Yo-Yo Ma, Julia Hagen, Chloe Chua, Leonidas Kavakos, Daniel Lozakovich, Bertrand Chamayou, Eric Lu, Sayaka Shoji, Simon Trpčeski, Yeol Eum Son and Sergei Nakariakov with conductors Han-Na Chang, Joe Hisaishi, Mikhail Pletnev, Masaaki Suzuki and Kahchun Wong.
PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS
An Alpine Symphony, The Planets (with a new Earth), Pictures at an Exhibition in two orchestrations, New World Symphony, Scheherazade, Saint-Saëns’s Organ Symphony, and masterpieces by Mahler, Nielsen, Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky.
FEATURING SINGAPORE'S
Ding Yi Music Company, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Isaac Lee, Churen Li, Lin Chien-Kwan, Lien Boon Hua, Jonathan Shin and many more
Hans Graf Quantedge Music Director
Rodolfo Barráez Associate Conductor
Hannu
Music Director-Designate
Concert Season
25
An Alpine Symphony In Images + Korngold Violin Concerto
Fri & Sat, 18 & 19 Jul 2025
Esplanade Concert Hall
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Esplanade Concert Hall 14
Hans Graf & Alexei Volodin
Thu & Fri, 24 & 25 Jul 2025
Esplanade Concert Hall
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Han-Na Chang & Leila Josefowicz
Fri, 1 Aug 2025
No photography, video or audio recording is allowed when artists are performing.
Non-flash photography is allowed only during bows and applause when no performance is taking place.
Go green. Digital programme books are available on www.sso.org.sg.
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
The orchestra performs over 60 concerts a year, and its versatile repertoire spans alltime 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. The SSO makes its performing home at the 1,800-seat state-of-the-art Esplanade Concert Hall. More intimate works, as well as community performances take place at the 673-seat Victoria Concert Hall, the Home of the SSO.
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 44week calendar of events.
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 through its school programmes. The SSO has also earned an international reputation for its orchestral virtuosity, having garnered sterling reviews for its overseas tours and many successful recordings. In 2021, the SSO clinched third place in the prestigious Orchestra of the Year Award by Gramophone. In 2022, BBC Music Magazine named the SSO as one of the 23 best orchestras in the world.
From the 2026/27 season, the SSO will be led by Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu, the fourth Music Director in the orchestra’s history after Choo Hoey (1979–1996), Lan Shui (1997–2019) and Hans Graf (2020–2026).
Beyond Singapore, the SSO has performed in Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States. In the 2024/25 season, the SSO performed to full houses at Asia Orchestra Week in Kyoto, Japan, and made its “dazzling – and true-blue – Down Under debut” (Limelight) in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. 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 second performance at the Berlin Philharmonie. In 2014, the SSO’s debut at the 120th BBC Proms in London received praise in major UK newspapers The Guardian and The Telegraph. The SSO has also performed in China on multiple occasions.
The SSO has released more than 50 recordings, with over 30 on the BIS label. Recent critically acclaimed albums include Herrmann’s Wuthering Heights (Chandos) and Scriabin – Poems of Ecstasy and Fire (BIS).
A complete Mozart Violin Concerto cycle with Singaporean violinist Chloe Chua conducted by Hans Graf will be released in 2025 on Pentatone. The SSO also leads the revival and recording of significant works such as Kozłowski’s Requiem, Ogerman’s Symbiosis (after Bill Evans) and violin concertos by Robert Russell Bennett and Vernon Duke.
The SSO has collaborated with such great artists as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Dutoit, Joe Hisaishi, Neeme Järvi, Lorin Maazel, Martha Argerich, Diana Damrau, Janine Jansen, Leonidas Kavakos, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, Gil Shaham, Daniil Trifonov and Krystian Zimerman.
The SSO is part of the Singapore Symphony Group, which also manages the Singapore Symphony Choruses, the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, the Singapore International Piano Festival and the biennial National Piano & Violin Competition.
The Group’s vision 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 Orchestra
Hans Graf
Quantedge Music Director
Rodolfo Barráez
Associate Conductor
Choo Hoey
Conductor Emeritus
Lan Shui
Conductor Laureate
Eudenice Palaruan
Choral Director
Wong Lai Foon Choirmaster
Ellissa Sayampanathan
Assistant Choral Conductor
First Violin
(Position vacant) Concertmaster, GK Goh Chair
David Coucheron Co-Principal Guest Concertmaster
Kevin Lin Co-Principal Guest Concertmaster
Kong Zhao Hui1 Associate Concertmaster
Chan Yoong-Han2 Assistant Principal
Cao Can*
Duan Yu Ling
Foo Say Ming
Jin Li
Kong Xianlong
Cindy Lee
Karen Tan
William Tan
Wei Zhe
Ye Lin*
Zhang Si Jing
Second Violin
Sayuri Kuru Associate Principal
Nikolai Koval*
Hai-Won Kwok
Renyu Martin Peh^
Margit Saur
Shao Tao Tao
Wu Man Yun*
Xu Jueyi*
Yin Shu Zhan*
Zhao Tian
Viola
Manchin Zhang Principal, Tan Jiew Cheng Chair
Guan Qi Associate Principal
Gu Bing Jie* Assistant Principal
Marietta Ku
Luo Biao
Julia Park
Shui Bing
Janice Tsai
Dandan Wang
Yang Shi Li
Cello
Ng Pei-Sian Principal, The HEAD Foundation Chair
Yu Jing Associate Principal
Guo Hao Assistant Principal
Chan Wei Shing
Christopher Mui
Jamshid Saydikarimov
Song Woon Teng
Wang Yan
Wu Dai Dai
Zhao Yu Er
Double Bass
Yang Zheng Yi Acting Principal
Karen Yeo Assistant Principal
Po-Yu Fang
Victor Lee
Jacek Mirucki
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
Guo Siping Principal
Liu Chang Associate Principal
Christoph Wichert
Zhao Ying Xue
Contrabassoon
Zhao Ying Xue Assistant Principal
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
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
Lim Meng Keh
Harp
Gulnara Mashurova Principal
With deep appreciation to the Rin Collection for their generous loan of string instruments. Musician on annual contract.
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.
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.
