (Ex-Officio)

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS THE SIFA TEAM

Chief Executive Officer Sarah Martin Festival Director Gaurav Kripalani Chief Financial Officer Ng Soon Lee Head, Production Cindy Yeong Head, Marketing Jasmine Gan Assistant Head, Event Services Management Emma Izzabella Tagoe

PROGRAMMING Producers Sara Joan Fang Rydwan Anwar Ye Junmin Senior Manager Lisa Lip Manager Shridar Mani Assistant Manager Alicia Chong Festival Assistant Chong Xinyi

PRODUCTION

Production Manager Chan Silei Yo Shao Ann Production Co-ordinators Celestine Wong Melissa Chin Technical Co-ordinators Huang Xiangbin Ian Tan

Assistant Technical Co-ordinator Muhammed Muzzamier Bin Abu Bakar Production Assistants Chong Wee Nee Alexis Ho

MARKETING & TICKETING Senior Managers Elizabeth Wong Winnie Chan Managers Allison Lai Fiona Chua Senior Designers Hakim bin Rahim Md Firdaus bin Wari Executives Juliana Tan Shariffah Natasha Dinah Eriqah Azman Intern Chew Ying Ying

COMMUNICATIONS Manager Khairi Johann Jasmin Intern Jamie Buitelaar

PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Manager Norita Senin Executive Tan Yanru

EVENT SERVICES MANAGEMENT

Managers, Artist Logistics Carine Lee Syafiq Zulkepli Managers, Front-of-House Nura Osman Germaine Leow Manager, Back-of-House Hospitality Esther Goh Manager, Event Services Johnson Kee Manager, Special Projects and Operations Zalikha Mis’ari Executive, Front-of-House Kitty Kwan

FINANCE

Managers Vivian Gan Executives Aileen Ong Izyan Nooraini Bte Ramlee

HUMAN RESOURCE Manager Noraliza Ramli Senior Executive Elaine Neo

ADMINISTRATION

Centre Manager Lucas Chiew Executive Nor Limah Binte Ja’ffa

DON’T MISS

THESE OTHER PRODUCTIONS IN THE FESTIVAL ST/LL

KÖRPER

24 & 25 May, Fri & Sat Esplanade Theatre

31 May & 1 Jun, Fri & Sat Esplanade Theatre

Photo by Yoshikazu Inoue

Photo by Bernd Uhlig

DIONYSUS

BILL FRISELL TRIO

by Shiro Takatani, Dumb Type (Japan)

by Sasha Waltz & Hans Peter Kuhn (Germany)

by Suzuki Company of Toga & Purnati Indonesia (Japan & Indonesia)

featuring Rudy Royston & Thomas Morgan (USA)

17 & 18 May, Fri & Sat Victoria Theatre

29 May, Wed Victoria Theatre

Performed in various languages with English surtitles.

Photo courtesy of Purnati Indonesia (2018). Photo by Dian P. Susilaradeya

Photo by Monica Frisell

THE MYSTERIOUS LAI TECK

CROWD

by Gisèle Vienne (France)

by Ho Tzu Nyen (Singapore)

1 & 2 Jun, Sat & Sun Victoria Theatre

17 - 19 May, Fri - Sun SOTA Drama Theatre Performed in Mandarin with English surtitles. Photo by Park Suhwan.

Photo by Barbara Braun/MuTphoto

DISPLACED PERSONS’ WELCOME DINNER

A DREAM UNDER THE SOUTHERN BOUGH: REVERIE

24 - 26 May, Fri - Sun Victoria Theatre

31 May - 2 Jun, Fri - Sun Drama Centre Theatre

Photo by Joel Lim @ Calibre Pictures

Performed in Mandarin with English and Chinese surtitles.

南柯一梦 之 如梦

by Checkpoint Theatre (Singapore)

by Toy Factory Productions Ltd (Singapore)

FREE PROGRAMMES AND MORE WE CAN DANCE

DE RELAXERETTE

Daily tous les jours, featuring ScRach MarcS (Canada/Singapore)

Arjan Kruidhof and Explore-the-North (The Netherlands) 12 – 20 May & 22 May – 2 Jun, Daily, Various timings The Plaza, National Library Building

10 May - 2 Jun Daily, Various Timings The Plaza, National Library Building

FOR FULL FESTIVAL LINE-UP, VISIT SIFA.SG Organised By

Commissioned By

Supported By

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