S IN G A P OR E SY MPHON Y ORC HE S T R A
26 & 27 Jan 2024
Esplanade Concert Hall
from the Composer Steven Spielberg’s film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial has always held a special place in my heart, and I personally think it’s his masterpiece. In looking at it today, it’s as fresh and new as when it was made in 1982. Cars may change, along with hairstyles and clothes… but the performances, particularly by the children and by E.T. himself, are so honest, timeless and true, that the film absolutely qualifies to be ranked as a classic. What’s particularly special about tonight’s concert is that we’ll hear one of our great symphony orchestras, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, performing the entire score live, along with the complete picture, sound effects and dialogue. I know I speak for everyone connected with the making of E.T. in saying that we’re greatly honored by this event… and I hope that tonight’s audience will find great joy in experiencing this magical film.
John Williams
SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 26 & 27 JAN 2024, 7.30PM JOSHUA TAN, CONDUCTOR A STEVEN SPIELBERG Film
DEE WALLACE PETER COYOTE HENRY THOMAS as ELLIOTT Music by JOHN WILLIAMS Written by MELISSA MATHISON Produced by STEVEN SPIELBERG & KATHLEEN KENNEDY Directed by STEVEN SPIELBERG A UNIVERSAL PICTURE
Tonight’s program is a presentation of the complete film E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial with a live performance of the film’s entire score, including music played by the orchestra during the end credits. Out of respect for the musicians and your fellow audience members, please remain seated until the conclusion of the credits. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Available on Blu-ray and DVD from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Director Steven Spielberg’s heartwarming masterpiece is one of the brightest stars in motion picture history. Filled with unparalleled magic and imagination, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial follows the moving story of a lost little alien who befriends a 10-year-old boy named Elliott. Experience all the mystery and fun of their unforgettable adventure in the beloved movie that captivated audiences around the world.
Singapore Symphony Orchestra Since its founding in 1979, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has been Singapore’s flagship orchestra, touching lives through classical music and providing the heartbeat of the cultural scene with its 44-week calendar of events. The SSO is led by Music Director Hans Graf, the third in the orchestra’s history after Lan Shui (1997–2019) and Choo Hoey (1979 –1996). In addition to its subscription series concerts, the orchestra is well-loved for its outdoor and community appearances, and its significant role educating the young people of Singapore. The SSO has also earned an international reputation for its orchestral virtuosity, having garnered sterling reviews for its overseas tours and over 50 recordings, culminating in its 3rd place win in the prestigious Gramophone Orchestra of the Year Award 2021. In 2022, BBC Music Magazine named the SSO as one of the 21 best orchestras in the world. The SSO performs over 60 concerts a year at such venues as the Esplanade Concert Hall and Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore. Bridging the musical traditions of East and West, Singaporean and Asian musicians and composers are regularly showcased in its concert seasons. Its versatile repertoire spans all-time favourites and orchestral masterpieces to exciting cutting-edge premieres. The SSO is part of the Singapore Symphony Group, which also manages the Singapore Symphony Choruses, the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, and the VCHpresents chamber music series, the Singapore International Piano Festival and the biennial National Piano & Violin Competition.
Joshua Tan conductor A graduate of The Juilliard School and the Eastman School of Music, Joshua Tan was Second Prize winner of the Dimitri Mitropoulos International Competition and an awardee of numerous scholarships and awards, including the Young Artist Award – Singapore, Bruno Walter Memorial Foundation Award, NAC-Shell Scholarship, and the SSO/MOE Scholarship. He was the first conductor to be presented the Charles Schiff prize from The Juilliard School. His performances of Bernstein’s Mass and the opera Don Pasquale were selected as the best classical concerts of the year 2018 and 2019 by The Straits Times. Joshua has conducted orchestras all around the world. He has studied with various eminent conductors — James DePreist, Charles Dutoit, David Zinman and Kurt Masur — and worked with many others, such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Ingo Metzmacher and George Manahan. A versatile conductor, Joshua is at home with symphonic, operatic and ballet works. His repertoire for opera includes La Traviata, Rigoletto, Der Fliegende Holländer, Lohengrin, Carmen, Don Giovanni, Madama Butterfly, Così fan tutte, and Turandot. He is equally adept with music for ballet, film and multimedia, having worked for Disney’s Fantasia and Pixar, BBC’s Blue Planet series, West Side Story, Jurassic Park and more. Presently Principal Conductor of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra and Director of the Asia Virtuosi, he has served successful stints as Associate Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Resident Conductor of the National Center for the Performing Arts (China) Orchestra, and as Principal Conductor of the Guiyang Symphony Orchestra. Highlights of this season include debuts with the Melbourne, New Zealand and Manila Symphony Orchestras, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de Bretagne, and a new opera premiere in Hong Kong, among others.