Guest Musicians
An Alpine Symphony In Images + Korngold Violin Concerto
18 & 19 Jul 2025
First Violin
Alexandra Osborne
Guest Concertmaster
Bobur Eshpulatov
Wilford Goh
Yvonne Lee
Second Violin
Li Qing Guest Principal
Chikako Sasaki
Ikuko Takahashi
Edward Tan
Viola
Ho Qian Hui
Patcharaphan Khumprakob
Yeo Jan Wea
Double Bass
Guennadi Mouzyka
Hibiki Otomo
Hans Graf & Alexei Volodin
24 & 25 Jul 2025
First Violin
Alexander Kagan
Guest Concertmaster
Bobur Eshpulatov
Yvonne Lee
Wan Fangyuan
Second Violin
Markus Gundermann
Guest Principal
Chikako Sasaki
Ikuko Takahashi
Helena Dawn Yah
Flute
Wang Tong
Oboe
Celia Craig Guest Principal
Bass Oboe
Simon Emes
Clarinet
Dai Le Guest Principal
Horn
Luke Chong
Lewis Lim
Alexander Oon
Rachel Silver
Trombone
Hu Shaozhen
Jasper Tan
Tuba
Francesco Porta
Percussion
Cheong Kah Yiong
Harp
Charmaine Teo
Celesta
Beatrice Lin
Organ Joanna Paul
Viola
Joelle Hsu
Patcharaphan Khumprakob
Double Bass
Joan Perarnau Garriga
Guest Principal
Guennadi Mouzyka
Clarinet
Dai Le Guest Principal
Horn
Alexander Oon
Rachel Silver
Thossaporn Sombat
Han-Na Chang & Leila Josefowicz 1 Aug 2025
First Violin
Sulki Yu Guest Concertmaster
Second Violin
Markus Gundermann Guest Principal
Chikako Sasaki
Double Bass
Joan Perarnau Garriga Guest Principal
Alto Saxophone Samuel Phua
Horn
Jared Sanders
Hans Graf conductor
Quantedge Music Director, Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Armed with a spirit of musical curiosity and discovery, creative programming and his commanding presence on stage, Austrian conductor Hans Graf has raised orchestras to new heights while winning audiences young and old alike. With Hans Graf, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has achieved “a brave new world of music-making under inspired direction” (The Straits Times) since his appointment as Chief Conductor in the 2020/21 season, followed by five outstanding seasons as Music Director. Hans Graf’s farewell season in 2025/26 celebrates his remarkable achievements with his being named the SSO’s first Quantedge Music Director.
Graf was formerly Music Director of the Houston Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Basque National Orchestra and Mozarteum
Orchestra Salzburg. He is a frequent guest with major orchestras and opera houses worldwide, receiving the Österreichischer Musiktheaterpreis award at the famed Vienna Volksoper in 2014.
Hans Graf’s discography includes extensive surveys of Mozart, Schubert and Dutilleux, as well as a GRAMMY and ECHO Klassik award-winning recording of Berg’s Wozzeck With the Singapore Symphony, Graf has recorded works by Paul von Klenau, Mozart, Stravinsky and his own edition of Kozłowski’s Requiem.
Hans Graf is Professor Emeritus at the Universität Mozarteum, Salzburg, and a recipient of the Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Légion d’Honneur (France) and the Grand Decoration of Honour (Austria).
Daniel Lozakovich, whose music-making leaves both critics and audiences spellbound, has become one of today’s most sought-after violinists. The 2024/25 season led him to perform with some of the most prestigious orchestras and conductors including Lucerne Festival Orchestra under Ricardo Chailly, Swedish Radio Symphony with Kazuki Yamada, Orchestre National de France with Suzanna Mälkki, London Philharmonic with Dima Slobodeniouk, Philharmonia Orchestra with Tugan Sokhiev, WDR Sinfonieorchester with Cristian Măcelaru for a tour in Germany, an intensive collaboration with Tarmo Peltokoski throughout the season: Hong Kong Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Bayerische Staatsorchester among many others.
Lozakovich regularly performs with leading orchestras: BBC Proms with BBC Symphony, Filarmonica della Scala in Teatro Alla Scala; Chicago, Boston, Pittsburg and Cleveland Symphony Orchestras, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, among others. He regularly performs with such world’s eminent conductors as EsaPekka Salonen, Riccardo Chailly, Ádám Fischer, Andris Nelsons, Klaus Mäkela, Valery Gergiev and Nathalie Stutzmann.
A highly sought-after recitalist, he has made appearances in historical concert halls and festivals, such as Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Tonhalle Zürich, Victoria Hall Geneva, The Mariinsky Theatre, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Konzerthaus Wien. In chamber music, he has collaborated with Emanuel Ax, Ivry Gitlis, Mikhail Pletnev, Sergei Babayan, Renaud Capuçon, Mischa Maisky, Behzod Abduraimov and David Fray.
Born in Stockholm in 2001, he began playing the violin at the age of seven. He made his solo debut two years later with Moscow Virtuosi and Vladimir Spivakov. From 2015, he has been mentored by Eduard Wulfson in Geneva. Daniel Lozakovich plays the “ex-Sancy” 1713 Stradivari generously loaned by LVMH / MOËT HENNESSY LOUIS VUITTON.
Daniel Lozakovich violin
Tobias Melle
photography and live projection
With his Symphonies in Images, Tobias Melle stands for overwhelming artistic experiences in the world’s great concert halls for more than 25 years. Like no other, he combines the performance of a symphony with a detailed visualization via images that extends musical events with an additional level.
Tobias Melle expresses his personality through a wide range of artistic activities.
Tobias the musician has played the cello since he was a child. He has worked with many orchestras and has performed most of the musical pieces he has put images to.
Tobias the photographer has always wanted to link photography to music, and this desire was the inspiration for his hugely successful project Symphony in Images. His artistic ambitions, coupled with his love for travelling, often take him away for months on end. On the road with his camera and a musical score for luggage, he searches for the perfect images.
An outstanding feature of his work is the structurally and emotionally coherent translation of musical contexts into associative image sequences. He always performs the resulting visual voice to the orchestral sound personally and live – like a musical soloist, he adapts to the conductor’s interpretation.
