Singapore Symphony Orchestra Jul-Aug 2019 Programme

C O NCE RT PRO GRAMME JU L Y - A UGUST 2019

STEVEN OSBORNE PLAYS MOZART KERSON LEONG PLAYS SCHUMANN WANG JIAN • FLOWING SLEEVES

Jul - Aug 2019 STEVEN OSBORNE PLAYS MOZART 25 & 26 Jul 2019, Thu & Fri Victoria Concert Hall T

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KERSON LEONG PLAYS SCHUMANN 1 & 2 Aug 2019, Thu & Fri Victoria Concert Hall T

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WANG JIAN • FLOWING SLEEVES 15 Aug 2019, Thu Esplanade Concert Hall T

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28

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For the enjoyment of all patrons during the concert: - Please switch off or silence all electronic devices.

- Please minimise noises during performance. If unavoidable, wait for a loud section in the music.

- No photography, video or audio recording is allowed when artistes are performing.

- Non-flash photography is allowed during bows and applause.

Go green. Digital programme booklets are available on www.sso.org.sg.

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

T Pre-concert Talk A Autograph Session

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 in the cosmopolitan city-state.

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 many successful recordings.

The SSO makes its performing home at the 1,800-seat state-of-the-art Esplanade Concert Hall. More intimate works and all outreach and community performances take place at the 673-seat Victoria Concert Hall, the home of the SSO. The orchestra performs 100 concerts a year, and its versatile repertoire spans all-time favourites and orchestral masterpieces to exciting cutting-edge premieres. Bridging the musical traditions of East and West, Singaporean and Asian musicians and composers are regularly showcased in the concert season. This has been a core of the SSO’s programming philosophy from the very beginning under Choo Hoey, who was Music Director from 1979 to 1996.

Under the Music Directorship of Lan Shui from 1997 to January 2019, the SSO has performed in Europe, Asia and the United States. In May 2016 the SSO was invited to perform at the Dresden Music Festival and the Prague Spring International Music Festival.

This successful five‑city tour of Germany and Prague also included the SSO’s return to the

Orchestral playing at the peak of refinement and beauty Fanfare Berlin Philharmonie after six years. In 2014 the SSO’s debut at the 120th BBC Proms in London received critical acclaim in the major UK newspapers The Guardian and Telegraph.

The SSO has also performed in China on multiple occasions.

Notable SSO releases under BIS include a Rachmaninoff series, a “Seascapes” album, two Debussy discs “La Mer” and “Jeux”, and the first-ever cycle of Tcherepnin’s piano concertos and symphonies. The SSO has also collaborated with such great artists as Lorin Maazel, Charles Dutoit, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Neeme Järvi, Gustavo Dudamel, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Diana Damrau, Martha Argerich, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Janine Jansen, Leonidas Kavakos and Gil Shaham.

The SSO is part of the Singapore Symphony Group, which also manages the Singapore Symphony Choruses, and the Singapore National Youth Orchestra.

The mission of the Group is to create memorable shared experiences with music.

Through the SSO and its affiliate performing groups, we spread the love for music, nurture talent and enrich Singapore’s diverse communities.

S T E V E N O S B O R N E P L A Y S M O Z A R T | 25 & 26 JUL 2019

York critic Alex Ross as “one of the most gripping events of the current season”.

The concert entitled “Music for a Time of War” with works by Ives, Adams, Britten and Vaughan Williams was subsequently released by Pentatone and was nominated for a Grammy Award for “Best Orchestral Performance”. They received another nomination for “Spirit of the American Range” featuring works by Walter Piston, George Antheil and Copland Symphony No. 3. Spring 2017 saw the release of Haydn Symphonies Nos. 53, 64 and 96 and in September 2018, the release of “Aspects of America” including works by Barber, Kenji Bunch, Christopher Rouse and Sebastian Currier. His recordings for Cedille records include a CD of American orchestral works, repertoire by Szymanowski, Martinu and Bartók and works by Joachim and Brahms with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

CARLOS KALMAR conductor Carlos Kalmar is a conductor with a passion for introducing audiences and orchestras to less well-known repertoire and is regularly praised for his innovative programmes.

He brings with him a wide breadth of musical expertise drawn from his 30 years’ experience as Music Director. He enters his 16th year as Music Director of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra and continues as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Chicago’s Grant Park Music Festival.

Born in Uruguay to Austrian parents, Carlos Kalmar studied conducting with Karl Österreicher at the College for Music in Vienna and in 1984 won First Prize at the Hans Swarowsky Conducting Competition.

He has previously served as Music Director with the RTVE (Orquesta Sinfónica de Radio Televisión Española) Madrid, Stuttgart Philharmonic, Anhaltisches Theater and Philharmonic Orchestra in Dessau and the Niederösterreichisches Tonkünstlerorchester in Vienna.

In May 2011 Kalmar made his highly acclaimed Carnegie Hall debut with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, noted by New 4

S T E V E N O S B O R N E P L A Y S M O Z A R T | 25 & 26 JUL 2019

STEVEN OSBORNE piano Steven Osborne is one of Britain’s most treasured musicians whose insightful and idiomatic interpretations of diverse repertoire show an immense musical depth.

His numerous awards include The Royal Philharmonic Society Instrumentalist of the Year (2013) and two Gramophone Awards.

Concerto performances take Steven Osborne to major orchestras all over the world including recent visits to the Deutsches Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Salzburg Mozarteum, Radio Symphonieorchester Wien, Oslo Philharmonic, London Symphony, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival and Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center.

Marking his 20th year as a Hyperion recording artist, summer 2018 saw the release of Rachmaninov Etudes Tableaux.

His 28 releases have accumulated numerous awards in the UK, France, Germany and his recordings span a wide range of repertoire.

Steven Osborne’s recitals of carefully crafted programmes are publicly and critically acclaimed without exception. He has performed in many of the world’s prestigious venues including the Konzerthaus Vienna, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Philharmonie Berlin, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Lincoln Center NY and is a regular guest at London’s Wigmore Hall. His chamber music partners include Alban Gerhardt, Paul Lewis, James Ehnes, Dietrich Henschel and Alina Ibragimova.

Born in Scotland he studied with Richard Beauchamp at St. Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh and Renna Kellaway at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

He is a Visiting Professor at the Royal Academy of Music and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in March 2014.

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K E R S O N L E O N G P L A Y S S C H U M A N N | 1 & 2 AUG 2019

Philharmonic orchestras and returns to the Baltimore, St Louis and Cincinnati symphony orchestras, New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra and NDR Elbphilharmonie.

In May 2019 Lintu was appointed Chief Conductor of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, a role which he takes up in January 2022 shortly after his eighth and final season as the FRSO’s Chief Conductor.

The appointment follows a series of hugely successful productions including Tristan und Isolde in 2016, Sibelius’s Kullervo in 2017 and Berg’s Wozzeck in Spring 2019; he also conducts Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos in January-February 2020. Lintu also regularly conducts at the Savonlinna Festival, most recently for productions of Verdi’s Otello (2018) and Sallinen’s Kullervo (2017).