the Orchestra HANS GRAF Music Director RODOLFO BARRÁEZ Associate Conductor CHOO HOEY Conductor Emeritus LAN SHUI Conductor Laureate EUDENICE PALARUAN Choral Director WONG LAI FOON Choirmaster FIRST VIOLIN (Position vacant) Concertmaster, GK Goh Chair Wang Xiao Ming3 Guest Concertmaster Kong Zhao Hui1 Associate Concertmaster Chan Yoong-Han2 Fixed Chair Cao Can* Chen Da Wei Duan Yu Ling Foo Say Ming Jin Li Kong Xianlong Cindy Lee Lim Shue Churn3 Karen Tan William Tan Wei Zhe Ye Lin* Zhang Si Jing SECOND VIOLIN Michael Loh Associate Principal Wilford Goh3 Nikolai Koval* Sayuri Kuru Hai-Won Kwok Chikako Sasaki* Margit Saur Shao Tao Tao
Tseng Chieh-An Wu Man Yun* Xu Jueyi* Yeo Teow Meng Yew Shan3 Yin Shu Zhan* Zhao Tian VIOLA Manchin Zhang Principal Guan Qi Associate Principal Gu Bing Jie* Fixed Chair Erlene Koh3 Marietta Ku Luo Biao Julia Park Shui Bing Janice Tsai Dandan Wang Yang Shi Li Yeo Jan Wea3 CELLO Ng Pei-Sian Principal, The HEAD Foundation Chair Yu Jing Associate Principal Guo Hao Fixed Chair Chan Wei Shing Christopher Mui Jamshid Saydikarimov Song Woon Teng Wang Yan Wu Dai Dai Zhao Yu Er DOUBLE BASS Yang Zheng Yi Associate Principal Karen Yeo Fixed Chair Olga Alexandrova Julian Li3 Jacek Mirucki Guennadi Mouzyka Hibiki Otomo3 Wang Xu FLUTE Jin Ta Principal, Stephen Riady Chair Evgueni Brokmiller Associate Principal Roberto Alvarez Miao Shanshan
PICCOLO Roberto Alvarez Assistant Principal OBOE Rachel Walker Principal Pan Yun Associate Principal Carolyn Hollier Elaine Yeo COR ANGLAIS Elaine Yeo Associate Principal CLARINET Ma Yue Principal Li Xin Associate Principal Liu Yoko Tang Xiao Ping BASS CLARINET Tang Xiao Ping Assistant Principal BASSOON Marcelo Padilla^ Principal Liu Chang Associate Principal Christoph Wichert Zhao Ying Xue CONTRABASSOON Zhao Ying Xue Assistant Principal
TROMBONE Allen Meek Principal Damian Patti Associate Principal Samuel Armstrong BASS TROMBONE Wang Wei Assistant Principal TUBA Tomoki Natsume Principal TIMPANI Christian Schiøler Principal Mario Choo PERCUSSION Jonathan Fox Principal Mark Suter Associate Principal Mario Choo Mark De Souza3 Lim Meng Keh HARP Gulnara Mashurova Principal PIANO/KEYBOARD/CELESTA Aya Sakou3
HORN Austin Larson Principal Gao Jian Associate Principal Jamie Hersch Associate Principal Marc-Antoine Robillard Associate Principal Bryan Chong^ Hoang Van Hoc TRUMPET Jon Paul Dante Principal David Smith Associate Principal Lau Wen Rong Nuttakamon Supattranont
*With deep appreciation to the Rin Collection for their generous loan of string instruments. ^ Musician on temporary contract 1 Kong Zhao Hui performs on a J.B. Guadagnini of Milan, c. 1750, donated by the National Arts Council, Singapore, with the support of Far East Organization and Lee Foundation. 2 Chan Yoong-Han performs on a David Tecchler, Fecit Roma An. D. 1700, courtesy of Mr G K Goh. Musicians listed alphabetically by family name rotate their seats on a per programme basis. 3 Guest musician
production credits E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial in Concert produced by Film Concerts Live!, a joint venture of IMG Artists, LLC and The Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, Inc. Producers: Steven A. Linder and Jamie Richardson Director of Operations: Rob Stogsdill Production Manager: Sophie Greaves Production Assistant: Katherine Miron Worldwide Representation: IMG Artists, LLC Technical Director: Mike Runice Music Composed by John Williams Music Preparation: Jo Ann Kane Music Service Film Preparation for Concert Performance: Ramiro Belgardt Technical Consultant: Laura Gibson Sound Remixing for Concert Performance: Chace Audio by Deluxe The score for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial has been adapted for live concert performance. With special thanks to: Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, John Williams, David Newman, Michael Silver, Patrick Koors, Tammy Olsen, Lawrence Liu, Thomas Schroder, Tanya Perra, Chris Herzberger, Noah Bergman, Jason Jackowski, Shayne Mifsud, Darice Murphy, Mark Graham and the musicians and staff of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.
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John Williams In a career spanning more than six decades, John Williams has become one of America’s most accomplished and successful composers for film and the concert stage. He remains one of America’s most distinguished and contributive musical voices. He has composed the music for more than one hundred films, including all nine Star Wars films, the first three Harry Potter films, Schindler’s List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Lincoln, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman and the Indiana Jones films. He served as music director of the Boston Pops Orchestra for fourteen seasons and remains their Laureate Conductor. He has composed numerous works for the concert stage including two symphonies and more than a dozen concertos commissioned by some of America’s most prominent orchestras. He has received five Academy Awards and fifty-three Oscar nominations, seven British Academy Awards, twenty-five Grammys, four Golden Globes, and five Emmys. His other honors include the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, an honorary KBE from Queen Elizabeth II, the Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute, Spain’s Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts, and the Gold Medal from the UK’s prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society.
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The vision of the Singapore Symphony Group is to be a leading arts organization that engages, inspires and reflects Singapore through musical excellence. Our mission is to create memorable shared experiences with music. Through the SSO and its affiliated performing groups, we spread the love for music, nurture talent and enrich our diverse communities. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. You can support us by donating at www.sso.org.sg/donate.