Performances of Tobias’s Symphonies in Images take place with well-known orchestras in Germany and abroad, including the TonhalleOrchester Zürich, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the WDR Symphony Orchestra and the NDR Radiophilharmonie under conductors such as David Zinman, Krzysztof Urbański, Antoni Wit and Eivind Gullberg-Jensen.
Tobias also creates exhibitions, publishes books and DVDs. He lives in Munich, Germany, and you can visit his website www.tobiasmelle.com.
Renowned for his sensitive touch and technical brilliance, pianist Alexei Volodin is in high demand with leading orchestras worldwide. His vast repertoire spans from Beethoven and Brahms to Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, and Shchedrin.
In the 2024/25 season, Volodin performs with Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Jerusalem Symphony, and others. Past engagements include collaborations with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Mariinsky Orchestra, NHK Symphony, and Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, under conductors such as Valery Gergiev, Semyon Bychkov, and Stanislav Kochanovsky.
Volodin appears regularly in recital at major venues including Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Wiener Konzerthaus, Palau de la Música, Philharmonie de Paris, and Alte Oper Frankfurt. A passionate chamber musician, he collaborates with artists such as Sol Gabetta, Igor Levit, Claire Huangci, and the Modigliani and Borodin Quartets. This season features trio performances with Ilya Gringolts, Alban Gerhardt, and Eldbjørg Hemsing, as well as duo recitals with Olga Pashchenko and his wife, Edith Peña.
His discography includes Rachmaninoff solos (Challenge Classics), a Prokofiev concerto with the Mariinsky Orchestra, and acclaimed recordings of Chopin, Schumann, and Ravel.
A prize-winner of the 2003 Géza Anda Competition, Volodin studied in Moscow with Eliso Virsaladze and at the International Piano Academy Lake Como. Born in 1977 in Leningrad, he is an exclusive Steinway artist.
Alexei Volodin piano
Han-Na Chang & Leila Josefowicz | 1 Aug 2025
Han-Na Chang
conductor
Han-Na Chang’s unique prestigious international career spans three decades since her extraordinary debut as an 11-year First Prize Grand Prix Winner at the Fifth International Rostropovich Cello Competition in Paris in 1994. Since 2007, she has developed into a highly sought-after conductor.
In 2025/26 Han-Na Chang will guest conduct Orchestre de Paris, Munich Philharmonic, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionalle della RAI Torino, among others. In 2024/25, Han-Na Chang made her highly anticipated acclaimed debut with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. As a guest conductor, she works regularly with orchestras such as the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Oslo Philharmonic, the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, the Sydney, Bern, Vienna, Toronto, Tokyo, Vancouver, Singapore Symphony Orchestras, the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionalle della RAI Torino, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and Orchestra del Teatro di San Carlo di Napoli.
Han-Na Chang is Erste Gastdirigentin of the Symphoniker Hamburg – Laeiszhalle Orchester since 2022. She is the Music and Artistic Director of “Han-Na Chang’s DaejeonGrandFestival” in South Korea. She served as the Artistic Leader and Chief Conductor of the Trondheim Symfoniorkester & Opera in Norway since 2017, concluding her widely acclaimed tenure in 2025.
As a cellist, she recorded exclusively for EMI/ Warner Classics and has performed with orchestras such as the Berliner Philharmoniker, New York Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, l'Orchestre de Paris, and Filarmonica della Scala.
Han-Na Chang read Philosophy at Harvard University. She made her formal conducting debut in 2007, and has since focused her artistic output exclusively to conducting and artistic leadership.
Leila Josefowicz’s passionate advocacy of contemporary music for the violin is reflected in her diverse programmes and enthusiasm for performing new works. A favourite of living composers, Josefowicz has premiered many concertos, including those by Colin Matthews, Luca Francesconi, John Adams and Esa-Pekka Salonen, all written especially for her.
Josefowicz enjoyed a close working relationship with the late Oliver Knussen, performing various concerti, including his violin concerto, together for over 30 times. Other premieres have included Matthias Pintscher’s Assonanza with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, John Adams’ Scheherazade.2 with New York Philharmonic, Luca Francesconi’s Duende – The Dark Notes with Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Steven Mackey’s Beautiful Passing with BBC Philharmonic.
Josefowicz’s 2024/25 season includes performances of Luca Francesconi’s Duende – The Dark Notes with New York Philharmonic and Susanna Malkki, and the British premiere of Helen Grime’s Violin Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Sakari Oramo at the Aldeburgh Festival. Further engagements include London Symphony Orchestra, San Diego, KBS, Singapore, City of Birmingham, and Prague Symphony orchestras. Highlights of recent seasons include appearances with Berliner Philharmoniker, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Royal Concertgebouworkest, London, Oslo, Helsinki and Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestras, Chicago, San Francisco, The Cleveland, and The Philadelphia orchestras, where she worked with conductors at the highest level, including Paavo Järvi, John Storgårds, Cristian Măcelaru, EsaPekka Salonen, Dalia Stasevska, Hannu Lintu and John Adams.
In recognition of her outstanding achievement and excellence in music, she won the 2018 Avery Fisher Prize and was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in 2008, joining prominent scientists, writers and musicians who have made unique contributions to contemporary life.
An Alpine Symphony In Images + Korngold Violin Concerto
Fri & Sat, 18 & 19 Jul 2025
Esplanade Concert Hall
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Hans Graf Quantedge Music Director
Daniel Lozakovich violin*
Tobias Melle photography and live projection
Alexandra Osborne Guest Concertmaster
Korngold
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35* 24 mins
Intermission 20 mins
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64 (An Alpine Symphony) 47 mins R. Strauss
Dedicated to
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Concert Duration: approximately 1 hr 50 mins (including 20 mins intermission)
Message from Raffles Hotel Singapore
Dear Guests,
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you once again on behalf of Raffles Hotel Singapore, as we continue our cherished collaboration with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra for the 2025/26 season. This ongoing partnership stands as a testament to our shared dedication to excellence and the enduring power of the arts to unite and uplift.
Music has long played a meaningful role in the legacy of Raffles, resonating through our historic halls and gardens, enriching the spirit of our iconic hotel. The Orchestra’s performances have brought moments of deep emotion and artistry to our community, echoing the grandeur of the Esplanade and Victoria Concert Halls within the elegant setting of our hotel.