HANNU LINTU conductor The 2019/20 season marks Hannu Lintu’s seventh year as Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Guest highlights include returns to the Boston and Detroit symphony orchestras, Orchestre de Paris (following an acclaimed debut in 2018), Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Iceland Symphony Orchestra; Lintu also debuts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg and Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich.

Recent engagements include debuts with the Boston Symphony and Hungarian National

Lintu has made several recordings for Ondine, BIS, Naxos, Avie and Hyperion.

He studied cello and piano at the Sibelius Academy, where he later studied conducting with Jorma Panula, and participated in masterclasses with Myung-Whun Chung at the L’Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy, taking First Prize at the Nordic Conducting Competition in Bergen in 1994.

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K E R S O N L E O N G P L A Y S S C H U M A N N | 1 & 2 AUG 2019

KERSON LEONG violin Ever since winning Junior First Prize at the Menuhin Competition 2010, Kerson Leong has astonished and won over fellow musicians and audiences with his rare and unique mastery of his instrument, a natural command over the subtlest of emotions, and the colossal scope of his live performances.

Having been called “Canada’s next great violinist” (Ludwig van Toronto), he has distinguished himself as one of the most brilliant musicians of his generation.

and Stockton Symphony Orchestras, the Orchestre National de Lorraine, and the Orchestra Gulbenkian.

Leong has played in some of the most prestigious concert venues around the world from Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium and the Auditorium du Louvre to Wigmore Hall and the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. Recent highlights include his tenure as Artist-in-Residence with the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montreal under Yannick Nézet-Séguin for the 2018/2019 season. Already a sought-after soloist, he has performed with such ensembles as the Royal, Oslo, Royal Liège, and Kansai Philharmonic Orchestras, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Stavanger, Wuppertal, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Quebec,

Since 2015, Leong has been an Artistin-Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium, mentored by Augustin Dumay. Teaching is a growing passion for Leong, having taught at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, the University of Ottawa, and Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Leong performs on a Guarneri del Gesu violin courtesy of Canimex Inc, Drummondville (Quebec), Canada.

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W A N G J I A N • F L O W I N G S L E E V E S | 15 AUG 2019

Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, London Sinfonietta, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra and Oulu Symphony Orchestra, as well as numerous re-invitations to the prestigious BBC Proms.

Following the success of her debut at the Royal Opera House in 2017 conducting the premiere of Na’ama Zisser’s Mamzer, she was immediately re-invited to conduct the world premiere of The Monstrous Child by Gavin Higgins, which was “strikingly brought to life by the Aurora Orchestra conducted by Jessica Cottis” (Financial Times).

JESSICA COTTIS conductor

Upcoming performances this season include a return to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and debuts with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony, and the English Chamber Orchestra. She works widely as an advocate for classical music.

Jessica Cottis spent her early professional years as assistant conductor to Vladimir Ashkenazy at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Since then her performances have received consistent acclaim in the national and international press.

Recently noted as “Classical ‘face to watch’” (The Times), Cottis’s dynamic conducting style, high musical intellect, and inspirational leadership have led to guest conducting invitations from orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Houston Symphony, London Philharmonic 8

W A N G J I A N • F L O W I N G S L E E V E S | 15 AUG 2019

WANG JIAN cello While a student at the Shanghai Conservatoire Wang Jian was featured in the celebrated documentary film From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China. Mr Stern’s encouragement and support paved the way for him to go to the United States to study with Aldo Parisot at the Yale School of Music.

Wang’s first professional engagement was in 1986, at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Since then he has embarked on an international career, early highlights including concerts with the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra/ Claudio Abbado and with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Riccardo Chailly.

He has also performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras including the London Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Zurich Tonhalle, NDR Hamburg, Stockholm Philharmonic, Santa Cecilia, Orchestre de Paris and NHK Symphony.

complete Bach Cello Suites at the National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing, where he was Artist-in-Residence for the 2015/16 season. Wang also has a close relationship with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra; he was their first ever Artist-in-Residence and is now a member of the artistic committee for both the orchestra and concert hall.

He has an extensive discography with DGG, including the Bach Cello Suites and the Brahms Double Concerto with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado and Gil Shaham and chamber music with Maria João Pires and Augustin Dumay. His instrument is graciously loaned to him by the family of the late Mr. Sau-Wing Lam.

Amongst his many high-profile concerts in China, he has played for the President and opened the season for the China Philharmonic, Shanghai Symphony and Macau Symphony Orchestras. He has also played with the China National Orchestra, Hangzhou Symphony and performed the 9

SECOND VIOLIN Michael Loh Associate Principal Hai-Won Kwok Fixed Chair Kong Xianlong Nikolai Koval* Chikako Sasaki* Margit Saur Shao Tao Tao Wu Man Yun* Xu Jue Yi* Ye Lin* Yeo Teow Meng Yin Shu Zhan* Zhang Si Jing* Zhao Tian*

The Orchestra joshua tan Associate Conductor andrew litton Principal Guest Conductor Choo Hoey Conductor Emeritus

VIOLA

Lan Shui Conductor Laureate

Zhang Manchin Principal Guan Qi Associate Principal Gu Bing Jie* Fixed Chair Marietta Ku Luo Biao Julia Park Shui Bing Janice Tsai Wang Dandan Yang Shi Li

Eudenice Palaruan Choral Director WONG LAI FOON Choirmaster

FIRST VIOLIN

CELLO

Lynnette Seah# Co-Concertmaster Kong Zhao Hui* Associate Concertmaster Chan Yoong-Han Fixed Chair Cao Can* Chen Da Wei Duan Yu Ling Foo Say Ming Gu Wen Li Jin Li Cindy Lee Karen Tan William Tan Wei Zhe

Ng Pei-Sian Principal Yu Jing Associate Principal Guo Hao Fixed Chair Chan Wei Shing Jamshid Saydikarimov Song Woon Teng Wang Yan Wang Zihao* Wu Dai Dai Zhao Yu Er DOUBLE BASS Yang Zheng Yi Associate Principal Karen Yeo Fixed Chair Olga Alexandrova Jacek Mirucki Guennadi Mouzyka Wang Xu 10

FLUTE

HORN

Jin Ta Principal Evgueni Brokmiller Associate Principal Roberto Alvarez Miao Shanshan

Han Chang Chou Principal Gao Jian Associate Principal Jamie Hersch Associate Principal Marc-Antoine Robillard Associate Principal Hoang Van Hoc

PICCOLO TRUMPET

Roberto Alvarez Assistant Principal

Jon Paul Dante Principal David Smith Associate Principal Lau Wen Rong Sergey Tyuteykin

OBOE Rachel Walker Principal Pan Yun Associate Principal Carolyn Hollier Elaine Yeo

TROMBONE

Elaine Yeo Associate Principal

Allen Meek Principal Damian Patti Associate Principal Samuel Armstrong

CLARINET

BASS TROMBONE

Ma Yue Principal Li Xin Associate Principal Liu Yoko Tang Xiao Ping

Wang Wei Assistant Principal

COR ANGLAIS

TIMPANI Christian Schiøler Principal Jonathan Fox Associate Principal

BASS CLARINET PERCUSSION

Tang Xiao Ping Assistant Principal

Jonathan Fox Principal Mark Suter Associate Principal Lim Meng Keh Mario Choo

BASSOON Wang Xiaoke Principal Liu Chang Associate Principal Christoph Wichert Zhao Ying Xue

HARP Gulnara Mashurova Principal

CONTRABASSOON Zhao Ying Xue Assistant Principal

*With deep appreciation to the Rin Collection for their generous loan of string instruments.

