Bravissimo! - Singapore Symphony Orchestra

B
ravissimo !
APRIL 2014 Vol. 16 No. 2
MICA (P) 050/07/2013
The Quarterly Newsletter of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Bright Sheng’s Let Fly
The Asian Premiere
by SSO and Gil Shaham
Joe Hisaishi concert draws 3,600
Reaching out at Paragon
Boris Giltburg: “Life without music is very hard to imagine”
Jason Lai: The world through his lens
www.sso.org.sg
Editorial
In this April edition we are pleased to bring you a new column, On My Playlist, which gives you insights to
the music SSO members are listening to, or revisiting, at the moment. We look back at the overwhelming
success of the SSO Pops Concert at The Star Theatre in February showcasing the music of Joe Hisaishi,
which attracted 3,600 enthusiastic fans.
Long-time friends and supporters of the orchestra also came together to celebrate the SSO’s 35th birthday
in a special concert led by Conductor Emeritus Choo Hoey. Under Conrad Celebrities, we find out that
pianist Boris Giltburg and conductor Jason Lai are also photography enthusiasts. Enjoy this issue!
CINDY LIM
Editor
cindy@sso.org.sg
Contents
SSO News 03
SSO News 05
Conrad Celebrities: 08
Boris Giltburg & Jason Lai
Symphony Society 10
Backstage with Igor Yuzefovich
14
On My Playlist
15
The Autograph Collector 16
SSO News 05
Conrad Celebrities 08
On the cover:
Gil Shaham joins Lan Shui and the
SSO for the Asian premiere of Let Fly.
Photography by Collin Tan
Editors: Cindy Lim
Chang Tou Liang
BraviSSimO! is published by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Printed by First Printers.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.
sso news
Celebrating the best of Joe Hisaishi
SSO pops concert at Star Theatre
draws 3,600
The SSO’s first-ever concert featuring music from Japanese animation films composed by Joe Hisaishi drew an
audience of 3,600 at the Star Theatre on February 15. Decked out in their anime best, cosplayers were on hand
to liven up the atmosphere in the foyer as well as pose with the audience for photographs. Many in the audience
waved their glow sticks during the performance which showcased music from famous films including My Neighbor
TOTORO, Departures, Spirited Away and Kikujiro. The soloists for the evening, pianist Shane Thio and cellist Ng
Pei-Sian, drew rapturous applause for their commendable performances. !
Cosplayers decked out in anime costumes in the Star Theatre foyer
Ng Pei-Sian gives a moving rendition of the theme from Departures
SSO turns 35
The SSO had a special guest at its rehearsal on January
16, as SSO Patron, President Tony Tan Keng Yam,
had words of encouragement for the orchestra on its
35th birthday. For its 35th Anniversary Concert at the
Esplanade Concert Hall on January 18, the Singapore
Symphony Orchestra welcomed back its Conductor
Emeritus Choo Hoey to the podium for an evening
of great masterpieces by Richard Strauss and Antonin
Dvorak. Joining Choo for the Duet-Concertino for
clarinet, bassoon and chamber orchestra were SSO
principal players Ma Yue and Zhang Jin Min. The fullcapacity audience, which included Acting Minister
for the Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth
Mr Lawrence Wong, gave Choo Hoey and the SSO
five standing ovations as Dvořák’s tender New World
Symphony brought the evening to a close. !
Choo Hoey conducting the 35th anniversary concert
President Tony Tan Keng Yam addressing the musicians
New Generations
Celebrating the SSO’s 35th anniversary and the Yong Siew
Toh Conservatory’s 10th anniversary in 2014, the SSO and
YST presented a free concert titled New Generations at the
Conservatory Concert Hall on February 13, showcasing 3
new works by young composers Terrence Wong Fei Yang
(Two Moods for Orchestra), Gregory Gu Wei (Limbo) and
Joshua Pangilinan (Creed).
All three works were selected from scores submitted for the
SSO Young Composer Workshop held at the conservatory on
February 11. Directed by SSO’s Associate Conductor Jason
Lai, the concert concluded with Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto
No. 3, performed by the Grand Final Winner of the 2012
Conservatory Concerto Competition, Ge Xiao Zhe. !
04
bravissimo!
Conductor Jason Lai
Vocal fireworks
Popular Korean soprano Sumi Jo returned on February 20 for yet another dazzling performance with the SSO at the
Esplanade Concert Hall. With four costume changes, Jo showed off her heavenly voice in eight showpieces, culminating
in Olympia’s Doll Aria from Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffman, and also rewarded the audience with four encores including
the ethereal O Mio Babbino Caro by Puccini. !
A gift of music
at Paragon
The SSO and Associate Conductor Joshua Tan
gave its debut performance at the Paragon
Shopping Centre on March 1, joined by the
Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir. Part of
the SPH Gift of Music series, the performers
delighted their 1200-strong audience with
ever-popular music from the movie Star Wars
and the opera Carmen, as well as well-loved
songs such as Summertime and When You
Believe from The Prince of Egypt. !