This year, we are honoured to once again host a dedicated concert in celebration of our partnership. It is a celebration not only of music but of shared vision, passion and inspiration. These performances remind us of the beauty that emerges when heritage and innovation meet in perfect harmony.
To the members of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, we offer our heartfelt thanks. Your unwavering commitment to musical excellence and your ability to inspire with every note, continue to enrich our cultural tapestry.
At Raffles, we remain committed to supporting meaningful artistic experiences and fostering connections that resonate across time. May this season bring joy to all who join us and may our partnership continue to flourish in the years ahead.
Sincerely,
Christian Westbeld Managing Director, Raffles Hotel Singapore Regional General Manager, Raffles Indonesia
Introduction
Richard Strauss and Erich Korngold were both torchbearers of the waning years of the Romantic era, composing sweeping melodies and employing sumptuous harmonies well into the 20th century. At a time when many contemporaries were embracing increasingly austere and abstract styles— sometimes disavowing melody altogether—Strauss and Korngold stood firm in their commitment to emotional expressiveness and tonal beauty. Their music resonated with audiences around the world.
Strauss dominated the concert hall and opera stage, becoming a towering figure in late-Romantic and early 20th century orchestral music. Korngold, on the other hand, carved out a new path: he brought the lush Romantic sound to the burgeoning world of cinema, helping to shape the language of film music and ensuring that this musical tradition would endure—and reach millions— for generations to come.
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
1897 – 1957
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 (1947)
I II III
Moderato nobile
Romance: Andante
Finale: Allegro assai vivace
Korngold was hailed as a prodigy by Mahler at the age of ten, and by 23, his opera Die tote Stadt (“The Dead City”) had brought him international acclaim. He also arranged and conducted operettas by Johann Strauss II and developed a close working relationship with the visionary director Max Reinhardt.
A Jewish composer, Korngold fled the advancing Nazi regime for America at the onset of the Second World War. Reinhardt, then directing A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Warner Brothers, invited Korngold to adapt and expand Mendelssohn’s classic score for the film. The project was a landmark success in the early history of cinema. Warner Brothers soon hired him to score Captain Blood, which earned Korngold his first Academy Award
Erich Korngold
nomination. An exclusive contract followed, leading to a prolific Hollywood career composing 23 film scores and winning two Oscars. Together with Max Steiner and Bernard Herrmann, Korngold helped define the symphonic film score tradition which we continue to hear today.
The Polish virtuoso violinist Bronislaw Huberman, a family friend of the Korngolds, frequently asked, “So, Erich, where’s my violin concerto?” In 1945, Korngold played a theme at the piano, prompting Huberman to exclaim, “That will be my concerto— promise me you’ll write it!” This theme was subsequently used for the opening of the Violin Concerto.
Tragically, when the concerto was completed in 1947, Huberman was unable to fit it into his schedule before his untimely death that same year. Korngold turned to Jascha Heifetz, who not only learned the piece within weeks but also encouraged Korngold to make it more technically demanding. Heifetz premiered the work on 15 February 1947.
In the concerto, Korngold fused the lush, emotionally charged style inherited from Mahler and Strauss with the technical precision he had refined in Hollywood. This proved to be a hit with audiences. Korngold wrote, “The reception of the Violin Concerto in St. Louis was triumphal… a success just as in my best times in Vienna.” When a reviewer predicted it would remain in the repertoire as long as Mendelssohn’s concerto, Korngold replied, “I do not need more than that!”
Moderato nobile. The first movement draws on themes from Another Dawn and Juarez, blending soaring lyricism with more spirited, dynamic episodes.
Romance. The beautiful second movement transforms a theme from Anthony Adverse into a tender, introspective Romance.
Allegro assai vivace. The overtly virtuosic finale opens with a lively jig, developed into a set of dazzling variations that showcase the soloist’s virtuosity. A sweeping second theme from The Prince and the Pauper leads to a triumphant conclusion.
First performed by SSO 17 May 1996 (Jin Li, violin)
Richard Strauss
1864 – 1949
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64 (An Alpine Symphony, 1915)
Nacht (Night)
Sonnenaufgang (Sunrise)
Der Anstieg (The Ascent)
Eintritt in den Wald (Entering the Forest)
Wanderung neben dem Bache (Wandering near the Stream)
Am Wasserfall (At the Waterfall)
Erscheinung (Apparition)
Auf blumige Wiesen (On Blooming Meadows)
Auf der Alm (On the Alpine Pasture)
Durch Dickicht und Gestrüpp auf Irrwegen (Going Astray)
Auf dem Gletscher (On the Glacier)
Gefahrvolle Augenblicke (Dangerous Moments)
Auf dem Gipfel (At the Summit)
Vision (View)
Nebel steigen auf (Fog Arises)
Die Sonne verdüstert sich allmählich (The Sun Gradually Darkens)
Elegie (Elegy)
Stille vor dem Sturm (Calm Before the Storm)
Gewitter und Sturm (Thunder and Storm)
Sonnenuntergang (Sunset)
Ausklang (Vanishing Sound) Nacht (Night)
Mountain Hike
“Recently we made a great hiking party to the top of the Heimgarten… we climbed by the light of lanterns in pitch-dark night and arrived at the peak after a five-hour march. There one has a splendid view [of lakes, mountains, glaciers, and so on].
At 15, Richard Strauss hiked the 1,790-meter Heimgarten in Bavaria. Between the ascent, witnessing the sunrise and getting lost in a storm, the journey left a great impression on him. After arriving safely home, the budding composer “described the whole hike on the piano... [in the style of] huge tone paintings and smarminess à la Wagner.”
View to the Herzogstand from Heimgarten in the German Alps. Photo: Tesla Delacroix (licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)
Master of his craft
Strauss’s artistic growth burgeoned as he played in Munich’s Wilde Gung’l Orchestra, an amateur orchestra conducted by his father. He credited this experience with teaching him orchestration in practice.
By the early 20th century, Strauss had established himself as one of Germany’s most important composers and a master of the symphonic poem—a form that used orchestral music to evoke stories, moods, or scenes. He once (perhaps half-jokingly) claimed he could musically depict even a fork and knife. Notable works in this form include Don Juan, Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Also Sprach Zarathustra, and Ein Heldenleben. Around 1900, after finishing A Hero’s Life, Strauss began sketching ideas for one final tone poem: it would begin with a sunrise in Switzerland and eventually evolve into what became An Alpine Symphony.