Lynnette Seah 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.

Musicians listed alphabetically by family name rotate their seats on a per programme basis.

#

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Guest Musicians 25 & 26 JUL

FIRST VIOLIN Markus Gundermann Concertmaster SECOND VIOLIN Timothy Peters Principal HARPSICHORD Shane Thio 1 & 2 AUG

FIRST VIOLIN Markus Gundermann Concertmaster SECOND VIOLIN Timothy Peters Principal 15 AUG

FIRST VIOLIN Markus Gundermann Concertmaster

TUBA Teng Siang Hong

SECOND VIOLIN Zhao Yingna Principal Lee Shi Mei Priscilla Neo Edward Tan

CELESTE Aya Sakou

VIOLA Wei Wei Tan Yeo Jan Wea DOUBLE BASS Janne Johansson Principal Ma Li Ming

Information correct at time of printing 12

Tote Board’s goal is to help build a

flourishing society. We want to inspire positive change and contribute towards building an inclusive, resilient and vibrant community, while fostering a caring and compassionate nation.

As a broad-based grantmaking organisation, Tote Board works closely with stakeholders and partners to support broad and diverse worthy projects in the sectors of Arts & Culture, Community Development, Education, Health, Social Service and Sports. Through these projects, Tote Board helps to uplift the community by giving hope to vulnerable groups and improving the lives of all in Singapore.

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Steven Osborne Plays Mozart 25 & 26 Jul 2019, 7.30pm Victoria Concert Hall

Singapore Symphony Orchestra Carlos Kalmar conductor Steven Osborne piano ROSSINI Overture to The Silken Ladder MOZART Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K.414

25 mins

Intermission

20 mins

KERNIS Musica Celestis HAYDN Symphony No. 98 in B-flat major

28 mins

Concert duration: 1 hr 45 mins

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Pre-concert Talk | 6.30pm, VCH Music Studio

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Intermission autograph signing with Steven Osborne in the stalls foyer.

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7 mins

11 mins

S T E V E N O S B O R N E P L A Y S M O Z A R T | 25 & 26 JUL 2019

Programme Notes British Journeys This season, we look at Great Britain and the sea-faring journeys that started and ended there – from the works of European musicians who were inspired by their travels to London and Scotland, to those of British composers in the 19th to early 20th century writing about their travels and the world around them.

London, rivalled only by Vienna, was the musical capital of Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Musicians and composers flocked there to find fame and fortune, including the three on this programme. Haydn and Rossini arrived at the height of their fame, while Mozart was an eight-year-old prodigy on a Grand Tour of Europe, performing with his exceptionally gifted older sister Maria Anna, nicknamed Nannerl.

opportunity to travel. He could have gone anywhere, but he chose London where his fame reigned. He made two extremely successful and profitable trips there, the first in 1791–1792 and a second in 1794– 1795. He was the toast of the town both socially and musically. Haydn received news of Mozart’s death on 27 January 1791. He wrote to a friend, “I could not believe that Providence would so soon claim the life of such an indispensable man.”

London was just one stop on a tour of European courts arranged by their father to capitalise on their talents. The family arrived in London on 23 April 1764 and stayed for 15 months. King George III and Queen Charlotte warmly welcomed the Mozarts and the children performed at Buckingham Palace on three occasions. It was here that the young Mozart wrote his first two symphonies. His sister, however, sometimes received top billing at their joint concerts due to her skills as a harpsichordist.

Rossini’s time in London from December 1823 to July 1824 was so profitable that it paved the way for his early retirement. He conducted concerts, prepared productions of his operas and performed for King George IV at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Rossini’s admiration for Haydn and Mozart was well known. He would frequently proclaim: “I take Beethoven twice a week, Haydn four times, but Mozart every day … Mozart is always adorable.”

Moving forward to the 1790s: Haydn, then well-established and nearing age 60, increasingly found himself with the 15

S T E V E N O S B O R N E P L A Y S M O Z A R T | 25 & 26 JUL 2019

Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) Overture to The Silken Ladder (La scala di seta, 1812) When he was 18 years old, Rossini decided that his future lay in composing operas, so he moved to Venice, where he was soon contracted by the Teatro San Moisè to produce four farse, or one-act comic operas.

They were the popular music of the day.

Success was determined by whether the hit tunes were played in the cafes surrounding St. Mark’s Square.

For a young composer, the small Teatro San Moisè was an ideal place to polish one’s talents; the pay was good and the productions were simply staged. Rossini struck gold with his first one, and The Silken Ladder followed shortly thereafter on 9 May 1812. Its plot is forgettable and so is much of the music, except for its sparkling overture.

From the very beginning, Rossini composed overtures that were tuneful, exciting and left the audience in a frenzied state of anticipation. The overture to The Silken Ladder is one of his most brilliant and contains all of the elements for which he became famous — delightful passages for the woodwinds; a charming oboe solo; the sprightly playing of the piccolo — that form a sophisticated union of rhythm, melody and harmony. The precursor to the famous Rossini crescendo, in which music gradually builds in volume and speeds to a climax, is already evident.

Above: George IV (left) greeting Rossini at the Brighton Pavilion, 1823

Instrumentation flute doubling on piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bassoon, 2 horns, strings World Premiere 9 May 1812, Venice, Italy First performed by SSO 11 & 12 Feb 1980 16

I II III

Allegro Andante Allegretto

On 9 May 1781, Mozart took a leap into the unknown by severing ties with his patron, the Archbishop of Salzburg. Mozart had long chafed at being a mere servant in aristocratic service and was determined to pursue fame and fortune relying only his own genius. Having moved to Vienna, he married Constanze Weber contrary to his father’s wishes. Freedom, marriage and a new city spurred a burst of creativity for the 25-year old Mozart.

derive satisfaction; but these passages are written in such a way that the less learned cannot fail to be pleased without knowing why.”

The influence of Johann Christian Bach, Mozart’s childhood friend and teacher, who had died on 1 January 1782, is heard throughout. The opening four measures of the first movement are an example of Mozart’s genius with its repeated F-major chords. The march-like rhythm of its second theme is characteristic and would reappear in many of Mozart’s Vienna concertos. One of J.C. Bach’s themes forms the basis of the middle movement. The concluding Allegretto, as with the opening Allegro, contains a wealth of melodies deftly interwoven in a light, brilliant texture that only Mozart could achieve.

The piano concerto was the most personal of the genres in which Mozart worked, perfectly summarised by one writer as the arias that he wrote for himself to sing and the symphonies that he wrote for himself to play. It was to become his musical calling card in Vienna. The Piano Concerto No. 12, dating from the summer or autumn of 1782, was the first of three that Mozart composed in his early days there.