!
Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers made a surprise appearance
bravissimo!
05
Gershwin on campus
The SSO’s free campus concerts at Hwa Chong Institution on March 6, and at the
Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School on March 7, were well attended by over 1,500
concertgoers, including many students and residents from the vicinity. Under the
direction of conductor Joshua Tan, the programme included lively music from
Gershwin, Dvořák, Respighi and Shostakovich. !
At the SSO’s concert at Hwa Chong Institution
Co-Leader Lynnette Seah acknowledging the applause
Students waiting for the concert to start at PLMGS
06
bravissimo!
Reaching out at Tampines &
Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay
The sound of music filled The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay, literally, on March 8, as the national orchestra gave a free outdoor
concert featuring popular songs from the hit movie The Sound of Music such as Do-Re-Mi, Edelweiss and Sixteen Going On
Seventeen. Sponsored by the SPH Gift of Music Series, Associate Conductor Joshua Tan also led the orchestra in a lively interpretation
of Gershwin’s Cuban Overture and Dvořák’s Carnival Overture, playing to a 5,000-strong audience. The SSO under Joshua Tan also
returned to Tampines Central on March 9, which saw an audience of over 1,600 enjoying the free concert. !
Mr Baey Yam Keng, Mr Goh Yew Lin, conductor Joshua Tan, Education Minister
Heng Swee Keat & Mr Masagos Zulkifli
Performing at Tampines Central
Lynnette Seah awarded
Women’s Hall of Fame
SSO’s Co-Leader Lynnette was among 108 to receive the prestigious
Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame award at the Shangri-La Hotel on March
14. An initiative of the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations,
the award recognizes outstanding women who have contributed to
Singapore’s development. !
bravissimo!
07
Boris Giltburg
“Life without music is very
hard to imagine”
CONRAD CELEBRITIES
Of
the Rachmaninov piano concertos, the First remains
a personal favourite of Boris Giltburg. Says the 29-year-old
pianist: “It is one of the very few works which give me, as
a performer, the same kind of condensed, intense, deeply
affecting experience I have had as a listener – I loved it and
wanted to play it ever since I heard it as a teenager. It’s one
of those rare works in which you feel that the composer took
everything you like – in terms of melody, harmony, the way of
writing for the piano, intensity of feeling – and put it together
into one composition.”
Come April 12, Giltburg will take centrestage in this concerto,
accompanied by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra under
Neeme Jarvi, whom he has worked with previously for a London
Philharmonic Orchestra concert. “I enjoyed the collaboration
enormously, but my strongest memory of that concert was its
second half, in which Järvi conducted Rachmaninov’s Second
Symphony. The strength, the passion, the depth, the melodies,
the inner voices he brought out, the way everything organically
grew from one thing to another – it was truly an unforgettable
performance.”
Born in Moscow and raised in Tel Aviv, Giltburg says winning
the 2013 Queen Elisabeth competition changed his life, in
no small part due to the increasing number of international
engagements following his win.
“The entire rhythm has changed. If previously I could count
on periods of free time at home to prepare and work on new
material, those periods are all but gone now, and I had to
rethink my entire working process, to plan further ahead, and
to work now on repertoire for much later, knowing that there
won’t be much time for it closer to the concert. It’s exciting,
it’s challenging, and the musical experiences which I have had
since the competition – the sheer variety and richness of them
– makes it all more than worthwhile.”
When he has some time to himself while overseas, he enjoys
nothing more than to explore the city he is in, with his camera
in tow. He posts his photography on bgiltphotos.wordpress.
com. “Since two and a half years ago, photography became
my main hobby, and the camera is what most often drives me
to go out and explore.”
Giltburg also loves languages (he speaks six languages) and
computers, but is quick to point out: “These are all hobbies
– they are great additions to the main thing, which is music.
I think I could live without any of the above, but life without
music is very hard to imagine.” !
Cindy Lim
Boris Giltburg will perform with the
SSO under Neeme Jarvi at the Esplanade
Concert Hall on April 12. Tickets available
from www.sistic.com.sg. SSO presents Come Meet
Mozart! at the University
Cultural Centre on May 31.
Hong Kong cityscape by Jason Lai
Jason Lai
The world through his lens
On his day off, SSO’s Associate Conductor Jason Lai likes
to go out onto the streets armed with his Leica M240 or Leica
MM camera. “I love photography and I find it a wonderful way
to relax and see more of the world around me. Sometimes
we just don’t notice things around us, a beautiful building,
or people walking, with my camera I actually see and notice
more,” says Lai.
The 39-year-old is also Associate Conductor for the Hong
Kong Sinfonietta and Principal Conductor of the Yong Siew Toh
Conservatory Orchestra. Come May 31 he will present a SSO
children’s concert titled Come Meet Mozart!, which was first
performed with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta to great success.