Artistic Inspiration
Though Strauss made two youthful attempts at writing symphonies, he mostly left the form to others, particularly his friend Mahler, whose monumental symphonies he occasionally conducted.
Mahler’s sudden and premature death in 1911 left Strauss grief-stricken and speechless for days. He later recalled Mahler’s remark that “Strauss and I tunnel [in their artistic endeavours] from the opposite sides of the mountain. One day we will meet”.
These treasured words, combined with memories of his youthful hike and longabandoned sketches, coalesced into An Alpine Symphony—a monumental work Strauss described as representing “purification through one’s own strength, emancipation through work, and the adoration of eternal glorious nature.”
Despite its title, An Alpine Symphony is structured more like a symphonic poem, with 22 episodes tracing a hiker’s journey from dawn to dusk, using a vast orchestra that includes cowbells and a wind machine, with remarkable finesse, illustrating each episode with vivid, aural detail. He remarked at the dress rehearsal, “At last, I have learnt how to orchestrate”.
“At last, I have learnt how to orchestrate.”
Premiered in 1915 amid the chaos of World War I, An Alpine Symphony received little attention. Dismissed by some critics as “cinema music”—a label that might be considered a compliment today—the work marked the twilight of grand Romantic orchestral writing in Germany.
Yet the piece endured. It became a concert favourite and found an unexpected place in technological history: Herbert von Karajan’s recording with the Berlin Philharmonic was used to test the first prototype of the compact disc in 1980.
About the Music
An Alpine Symphony unfolds over a 12hour day in the Alps. Many scenes are vividly literal: cowbells for grazing herds, streams and waterfalls, a hunt (performed by a brass ensemble offstage), and a spectral “Apparition” drawn from Alpine myth. Later, the journey turns dangerous— crossing a glacier and weathering a thunderstorm with full orchestral drama.
In the work, Strauss also included multiple, mostly subtle, homages to his illustrious
predecessors, from Beethoven to Wagner. Most poignantly, he reserved a special place for a theme from Bruch’s beloved Violin Concerto which he described as “so very beautiful”, draped in symphonic splendour.
Two moments stand out. The summit offers a majestic vista: Alex Ross describes “Mahlerian strings and Straussian brass,” as if the two composers stood side by side at the peak of their art. The second is the Epilogue — where the organ introduces a hushed farewell. Themes from the journey return, first in the woodwinds, then strings and full orchestra “in gentle ecstasy,” as night falls.
“The final gesture,” writes Werner Pfister, “has the violins present a dark echo of the Ascent theme, ending with a long downward glissando, as if the souls of the hikers remain perpetually on their mountain journey.”
An Alpine Symphony in Images
Tonight’s performance is accompanied by photographs by Tobias Melle, captured over three years in the Berchtesgaden Alps. His images are carefully chosen to heighten the listener’s mental picture of the musical scenes, while preserving the depth and scale of Strauss’s monumental score.
Notes by Christopher Cheong | Chris is a former lawyer and violist who recently joined the SSO’s artistic planning team.
Hans Graf & Alexei Volodin
Thu & Fri, 24 & 25 Jul 2025
Esplanade Concert Hall
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Hans Graf Quantedge Music Director
Alexei Volodin piano*
Alexander Kagan Guest Concertmaster
Tchaikovsky
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23*
32 mins
Intermission
20 mins
Bruckner
Symphony No. 9 in D minor 63 mins
Concert Duration: approximately 2 hrs 10 mins (including 20 mins intermission)
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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
1840 – 1893
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 (1875)
Allegro con fuoco I II III
Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso
Andantino semplice
“Not a word, not an observation! […] Rubinstein was preparing his thunder.”
Thus recollected Tchaikovsky after playing the first movement for pianist Nikolai Rubinstein, whom he had hoped would perform it. To the composer’s dismay, Rubinstein only had criticism, calling the concerto impossible to play, “worthless” and “clumsy”. Nevertheless, Tchaikovsky was undaunted by Rubinstein’s harsh remarks and refused to change a single note. Subsequently, a contemporary of Rubinstein, Hans von Bülow, praised the work as “original, noble and powerful”. He became the new dedicatee and premiered
the work on the opening concert of his American tour in Boston in 1875, where it was received enthusiastically. Interestingly, Rubinstein eventually changed his opinion, becoming an advocate of the work and performing it numerous times in his career.
“The introductory theme is never heard again.”
The impassioned first movement is more rhapsodic than usual for a concerto of this era. Luscious strings open the famous introduction with a sweeping melody, alongside resounding chords that traverse the registers of the piano. After wandering into a piano cadenza followed by an orchestral reprise, the introductory theme is never heard again. Instead, we are presented three new main themes. The first, introduced by the piano, is a skittish Ukrainian folksong that Tchaikovsky heard performed at a local fair. The second is a melancholy tune coaxed in by the clarinets and the third, an uplifting melody brought in by the strings. The latter two themes
Hans Graf & Alexei Volodin
Tchaikovsky in 1875, photographed by Ivan Dyagovchenko
alternate and intertwine, giving the music a fantasia-like feel that stirs the imagination.
A gentle remembrance of the second theme of the first movement ushers in the Andantino This is first heard in a soaring flute melody before melting into the alluring bell-like sounds of the piano. It is finally joined by two soulful cellos. In the middle section of the movement, a scherzando-like theme based on the French song Il faut s’amuser, danser et rire (“One must amuse oneself by dancing and laughing”) breaks the calm and converses with playful running passages that flit by on the piano.
Parallel to the first movement, the Allegro quotes another Ukrainian folk song Viydi, viydi Ivanku (“Come, Come Ivanku”). This rondo alternates with a lyrical theme that is first heard in the strings, and an episode abound with dotted rhythms that segue through different keys. A majestic crescendo and a formidable show of piano octaves work the music to a grand climax that erupts in a satisfying, all-consuming reiteration of the lyrical theme.