Mozart was keenly focused on the marketability of the three concertos. To further broaden the appeal of K.414, in addition to the orchestral version scored for strings, two oboes and two horns, he also prepared one for string quartet accompaniment. In December 1782, he wrote to his father, “These concertos are a happy medium between what is too easy and too difficult; they are very brilliant, pleasing to the ear, and natural, without being trite. There are passages here and there from which connoisseurs alone can

Instrumentation 2 oboes, 2 horns, strings World Premiere c. early 1783 First performed by SSO 29 & 30 Nov 1996 (Mari Kodama, piano) 17

S T E V E N O S B O R N E P L A Y S M O Z A R T | 25 & 26 JUL 2019

wolfgang amadeus mozart (1756–1791) Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K.414 (1782)

S T E V E N O S B O R N E P L A Y S M O Z A R T | 25 & 26 JUL 2019

Aaron Jay Kernis (b. 1960) Musica Celestis (1990) Musica Celestis is inspired by the medieval conception of that phrase, which refers to the singing of the angels in heaven in praise of God without end. (“The office of singing pleases God if it is performed with an attentive mind, when in this way, we imitate the choirs of angels who are said to sing the Lord’s praises without ceasing.” – Aurelian of Reome, translated by Barbara Newman) I don’t particularly believe in angels, but found this to be a potent image that has been reinforced by listening to a good deal of medieval music, especially the soaring work of Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179).

Musica Celestis follows a simple, spacious melody and harmonic pattern through a number of variations (like a passacaglia) and modulations, and is framed by an introduction and coda.

Programme note by Aaron Jay Kernis

Instrumentation strings World Premiere 30 Mar 1992, San Francisco Above: Harmony of the world, 1806 Ebenezer Sibly

First performed by SSO 25 & 26 Jul 2019 18

I II III IV

Adagio – Allegro Adagio cantabile Minuet – Trio Finale. Presto Although the finale starts off in a restrained manner, it soon evolves into a much grander work full of musical surprises. These include the brief violin solos that would have been played by the concertmaster, unexpected silences – false endings that would often triggered unwelcome applause, and a few measures of rippling arpeggios on the fortepiano that Hadyn would have played as conductor.

Haydn’s 98th Symphony is the sixth of his twelve “London Symphonies”, composed on his first trip to London and first performed at the Hanover Square Rooms on 2 March 1792. Though perhaps less well-known than the popular favourites such as the Surprise, Military, Clock and Drum Roll symphonies, it is nonetheless a masterful composition.

The symphony is also different from the others in mood; its poignancy attributed to the fact that Haydn’s reaction to the news of Mozart’s death while he was working on it.

Programme notes by Rick Perdian except where otherwise indicated.

The symphony is scored for flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, fortepiano and strings. It was the first time that Haydn used B-flat trumpets, adding a new sonority to his musical palate that would become as important to him in his later years as had C and D major previously. The opening theme is built from a B-flat minor triad, a key seldom used by 18th-century composers, which would have immediately caught the audience by surprise.

Instrumentation flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, harpsichord, strings

The Adagio cantabile, the hymn-like second movement, is thought of as Haydn’s memorial to Mozart. It begins with a few bars of God Save the King and later introduces thematic material that evokes Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony. The minuet and trio that follow are typical Haydn, exacting what the London audiences would have expected.

World Premiere 2 Mar 1792, London First performed by SSO 23 Oct 2009 19

S T E V E N O S B O R N E P L A Y S M O Z A R T | 25 & 26 JUL 2019

franz joseph haydn (1732–1809) Symphony No. 98 in B-flat major (1792)

Kerson Leong Plays Schumann 1 & 2 Aug 2019, 7.30pm Victoria Concert Hall

Singapore Symphony Orchestra Hannu Lintu conductor Kerson Leong violin HAYDN Symphony No. 88 in G major SCHUMANN Violin Concerto in D minor

33 mins

Intermission

20 mins

SCHUBERT Symphony No. 1 in D major, D.82

29 mins

Concert duration: 2 hrs

T

Pre-concert Talk | 6.30pm, VCH Hospitality Suite (1 Aug) 6.30pm, VCH Music Studio (2 Aug)

A

Intermission autograph signing with Kerson Leong in the stalls foyer.

20

23 mins

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Symphony No. 88 in G major (1787) I II III IV

Adagio – Allegro Largo Menuetto. Allegretto Finale. Allegro con spirito

Haydn’s Symphony No. 88 was completed in 1787, one of a set of five (Nos. 88 to 92) dedicated to (or sponsored by) the violinist Johann Peter Tost, principal second violinist in Haydn’s court orchestra. This is where it gets interesting.

halting phrases, as if an audience had arrived early for a theatrical production and were watching the backdrop unrolling, crew moving furniture and props onstage… but then Haydn begins his magic. Our master of economy takes a single seven-note theme, and builds an Allegro with this little seed, with every statement evolving from a previous idea, and in the recapitulation, a solo flute gilds the initial statement of the theme.

As the story goes, in 1788, Tost told Haydn he was taking a trip to Paris and offered to sell some works to Sieber, a Parisian music publisher, on the composer’s behalf. Haydn then entrusted Symphonies Nos. 88 and 89, as well as six string quartets, to Tost.

Tost sold to Sieber for 300 gulden not two but three ‘Haydn’ symphonies (the third by the Bohemian Adalbert Gyrowetz), as well as six Haydn piano sonatas to which he had no right at all. While Haydn was engaged in correspondence trying to sort out this mess, the French Revolution happened and Tost slipped away from Paris, returning not to Haydn’s base in Esterháza but to Vienna.

Tost married a rich wife and became a wellknown merchant and patron of chamber music. Haydn never did get paid anything of the 300 gulden.

“ Johannes Brahms remarked, ‘I want my Ninth Symphony to sound like this’. ” The Adagio begins delicately and poignantly with oboe and cello, making it all the more surprising when the trumpets and drums, unusually silent thus far, make their appearance with block chords punctuating the flow. Johannes Brahms remarked, “I want my Ninth Symphony to sound like this”.

The first movement begins with the standard slow introduction, a simple and brief prologue with sudden contrasts and 21

K E R S O N L E O N G P L A Y S S C H U M A N N | 1 & 2 AUG 2019

Programme Notes

K E R S O N L E O N G P L A Y S S C H U M A N N | 1 & 2 AUG 2019

Instrumentation flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings

The otherwise traditional Menuetto is notable in its contrasting central section, where the main subject’s irregular phrase lengths suggests a rustic feel, which the accompaniment accentuates with a drone.

Is this the Hungarian countryside creeping into Haydn’s creative process?

World Premiere Unknown (c. 1787) First performed by SSO 8 & 9 May 1998

The Finale – Allegro con spirito is a cheeky, playful reflection of Haydn at his humorous best, and contains a magisterial canon with precise imitation between the upper and lower strings, a classic example of counterpoint. This perpetuum mobile finale is one of Haydn’s most cheerful.