First performed by SSO 11 Sep 1979 (Susan Starr, piano)
Notes by Khoo Hui Ling | Dr. Khoo Hui Ling is a Singaporean pianist and pedagogue who is a lecturer at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music and founder of The Music Studios.
Anton Bruckner
1824 – 1896
Symphony No. 9 in D minor (1896)
Feierlich, misterioso
Scherzo & Trio
Adagio: Langsam, feierlich I II III
A staunch Catholic, Anton Bruckner’s works never break far away from the sound of the pipe organ. He was trained young as an organ and violin player, but as a composer he was largely self-taught and only started devoting himself fully to composition in his late thirties. Prior to that, he had had some limited musical instruction, but even that was almost completely conducted via mail correspondence. Around 1860 he came to know the music of Wagner and met Liszt in person, though it took him over twenty years (and seven symphonies) from that point to gain recognition as a serious composer.
His music never strayed far from the religious: the masses and symphonies, which form the core of his entire output, are huge churchlike constructions for listeners to get lost in, to look upward and ponder profound mysteries. It is interesting to note how his orchestration tends
to contrast two separate groups of instruments, almost like an organist switching manuals all while underpinned by a strong bassline (the pedal part). His symphonies all follow roughly the same four-movement pattern, and all of them are long and spacious. As such, his death, which interrupted the composition of the finale of this symphony, leaves modern listeners with only three complete movements, and a very different work to the one he had envisioned.
Unlike Mahler, whose work on his final incomplete symphony had been kept by his wife for future musicologists to orchestrate into a satisfying whole, Bruckner’s sketches were taken apart by his students and either given away or sold as keepsakes to others, resulting in eventual loss and only disjoint fragments existing today. Bruckner’s own idea was for his Te Deum to be used as a final movement should he die during the composition of the symphony, and while some musicians have attempted to create “performing versions” with that musical material, Bruckner’s Ninth is today most often performed as a threemovement work.
Adding to the difficulty of finding a suitable edition of the work is Bruckner’s own penchant for continually revising and rewriting large portions of his published music, leading to numerous versions not at all easily distinguishable without huge effort and
The Bruckner Organ in St. Florian Monastery, Austria. Photo: Dguendel, licensed under CC BY 3.0
scholarship. For example, Bruckner’s Eighth symphony exists in two quite different versions, called 8/1 and 8/2, and there are some earlier symphonies called No. 0 and No. 00, mostly because of a Romantic-era superstition that nobody could ever write a Ninth Symphony to match Beethoven’s. Similarly, Bruckner started work on his Ninth as early as 1887, almost a decade before his own death, and there are pages and pages of loose sketches and variant orchestrations among the papers left behind when he died.
The monumental edifice of Bruckner’s Ninth, built with great effort over many years, was dedicated “to the beloved God”, and it is a challenging work. Despite being scored for what was by that point only a moderately sized orchestra (triple winds/brass, eight horns, and only one percussionist), the music is a solemn sprawl in time, leavened by the ferocity of the Scherzo movement.
Bruckner prayed every day before beginning his compositional efforts and consciously chose to begin in a mysterious D minor, drawing inspiration from Beethoven. Throughout the first movement, there is a sense of deep internal struggle: marked Feierlich (“solemn, ceremonial”), Bruckner clearly meant it to be a religious battle. Contrasting moments, like the first A major section, are a wondrous release from the obsessively plodding rhythms of the opening, but despite shuddering modulations into remote keys and anguished outbursts from the brass and winds, D minor ultimately reigns supreme here, with a huge march ending the movement. The Scherzo that follows is a dissonant whirl of huge proportions, with the orchestra at its busiest, pounding away at the repeated rhythms that Bruckner used as his trademark texture; the
Trio is a much lighter affair, set in F-sharp major with almost decadent modulations and harmonies surrounded by chirping wind solos.
While Bruckner never intended for the symphony to finish with the Adagio, the Wagnerian “unending melody” and the dense, chromatic harmony was perhaps his way of moving from the human to the divine. Mahler must surely have drawn inspiration for his own Adagio in his own Ninth from the opening violin gesture, and the polyphony here is Bruckner at his finest. Over the course of more than twenty minutes, Bruckner slips in sly references to his earlier work, but despite the wonderfully organic music, there exist at least five earlier versions of this movement. In fact, on the morning of the day he died, Bruckner was still fine-tuning this Adagio and left his apartment to go for a walk in Belvedere Park; he would expire back in his own apartment only a few hours later. In a way, these backward looks, coupled with the modern lushness of the music, was the perfect way to close out a long composing career, as the epitome of Bruckner’s long striving for the sublime.
Notes by Thomas Ang | Thomas Ang is a pianist at the Royal Opera House, where he rehearses and plays for operas and ballets. He also specialises in the music of Medtner and Kapustin. www.thomasang.com
Han-Na Chang & Leila Josefowicz
Fri, 1 Aug 2025
Esplanade Concert Hall
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Han-Na Chang conductor
Leila Josefowicz violin*
Sulki Yu Guest Concertmaster
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Beethoven
Egmont Overture, Op. 84
9 mins
Berg
Violin Concerto “To the Memory of an Angel”* 22 mins
Intermission
20 mins
Brahms
Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 39 mins
Concert Duration: approximately 1 hr 45 mins (including 20 mins intermission)
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Egmont Overture, Op. 84 (1810) 1770 – 1827
In 1787, Goethe completed Egmont, a dramatic tragedy on the fight of Count Egmont (1522–1568) against the despotic Duke of Alba (1507–1582), amidst the Netherlanders’ struggles against their Spanish overlords. Some two decades later, the play found renewed relevance as Vienna faced Napoleon’s onslaught. Fascinated by the play’s ‘republican’ subject, Beethoven set music to Egmont “from love of his [Goethe’s] poems, which give me happiness”. No doubt a deeper significance lay in his love for his adopted city, Vienna, and his hopes of its deliverance from the French.