Robert Schumann (1810–1856) Violin Concerto in D minor (1853) I II III

In kräftigem, nicht zu schnellem Tempo Langsam Lebhaft, doch nicht schnell

master, Joachim never performed the concerto in public. After Schumann’s attempted suicide in February 1854 and later decline and death in a sanatorium, Joachim felt the morbid associations with Schumann’s madness were too much.

With the agreement of his widow Clara and Brahms (co-executors of the musical estate), the work was never published in the Complete Edition of Schumann’s works and remained practically unknown. The manuscript eventually ended up in the Prussian State Library in Berlin with the proviso that it was not to be performed until 100 years after Schumann’s death (1956).

But history takes such strange paths.

Haydn’s employers, the Esterházys, provide a link to our next work. Robert Schumann is usually cited as a composer for piano.

He wrote almost exclusively for piano until his marriage in 1840 to Clara Wieck, which seems to have inspired him to begin writing vocal music. That he wrote a Violin Concerto still surprises many. It was written in 1853 for the 22-year-old Hungarian celebrity violinist Joseph Joachim, who came from a prominent Jewish community under the protection of the Esterházys.

Unfortunately, after playing it through for Schumann with the Hannover Court orchestra where Joachim was concert

22

WHAT’S SINGING? 9 THE SSCC & EXPERIENCE 10 Think you have a knack for singing? Come

SEP for a fun filled day of choral activities and experience a day in the life of an SSCC member! Recommended for children, ages 8 (born 2011) to 12.

9am - 6pm Registration closing date: 1 Sep 2019

14 THE SSC AFFAIR

SEP Designed for experienced choristers who’ve always wanted to sing in a symphony chorus, the Affair will include a day of vocal and solo workshops, and an opportunity to perform at the Victoria Concert Hall.

9am - 9pm Registration closing date: 2 Sep 2019

29 SSCC

AUDITIONS Nurturing young talents for tomorrow, the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir provides holistic choral training that nurtures artistic growth and personal development. For children ages 8 (born 2011) to 14.

Registration closing date: 15 Sep 2019

www.sso.org/choral singaporesymphonychorus SSChildrensChoir

CHORAL

SEP

K E R S O N L E O N G P L A Y S S C H U M A N N | 1 & 2 AUG 2019

In the interbellum, two of Joachim’s greatnieces who were both concert violinists lived in London, and Jelly d’Arányi, the younger, had a decided interest in the occult, frequently participating in spiritualist séances. Jelly claimed that in one such session, an unknown spirit urged her to find and perform an unpublished work for violin.

When asked his name, the spirit spelled out on the ouija board “r-o-b-e-r-t-s-c-h-u-m-an-n”. The score was located in the Prussian State Library, and against the wishes of Schumann’s daughter Eugenie (it was still 19 years before the end of the proviso), prepared for publication by Schott with the assistance of composer Paul Hindemith.

On account of their Jewishness, neither Jelly d’Arányi nor Yehudi Menuhin (who had the permission of Joachim’s heirs) were allowed to give the first performance, and the Nazi government insisted that it be given in Berlin by a German violinist. So it was premiered in 1937 by Georg Kulenkampff

popular Violin Concerto (then banned due to Mendelssohn’s Jewish heritage).

Yehudi Menuhin called the concerto the “historically missing link” between the Beethoven and the Brahms concertos, and it forms a grand minor-key counterpart to Beethoven’s. The concerto only actually has the first movement in D minor, but that is enough to set the scene – a key of despair, darkness, and tragedy, the same key Mozart used for his Requiem and the opening of Don Giovanni. The first movement is marked In kräftigem, nicht zu schnellem tempo (“in a strong, not too fast pace”), and has a melancholic introspective mood, even in the vigorous principal theme announced by the orchestra and the second lyrical theme taken by the first violins, both of which are taken up by the soloist, expanded, developed and recapitulated in suspensefilled dialogue with the orchestra.

“ When asked his name, the spirit spelled out on the ouija board ‘r-o-b-e-r-t-s-c-h-um-a-n-n’. ” and the Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Karl Böhm, before Nazi luminaries Robert Ley and Joseph Goebbels, and the event could be described in the press as “By the permission of the Führer… Robert Schumann has entered Valhalla”. The work, considered a failure for decades, was heralded as a masterpiece to replace Mendelssohn’s

Above: Robert Schumann in an 1850 daguerreotype 24

K E R S O N L E O N G P L A Y S S C H U M A N N | 1 & 2 AUG 2019

The second movement langsam (“slowly”) ebbs and flows emotionally with subtle charm and staying power, as a syncopated counter-melody in the cellos provide a foil to the solo violin. The wistful melody closely resembles a theme Schumann claims was dictated to him by Schubert in a séance, a theme that was published as Schumanns letzer musikalischer Gedanke (“Schumann’s last musical thought”), and his variations (Geistervariationen or “Ghost variations”) on these were also suppressed and unpublished until the 1930s. This brief dreaming interlude, short and inconclusive, merges into the finale Lebhaft, doch nicht schnell (“Lively but not fast”) without pause.

The finale is built around a dance-like refrain, reminiscent of a polonaise, lively and subtly recalling the themes of the first movement, while the central section utilising a syncopated cello counter-melody harks back to the second movement. Toward the end, there are bravura scales that sparkle, but true to Schumann’s autumnal restraint, even this exists for the music’s sake.

Instrumentation 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings World Premiere 26 Nov 1937, Berlin First performed by SSO 18 & 19 Nov 1983 (Jenny Abel, violin) 25

K E R S O N L E O N G P L A Y S S C H U M A N N | 1 & 2 AUG 2019

Franz Peter Schubert (1797–1828) Symphony No. 1 in D major, D.82 (1813) I II III IV

Adagio – Allegro vivace Andante Menuetto. Allegro – Trio Allegro vivace The finale begins with the violins – the firsts playing the melody while the seconds begin nearly nonstop quavers that continue through the movement. The rest of the orchestra joins in the fun to add to the texture and energy. Schubert first tried writing a symphony two years before at the age of 14, and one can hear his youthful drive and excitement as he finishes this movement, before putting down his pen and glowing with pride. He was to write seven and a half more symphonies before his tragic death at 31.

Schubert was just 16 when he composed his Symphony No. 1 in 1813, nearing the end of his education at the Vienna Stadtkonvikt (Imperial City College) and preparing to become a schoolteacher like his father. Th scoring is the typical light scoring used by Haydn and Mozart, and the influence of both is evident in Schubert’s composition.

In this work, composed directly into score, Schubert’s signature warmth and affection shines through.

The first movement is a dignified Adagio that tries to grab the listener’s attention with bold statements, arpeggios, and unexpected harmonies, leading into a scampering Allegro vivace. A carefree second theme walks through the forest with looming shadows from the woodwinds, and the movement ends with a recapitulation. The second movement begins with a sunny violin melody, gently decorated by strings and woodwinds, but the shadows return with halting phrases, effecting a tragic edge as the opening melody returns in a minor key.