The strings set the scene with terse, oppressive down-bows in F minor. A quieter, hopeful refrain follows with winds and brass sustaining a sarabande rhythm—a Spanish dance that could symbolise the Duke of Alba. In the Allegro section, restless rhythmic motives depict the rebels’ cause gaining momentum. The Count falls in love with Clärchen, a bourgeois woman who shares his ideals. Here, gentle woodwind exchanges set a calm and blissful tone for the duo. When Egmont is arrested by the Duke, Clärchen desperately rallies the people to save him, but it is a futile effort, and she poisons herself in despair. Egmont’s execution is marked by a martial theme sounded three times, followed by a pause implying his death. Subdued woodwinds express grief, yet from this quietude arises a crescendo into a heroic fanfare. The overture concludes with trumpets in typical military rhythm. In this utopia of freedom, Count Egmont finds moral victory in death.
The Count of Egmont - portrait by Frans Pourbus the Elder, 1579
Alban Berg
1885 – 1935
Violin Concerto “To the Memory of an Angel” (1935)
Andante;
Allegro; Adagio I II
Allegretto
The 1920s and ’30s saw a wave of composers whose increasingly dissonant styles reflected a postwar society in its innovations and confusions alike. To bring some order to the chaos, Arnold Schoenberg (1874–1951) developed a system known as serial, twelve-tone, or dodecaphonic music. Unlike traditional tonality, each of the twelve semitones are given equal weight. While critics find it antithetical to tradition and devoid of human warmth, Berg imbued the technique with a rich, late-Romantic Expressionism.
Berg’s Violin Concerto—the first composed using the twelve-tone method—is richly layered in style and meaning. In early 1935, violinist Louis Krasner approached Berg with a commission, but he was occupied with his opera Lulu. The death of 18-year-old Manon Gropius (daughter of Alma Mahler and architect Walter Gropius) from polio compelled him to write the concerto in her memory.
Though dodecaphony aims to dissolve all hierarchy between notes, Berg built tonal undercurrents with an ingeniously structured tone row (G, B-flat, D, F#, A, C, E, G#, B, C#, E-flat, F) outlining the intervals of thirds and fifths that underpin tonal writing. Nestled within are the triads of G minor, D major, A minor, and E major. The last four notes form a whole-tone motif (B, C#, E-flat, F), which coincides with that of Bach’s chorale Es ist genug! (“It is enough!”) from the Cantata BWV 60 O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort (“O eternity, thou thunderous word”). Fittingly, the chorale contemplates one’s reckoning with mortality. Recognising these uncanny links, Berg quoted the chorale at length in the Adagio
The tone row also centres on the violin’s four open strings (G–D–A–E), which begin the concerto with a raw timbre symbolic of Manon’s youth. In the Allegretto, her childhood is evoked through allusions to traditional dances: a lilting Ländler and a subtle Viennese waltz. Most striking is the quotation of the Carinthian song Ein Vogel auf’m Zwetschgenbaum (“A Bird on the Plumtree”), a yodelling song with risqué text. Passed among the horn, solo violin, and two trumpets, the tune reveals Berg’s hidden firstperson narrative. The original song mentions a girl named Mizzi, coincidentally the nickname of the kitchen maid with whom the 17-yearold Berg had an affair and a child. Berg also believed in the symbolism of numbers. In his Lyric Suite (1925–1926), he attributed the
Alban Berg. Photo courtesy of the Leo Baeck Institute
number 23 to himself and the number 10 to Hanna Fuchs, a woman he met through her husband at the premiere of his opera Wozzeck, and a love that would remain unfulfilled. This concerto contains 230 bars and a hidden motif spelling her initials (B–F, or H–F in German).
Manon’s death and transfiguration is traced in the Allegro–Adagio, which enters violently. The soloist’s cadenza-like freedom clashes with an inexorable dotted rhythm in the orchestra. Beneath this, percussion instruments linked to military bands—side drum, bass drum, triangle, cymbals—underscore the approaching tragedy. A shrill outburst of all twelve tones marks the moment of death. In the Adagio, the soloist introduces the chorale, which reappears in Bach’s full harmonisation in four clarinets. The soloist then merges into the orchestral violins— in death, everyone is equal. The Carinthian song returns faintly, and the first violins close the concerto as it began: with open fifths.
First performed by SSO 27 Nov 1987 (Pierre Amoyal, violin)
Notes by See Ning Hui | See Ning Hui is a pianist, researcher, and educator passionate about integrating underrepresented composers’ music. She is an adjunct lecturer at UAS-NAFA. Upcoming engagements can be found on www.ninghuisee.com.
Johannes Brahms
1833 – 1897
Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 (1885)
Allegro non troppo
Andante moderato
Allegro giocoso
Allegro energico e passionato I II III IV
“Difficult. Very difficult… gigantic, altogether a law unto itself, quite new, steely individuality. Exudes unparalleled energy from first note to last.” – Conductor Hans von Bülow after the first rehearsal of Brahms’s Fourth Symphony.
“Exudes unparalleled energy from first note to last.”
Brahms composed his Fourth Symphony in the alpine town of Mürzzuschlag, Austria, between 1884 and 1885. When he first introduced the completed work to friends in a two-piano arrangement, the reaction was mixed. The critic Eduard Hanslick quipped, “I had the feeling I was being given a beating by two incredibly intelligent people!” Max Kalbeck urged him to replace the middle movements and rework the finale, while Elisabeth von Herzogenberg warned the symphony was too “cerebral... its beauties are not accessible to every normal music lover.”
Despite these reservations, Brahms found a passionate advocate in conductor Hans von Bülow, who acknowledged its challenges but prepared the Meiningen Orchestra so
thoroughly that the October 1885 premiere—conducted by Brahms himself— was a resounding success. The symphony has since become a cornerstone of the orchestral repertoire.
The first movement opens with falling and rising two-note sighs—a seemingly simple gesture from which Brahms spins an intricate tapestry. Grand lyrical lines unfold over Brahms’s trademark cross-rhythms, propelling the music through yearning, mystery, and beauty, before climaxing in a shattering eruption of sound.
A noble horn call introduces the second movement, fading into a serene wind melody over plucked strings. Brahms evokes an antique atmosphere through the use of the renaissance-era Phrygian mode, suggesting a solemn procession. Moments of force and
Hans von Bülow (left) and Brahms, photographed in 1889
passion interrupt this stillness before a lush, string-led melody emerges—offering a balm to the tragedy of the first movement in one of Brahms’s most ravishing symphonic passages.