Programme notes by Edward C. Yong

Instrumentation flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings

The Menuetto follows a Haydnesque model, a boisterous Allegro that leads into a contrasting trio section evoking the Ländler, a traditional Austrian folk dance that eventually gave us the waltz. In the orchestration of the trio we note a ‘rustic’, genuinely Mozartian doubling of the violin part in the lower octave by the bassoon, often to be found in his later works.

World Premiere Unknown First performed by SSO 16 & 17 Feb 2001

26

Esplanade Presents

Classics

BEETHOVEN AND BRAHMS

Myung-Whun Chung

STAATSKAPELLE DRESDEN (GERMANY)

CONDUCTOR: Myung-Whun Chung SOLOIST: Sunwook Kim, piano

An amazing evening of Beethoven (Piano Concerto No.5) and Brahms (Symphony No. 2) with Staatskapelle Dresden, one of the oldest orchestras in the world making its Singapore debut at the Esplanade Concert Hall.

(1hr 40mins, including 20min intermission)

BOOK NOW! www.esplanade.com/dresden SISTIC Hotline: 6348 5555 / School or Group Booking: 6828 8389 or email boxofďŹ ce@esplanade.com Admission age: 6 & above, unless otherwise stated. Ticket prices exclude SISTIC fees. Terms and conditions apply.

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.

www.esplanade.com EsplanadeSingapore #esplanade #mydurian

$300, $240, $180, $120**, $80* Concessions for students, senior citizens and NSFs: $84**, $56*

Gallery: $100

Concessions for students, senior citizens and NSFs: $70 Esplanade&Me Specials Black: 15% | White: 10%

EsplanadeSG

Information correct at time of print. Photo credit: Matthias Creutziger

Sunwook Kim

2 OCT 2019, WED, 7.30PM ESPLANADE CONCERT HALL

Wang Jian • Flowing Sleeves 15 Aug 2019, 7.30pm Esplanade Concert Hall

Singapore Symphony Orchestra Jessica Cottis conductor Wang Jian cello JOYCE KOH one point six one eight zero SSO COMMISSION ZHOU TIAN Cello Concerto “Flowing Sleeves”

27 mins

Intermission

20 mins

DVORÁK Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88

34 mins

Concert duration: 1 hr 40 mins

T

Pre-concert Talk | 6.30pm, library@esplanade

A

Intermission autograph signing with Wang Jian in the stalls foyer.

28

5 mins

W A N G J I A N • F L O W I N G S L E E V E S | 15 AUG 2019

Programme Notes JOYCE KOH (b. 1968) Joyce Beetuan Koh writes concert music, works in collaborative projects with theatre-makers, choreographers, film-makers, visual artists and architects, and creates sound installations and multimedia productions. Underpinning her creative impulse is a fascination with architectural structures and scientific theories. Two piano works, “la pierre magenta” and “Piano Peals” are published by the ABRSM (UK). Recipient of Singapore Young Artist Award 1998 for Music, Joyce’s works have been featured at international festivals including Biennale Musiques France, Birmingham Frontiers Festival, Asian Composers League Festivals, Singapore Arts Festival, World Stage Design UK, Mapping Melbourne Festival, Sydney Inside Out Festival and Soundislands Festival. Joyce studied composition at King’s College London, and University of York; and music computing at IRCAM Paris. Currently, Joyce is ViceDean (Interdisciplinary Studies) at NAFA, Singapore.

one point six one eight zero (SSO Commission) IV

one spectromorphological envelope. This material was developed and organised such that every section and its subsection are 1.6180 times longer than the preceding sections. This piece, movement ‘one’, is a poetic projection of a triangle timbre expressed with the palette of the orchestral instruments.

‘one point six one eight zero’ is conceived as a series of six short movements that are related to each other by the Golden Ratio, where the first five decimal digits are 1.6180.

I envisaged each movement to focus on a not-commonly-featured orchestral instrument.

This evening, you will hear ‘one’, the fourth movement in the series, in a commission by the SSO, highlighting the much-loved but somewhat neglected triangle.

Programme note by Joyce Koh

Instrumentation flute, piccolo, oboe, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, 4 triangles, crotales, temple block, hi-hat, tam-tam, 2 cymbals, Chinese cymbal, ride cymbal, cow bells, log drum, xylophone, strings

The creative impulse is a single hit on a nine-inch metal triangle, resonating with a complex pattern of ringing pitches.

Fascinated by the fluctuations in the sound, I recorded the triangle to analyse the fundamental frequency. At the same time, I sought out musical material of interest such as the rhythms and overtones in the 29

W A N G J I A N • F L O W I N G S L E E V E S | 15 AUG 2019

ZHOU TIAN (b. 1981) Cello Concerto “Flowing Sleeves” (2018) I II III IV

Brush Lift Reflect Dance

Grammy-nominated Chinese-American composer Zhou Tian currently serves as associate professor of composition at Michigan State University College of Music.

Born in 1981 into a musical family in Hangzhou, Zhou came of age in a new China marked by economic reforms, and was in the United States by his 20th birthday.

Trained at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music (B.M.), New York’s Juilliard School (M.M.) and the University of Southern California (D.M.A.), he studied with some of America’s finest composers, such as Jennifer Higdon and Christopher Rouse.

The inspiration for my cello concerto came from “flowing sleeves” (水袖) a performance practice in traditional Chinese opera in which a performer uses the extended, white silk sleeves to create different movements reflective of the inner thoughts of the characters. Whether it’s a light toss, a gentle brush, or a playful lift, the mesmerising movements of the long sleeves become an extension of the performer’s body and a vehicle to transport different emotions. Inspired, I set out to create a set of sonic “flowing sleeves”, with the cello being the musical protagonist. In fact, much like the “flowing sleeves” in the Chinese opera, for a musician, the instrument is an extension of the body and mind, and the music is expressed through sophisticated movements of the fingers and arms. The interplay of the two artistic traditions fascinates me. The four movements of the concerto, Brush (“拂”), Lift (“挑”), Reflect (“影”), and Dance (“舞”), present four different characteristics of music. Together, the concerto strives to explore a dynamic palette of colours and timbre — some romantic, some wild — through an intimate dialogue between the soloist and the orchestra.

His music — described as “absolutely beautiful,” “utterly satisfying” (Fanfare), and “a prime example of 21st-century global multiculturalism” — has been performed by leading orchestras and soloists in the United States and abroad, including the Pittsburgh Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, RTÉ National Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and pianist Yuja Wang. In January 2018, his Concerto for Orchestra — commissioned and recorded by the Cincinnati Symphony and Music Director Louis Langrée — was nominated for a 60th GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. Zhou Tian became the first Chinese-born composer to receive such an honor. For 2019-20 season, he was appointed Composer-in-Residence with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

Cello Concerto “Flowing Sleeves” was written for Wang Jian and commissioned by the Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra.

Programme note by Zhou Tian 30

I II III IV

Allegro con brio Adagio Allegretto grazioso – Molto vivace Allegro ma non troppo

By the time Dvorák began to work on his Symphony No. 8 in the summer of 1889, he had suffered both great personal losses and achieved international fame. In 1873, he married Anna Cermáková and they would have nine children together. However within a very short period of time between 1875 and 1877 the three eldest died. Devastated by their deaths, Dvorák poured his grief into the Stabat Mater, the oratorio composed in 1880 which contributed greatly to his international renown in the ensuing years.

Above: Flowing Sleeves in traditional Chinese opera and dance (Photo: Zhou Tian)

His music was performed in the major music centres of Europe, including Vienna, Budapest, Leipzig, Berlin and especially London, where he was very popular. Dvorák would journey to Great Britain nine times, conducting the premiere of his sombre Symphony No. 7 with the Philharmonic Society in London in 1885. In 1891 he led a performance of the Stabat Mater and the Eighth Symphony at the University of Cambridge, when he was there to receive an honorary doctorate.

Instrumentation 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, glockenspiel, xylophone, vibraphone, crotales, suspended cymbals, tam-tam, snare drum, bass drum, harp, celesta, strings

Dvorák began work on his Eighth Symphony during the summer of 1889 and finished it in a matter of weeks. Most of it was composed at his summer residence in Vysoka. There he was content to be with his family and as he stated at the time, the “melodies simply poured out of me”. The

World Premiere 2 Jul 2018, Hangzhou, China First performed by SSO 15 Aug 2019 31

W A N G J I A N • F L O W I N G S L E E V E S | 15 AUG 2019

ANTONÍN DVORÁK (1841–1904) Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88 (1889)

W A N G J I A N • F L O W I N G S L E E V E S | 15 AUG 2019

music also reflects his love of the natural beauty of the region and his deep affection for Czech folk music. It is all the more ironic then that this symphony has been referred to as his “English” symphony, but that has nothing to do with the music.

A brief dark, stormy passage is quickly dispelled by the return of the opening theme in the woodwinds. The third movement is an elegant intermezzo, which begins with a waltz in the violins and flute, followed by a folk-like tune in the oboe and bassoon. The rustic dance also serves as the basis for the coda, which ends in a sweet, cheerful note.

Dvorák’s publisher, Simrock had paid him 3,000 marks for his Seventh Symphony but offered him just one-third of that amount for his next one. This reflected the economic reality that large-scale works were more

A trumpet fanfare announces the final movement. The cellos introduce the main theme, as they did in the opening movement. A series of variations follow in moods that range from sadly reflective to wildly exuberant. The composer yielded to audience expectations however, as the symphony ends with an exuberant coda brimming with energy.

“ melodies simply poured out of me ” expensive to publish and harder to market, as opposed to smaller-scaled ones such as piano collections and songs. Dvorák was nonetheless insulted and wrote to Simrock stating “I shall simply do what beloved God tells me to do. That will surely be the best thing”. Apparently God told him to have the symphony published by Novello in London for much more money.

Dvorák conducted the premiere of his Eighth Symphony in Prague on 2 February 1890.

Two years later, he would depart for the New World.

Programme note by Rick Perdian

Returning to the genre after four years, Dvorák was eager to compose something different from his other symphonies with the “individual thoughts worked out in a new way”. The first movement opens unexpectedly in G minor with a beautiful melody played on the cellos and winds that reoccurs throughout the movement. Tension builds as the theme develops, until it is released in a stormy climax played by blazing trumpets to the accompaniment of chromatic scales in the strings.

Instrumentation 2 flutes, 1 doubling on piccolo, 2 oboes, 1 doubling on cor anglais, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, strings World Premiere 2 Feb 1890, Prague

Although the second movement opens solemnly, the movement grows in strength and grandeur to a magnificent climax.

First performed by SSO 26 & 27 Jul 1979 32

2019/20 Season Patrons Our story began four decades ago when we played our first concert in January 1979.

This journey would not have been possible without patrons who believe in sharing the gift of music.

Thank you for your generosity.

patron S P O N S O R Tote Board Group (Tote Board, Singapore Pools & Singapore Turf Club)

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This list reflects donations that were made from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to donors whose names were inadvertently left out at print time.

The Singapore Symphony Group is a charity and a not-for-profit organisation. Singapore tax-payers may qualify for 250% tax deduction for donations above $50. You can support us by donating at www.sso.org.sg/donate.

patron B enefits Our donors are precious to us. As a valued patron of the SSO, you will receive many benefits.

If you would like to make a gift towards your orchestra today, please visit www.sso.org.sg/donate, write to us at sharing_music@sso.org.sg or speak to Chelsea Zhao at +65 6663 4251.

Patron Categories (updated on 18 April 2019) Prelude

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$25,000 AND ABOVE

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Tax Benefits Priority Booking DISCOUNTS FOR ALL SSG CONCERTS Invitation to special events (e.g., rehearsals, receptions, meet-themusicians sessions) Donor Listing: 1. Public acknowledgement in SSO concert booklets and website 2. Public acknowledgement on Donor Wall situated at Victoria Concert Hall (Home of the SSO)

Complimentary tickets to the following concert types: 1. Subscription or Chamber Concerts 2. SSO Gala Concerts, Annual Christmas Concerts, or POPS Concerts 3. SSO Special Gala Concerts

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Heartfelt Thanks to SSO Corporate Patrons and Sponsors We would like to express our deepest appreciation to the following companies and organisations that support our mission to create memorable shared experiences with music.

corporate patrons Temasek Foundation Nurtures Butterfield Trust John Swire & Sons (S.E. Asia) Pte Ltd Singapore Press Holdings Ltd Aquilus Pte Ltd G K Goh Holdings Ltd Lee Foundation NSL Ltd Santa Lucia Asset Management Pte Ltd Keppel Corporation

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B E C O M E A corporate P atron Support Singapore’s national orchestra and form a special relationship with one of the country’s most celebrated arts groups. Starting this concert season, we are introducing a new Corporate Patron recognition scheme that caters to the changing needs of corporate philanthropy. Our concerts provide classy entertainment and prestigious branding opportunities. By committing to growing the arts through the SSO, you can increase your name recognition among an influential and growing audience. Corporate donors may also enjoy attractive tax benefits.

Corporate Patron packages begin at $30,000. Benefits include: 1. Tax Benefits 2. Patron of the Arts Nomination 3. Acknowledgement - Public acknowledgment in SSO concert booklets and website - Public acknowledgement on Donor Wall situated at Victoria Concert Hall (Home of the SSO) 4. Complimentary tickets 5. Priority booking 6. Discounts for ALL SSG concerts 7. Invitations to special events (e.g., rehearsals, receptions, meet-the-musicians sessions)

For more details, please write to us at director_development@sso.org.sg or speak to Chelsea Zhao at +65 6663 4251 * The benefits above do not apply to supporters who give through an event.