The third movement is Brahms’s only symphonic scherzo. Heroic, boisterous, and rhythmically driven, it features a bright splash of colour from piccolo and triangle. A brief dance-like theme provides contrast, though there is no traditional trio section. Beneath the surface exuberance, Brahms subtly plants the seeds of the finale’s looming tragedy.
The final movement is Brahms’s towering summation of his symphonic vision: a chaconne (or passacaglia)—a series of variations over a repeating bass line. The theme, introduced by eight solemn chords, resembles a melody from Bach’s Cantata BWV 150, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich (“I long to be near you, Lord”). In looking to the past, Brahms created something strikingly modern, revitalising the Baroque form for future generations. Major composers of the 20th century, including Shostakovich and Britten, would later adopt the passacaglia in key works.
Brahms interweaves structural clarity with expressive power across 32 variations, allowing different instruments or groups to take centre stage—most notably in the haunting flute solo and the solemn trombone chorale, in which Brahms tips his hat to Wagner’s Tannhäuser. In the closing pages, the opening chords return, now reinforced by brass, while the strings drive the music forward with relentless momentum. The symphony ends with inexorable finality—its tragic weight both immense and cathartic.
Notes by Christopher Cheong | Chris is a former lawyer and violist who recently joined the SSO’s artistic planning team.
To Our Donor Patrons
We would like to express our deepest appreciation to the following individuals and organisations who support our mission to create memorable shared experiences with music in the past year. Without your support, it would be impossible for the SSO to continue to strive for artistic excellence and touch the hearts of audiences.
This list reflects donations that were made from 1 Jul 2024 to 30 Jun 2025. 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 made. You can support us by donating at www.sso.org.sg/donate or www.giving.sg/sso.
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While SSO is supported partially by funding from the Singapore government, a significant part can only be unlocked as matching grants when we receive donations from the public. If you are in a position to do so, please consider making a donation to support your orchestra – Build the future by giving in the present.
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We provide our Corporate Patrons with impressive entertainment and significant branding opportunities. Through our tailored packages, corporates may benefit from:
• Publicity and hospitality opportunities at an SSO concert or your private event,
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• National Arts Council (NAC) Patron of the Arts nominations,
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Packages start at $10,000 and can be tailored to your company’s branding needs.
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We partner with various corporates through tailored in-kind sponsorship and exchange of services. Current and recent partnerships include Official Hotel, Official Airline, and we offer other exciting titles.
For more details, please write to Sarah Wee at sarah.wee@sso.org.sg
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
A Standing Ovation
We recognise major gifts that help sustain the future of the Singapore Symphony Group. The recognition includes naming of a position in the SSO or in our affiliated performance groups such as the Singapore National Youth Orchestra and the Singapore Symphony Choruses.
F or more information, please write to Chelsea Zhao at chelsea.zhao@sso.org.sg.
SSO Concertmaster l GK Goh Chair
In July 2017, the SSO established the GK Goh Chair for the Concertmaster. Mr Goh Geok Khim and his family have been long-time supporters of the national orchestra. We are grateful for the donations from his family and friends towards this Chair, especially Mr and Mrs Goh Yew Lin for their most generous contribution.
Mr Igor Yuzefovich was the inaugural GK Goh Concertmaster Chair. The position is currently vacant.
SSO Principal Cello
The Head Foundation Chair
In recognition of a generous gift from The HEAD Foundation, we announced the naming of our Principal Cello, “The HEAD Foundation Chair” in November 2019. The Chair is currently held by Principal Cellist Ng Pei-Sian.
SSO Principal Flute
Stephen Riady Chair
In recognition of a generous gift from Dr Stephen Riady, we announced in May 2022 the naming of our Principal Flute, “Stephen Riady Chair”. The position is currently held by our Principal Flutist Jin Ta.
SSO Principal Viola
Tan Jiew Cheng Chair
In recognition of a generous gift from the Estate of Tan Jiew Cheng, we announced in February 2024 the naming of our Principal Viola, “Tan Jiew Cheng Chair”. The position is currently held by our Principal Violist Manchin Zhang.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Quantedge Music Director
The SSO is delighted to announce the naming of the “Quantedge Music Director” position, currently held by Maestro Hans Graf.
With his spirit of musical exploration, innovative programming, and captivating stage presence, Maestro Graf has consistently inspired audiences and elevated orchestras to new heights. We are deeply grateful for his continued leadership as Chief Conductor in the 2020/21 season and Music Director since the 2022/23 season.
We extend our sincerest gratitude to our anonymous donor for this generous gift of $3 million to mark SG60.
Be taken back to the 16th and 17th centuries through the music of Gabrieli, Frescobaldi, Monteverdi and more, performed by organist Boey Jir Shin with the Singapore Symphony Chorus and Anglican Chamber Ensemble.
SSO Chamber Series: Summer Music 21 Sep 4pm
A lazy summer’s frolic, a jester’s gambol with fate, and finally, peaceful Romantic serenity. This attractive programme of chamber music performed by musicians of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a display of the versatile voices of the woodwind instrument family.
SSO Chamber Series: Die Fledermaus in a Pocket 10 1 1 Oct 7.30pm
Filled to the brim with lively polkas and irresistible waltzes, Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus (“The Bat”) is a tale of love affairs and lovers’ identities gone awry. From the same people who brought you 2024’s Figaro in a Pocket, come see this abridged 90-minute version of one of the most popular comic operettas of all time, together with Musicians of the SSO and a stellar cast of singers.
Want to know more? Scan here for more information
UPCOMING CONCERTS
curated with families in mind
Young Spacefarer’s Guide to the Orchestra
6 Sep 2025
Sat, 11am & 2pm
Esplanade Concert Hall
Come on a musical trek through space! Help our lost adventurer search the musical cosmos in a journey of self-discovery.
SSO Babies’ Proms
13 & 14 Sep 2025
Sat & Sun, 11am & 2pm
Victoria Concert Hall
$35, $45
1 & 2 Nov 2025
Sat, 11am & 2pm l Sun, 11am
Victoria Concert Hall
Discover the fun and fantastic world of the orchestra and its different instruments in this free-and-easy musical day out for parents and kids.
Put on your spookiest costume this Halloween and join us in this fun-filled, musical Halloween Spooktacular of wily witches, grinning ghouls and stumbling skeletons! Recommended for ages 6 & below.