ONLY THE FINEST MUSIC

upcoming concerts

Aug 10 Aug | Esplanade Concert Hall

SSO NATIONAL DAY CONCERT

30 Aug | Esplanade Concert Hall

RED BALLOON: MOONRISE AND AURORA

Robin Fountain conductor José Francisco Salgado presenter

Moonrise, a film by José Salgado Aurora Triptych, a 3-part film by José Salgado

Sep 1 Sep | Esplanade Concert Hall Joshua Tan conductor

6 Sep | Esplanade Concert Hall Masato Suzuki conductor Albert Tiu piano

8 Sep | Victoria Concert Hall Masato Suzuki organ

C O N C E R T S F O R C H I L DR E N : PETER AND THE WOLF IN HOLLYWOOD M A S A T O S UZU K I - I N S P I R E D B Y L E I P Z I G BACH (orch. Stokowski) Toccata & Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 SCHUMANN Introduction & Allegro appassionato, Op. 92 CHOPIN Variations on “Là ci darem la mano” BACH (orch. Suzuki) Wenn wir in hochsten Noten sein MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 5, Op. 107 “Reformation”

VCHPRESENTS: ORGAN ORGAN, OMAKASE Works by Bach, Brahms, Schumann, Liszt

13 Sep | Esplanade Concert Hall Andrew Litton conductor Stephen Hough piano

27 Sep | Victoria Concert Hall Joshua Tan conductor Kevin Loh guitar

S T E P HE N HO U GH • E GYP TI A N P I A N O C O N C ERTO BERLIOZ Roman Carnival Overture SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major, Op. 103 “Egyptian” FRANCK Symphony in D minor

PRESIDENT’S YOUNG PERFORMERS CONCERT MENDELSSOHN The Fair Melusina Overture, Op. 32 RODRIGO Concerto de Aranjuez REGER Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Mozart, Op. 132

42

boa r d of d i r ecto r s & C O M M I T T E e S chair Mr Goh Yew Lin boa r d of d i r ecto r s

S S O C ouncil

Ms Yong Ying-I (Deputy Chair) Mr Ang Chek Meng Mrs Odile Benjamin Mr Chng Hak-Peng Mr Lionel Choi Mr Warren Fernandez Prof Arnoud De Meyer Mr Heinrich Grafe Ms Liew Wei Li Ms Lim Mei Mr Sanjiv Misra Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao Mr Paul Tan Dr Kelly Tang Mr Yee Chen Fah

Prof Cham Tao Soon (Honorary Chair) Mr Alan Chan (Chair) Mr Choo Chiau Beng Dr Geh Min Mr Goh Geok Khim Mr Khoo Boon Hui Prof Tommy Koh Mr JY Pillay Dr Stephen Riady Ms Priscylla Shaw Dr Gralf Sieghold Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao Dr Tan Chin Nam Ms Tan Choo Leng Mr Tan Soo Nan Mr Wee Ee Cheong

Nominating and Executive Committee Mr Goh Yew Lin (Chair) Prof Arnoud De Meyer Mr Paul Tan Ms Yong Ying-I

HUMAN RESOURCES Committee Ms Yong Ying-I (Chair) Prof Arnoud De Meyer Mr Yee Chen Fah Dr Kelly Tang Endowment Fund Committee Mr Goh Yew Lin (Chair) Mr David Goh Mr Sanjiv Misra Audit Committee Mr Yee Chen Fah (Chair) Mr Heinrich Grafe Ms Lim Mei SNYO Committee Ms Liew Wei Li (Chair) Mr Ang Chek Meng Ms Vivien Goh Dr Kee Kirk Chin Mrs Valarie Wilson

S S O M usicians ’ C ommittee Mr Jon Paul Dante Mr Jamie Hersch Mr Ng Pei-Sian Mr Mark Suter Mr Christoph Wichert Ms Elaine Yeo Mr Yeo Teow Meng

SSO LADIES’ LEAGUE Mrs Odile Benjamin (Chair) Mrs Kwan Lui (Deputy Chair) Mrs Celeste Basapa Mrs Maisy Beh Mrs Kim Camacho Mrs Rosy Ho Ms Judy Hunt Prof Annie Koh Dr Julie Lo Mrs Clarinda TjiaDharmadi-Martin Ms Paige Parker Ms Kris Tan Ms Manju Vangal Mrs Grace Yeh

SINGAPORE SYMPHONY GROUP MANAGEMENT

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Mr Chng Hak-Peng

ARTISTIC PLANNING

CEO OFFICE

Mr Hans Sørensen (Head)

Ms Shirin Foo Mr Lim Yeow Siang

Programmes (SSO) Ms Kua Li Leng Ms Teo Chew Yen Ms Jodie Chiang Community Outreach Ms Vanessa Lee

Customer Experience Mr Randy Teo Ms Dacia Cheang Ms Nur Shafiqah bte Othman

Choral Programmes Ms Regina Lee Ms Whitney Tan

DEVELOPMENT & PARTNERSHIPS

Programmes (VCH) Ms Erin Tan

Corporate Communications Ms Leong Wenshan Ms Haslina Hassan

ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT Mr Ernest Khoo (Head) Orchestra Mr Chia Jit Min Concert Operations Ms Kimberly Kwa Ms Chin Rosherna Ms Chen Chin-Hsuan Mr Ramayah Elango Mr Md Fariz bin Samsuri Library Mr Lim Lip Hua Ms Priscilla Neo Ms Wong Yi Wen

Ms Peggy Kek (Head)

Development Ms Chelsea Zhao Ms Nikki Chuang MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS Ms Cindy Lim (Head) Mr Chia Han-Leon Ms Myrtle Lee Ms Jana Loh Ms Hong Shu Hui Ms Sherilyn Lim Ms Melissa Tan

CORPORATE SERVICES Ms Lillian Yin (Head) Finance, IT & Facilities Mr Rick Ong Mr Alan Ong Ms Goh Hoey Fen Mr Jeffrey Tang Mr Md Zailani bin Md Said Human Resources & Administration Mr Desmen Low Ms Melissa Lee Ms Evelyn Siew Legal Mr Edward Loh SINGAPORE NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA Ms Pang Siu Yuin (Head) Mr Tan Yong Qing Ms Tang Ya Yun ABRSM Ms Hay Su-San (Head) Ms Patricia Yee Ms Lai Li-Yng Mr Joong Siow Chong

2019/20 Season

ORGAN

EXCITE!

ORGAN, OMAKASE 8 SEP, 4PM

SHREDDING WITH RACHEL BARTON PINE 27 OCT, 4PM

Masato Suzuki, organ

Rachel Barton Pine, violin Musicians of the SSO

CHAMBER

LOVE AND LONGING 10 NOV, 4PM Long Long, tenor Tengku Irfan, piano

ORGAN

PIPES DE DEUX 4 NOV, 12.30PM Evelyn Lim, organ Joanna Paul, organ

SUPPORTED BY

PATRON SPONSOR

MATCHED BY

OFFICIAL HOTEL

OFFICIAL RADIO STATION

ORGAN CONCERTS SPONSORED BY

OFFICIAL AIRLINE

Supported by

Patron Sponsor

Matched By

Major Donors

mr & mrs goh yew lin

Season Partners Official Hotel

Official Radio Station

Official Airline

Season Patrons

christopher & rosy ho

Aquilus pte ltd

LEE FOUNDATION

The mission of the Singapore Symphony Group is to create memorable shared experiences with music.

Through the SSO and its affiliated performing groups, we spread the love for music, nurture talents 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.

sso.org.sg