Said Lai: “Mozart is a fascinating composer so when I was asked
to put together a concert that had educational element I came
up with an idea that would help bring across his extraordinary
life as well as his beautiful music. Today we are surrounded by
media and so I wanted to tap into this idea and borrowed the
talk show format on TV to introduce Mozart to the world. Of
course TV didn’t exist in Mozart’s time but I thought it would
be fun to explore what would happen if we could magically
make him appear on stage.”
“Mozart’s music is simplicity itself, or seemingly so. He
composed effortlessly and his output was huge! If you begin
to explore his music it you realise that he was an absolute
genius and there’s a great mind at work. There’s something very
operatic about his melodies which isn’t surprising as he loved
writing for the voice.” He says selecting the music for this programme was a real
challenge. “There is so much music to choose from – did
you know he wrote about 1000 pieces! I wanted to allow the
audience to hear a wide selection of his music across a range
of types as well, so I’ve tried to represent all these. You’ll hear
concertos, arias, symphonies and chamber music.”
Born in the UK Lai started cello lessons at the age of eleven.
“When I started to play the cello it opened up a whole new
world for me and I soon played the piano and composed.
I used to spend hours writing music on my keyboard and
practising. I wake up in the morning and I feel so lucky to be
able to do the job that I do. As a conductor every time you
conduct a piece you find something new about it, and as I get
older my view on life changes and this affects the way I think
about music. This ongoing sense of discovery is a great driving
force for me.” !
Cindy Lim
Conrad Centennial Singapore offers a choice of
exciting dining venues. Dine on contemporary
Cantonese cuisine and innovative dim sum
creations by top Hong Kong chefs at awardwinning Golden Peony. Oscar’s offers delicious
buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a
delectable Amazing Graze Sunday brunch.
bravissimo!
09
Birthday delights
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra welcomed back its Conductor Emeritus Choo Hoey to the podium
symphony society
for its 35th Anniversary Concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall on January 18. The full-capacity audience,
which included Acting Minister for MCCY Mr Lawrence Wong, gave Choo Hoey and the SSO five standing
ovations. Audience members were delighted to receive a slice of cake on their way out, courtesy of the
SSO’s official hotel, Conrad Centennial Singapore. This concert was sponsored by the Tote Board and
Singapore Turf Club. !
Conductor Emeritus Choo Hoey
Mr Tan Guong Ching, Mr Goh Yew Lin, Acting Minister for MCCY Lawrence Wong & Prof Arnoud De Meyer
Mrs Alice Lee-Seah & Mr Moses Lee
Mr & Mrs Tan Puay Chiang
Harpist Gulnara Mashurova
Lee Tzu Yang & Prof Cham Tao Soon
Adriaan Van Der Staay & Ong Keng Sen
Dr Aline Wong & Prof John Wong
bravissimo!
11
symphony society
Alan Chan & Prof Chan Heng Chee
SSO Associate Conductors Jason Lai & Joshua Tan
Ester Gerber, Noemi Gerber & Rolf Gerber
Mr Edmund Cheng & Mr Moses Lee
Charles Bremridge & Margaret Chew
Joanne Kane & Mark Meaney
Julian Solms, Andreas Sohmen Pao & Jenny Solms
Clash of colours
The Singapore Symphony Chorus’ annual dinner on March 15 was an incredibly colourful evening at Joan Bowen @ the
Village, where members enjoyed a buffet spread which included kueh pie tee, roti prata, barbequed spare ribs and pork knuckles.
Chorus members were joined by SSO Director Chng Hak-Peng and General Manager Anthony Brice. The winner of best dressed
was SSC alto (member since October 2011), Anne-Sophie Guiard, who drew wild applause for her show-stopping outfit. A truly
sensational night for our volunteer singers of the Singapore Symphony Chorus. !
Karin Seidal, Arno Rabenstein & Anne-Sophie Guiard
Tucking in
bravissimo!
13
Igor Yuzefovich
From Moscow to Baltimore
The 34-year-old musician says he still
thinks of himself as Russian: “I believe my
values and who I am today have in large
part been shaped by my upbringing in
Russia. I had the best possible start to my
musical education, having been a student
at the Gnessin School in Moscow, and
was fortunate to continue my musical
education in the US with great Russian
teachers.”
He was first introduced to the violin at the
age of five, and attended many concerts
with his father in Moscow, including a
Yehudi Menuhin recital. “I remember
the electricity in the air, as the crowds
stood shoulder to shoulder in the great
Columned Hall, knowing they were
witnessing something quite special.”
backstage
Igor Yuzefovich with his fiancee Angela
“I have always been drawn to water,”
says the SSO’s concertmaster Igor
Yuzefovich. “Having spent a large portion
of my life in Baltimore, a city on the
water, I had always been enticed by the
sailboats and the people who sailed them
around the harbour and the Chesapeake
bay. Annapolis, a city many consider
the Sailing Capital of the United States,
is only a quick 30 minute drive away, so
my passion was always easily fuelled by
day trips there.”
nothing quite like the sound of the engine
being shut off and the feeling of the wind
filling up the sails on a sunny and breezy
day. In many ways, sailing is similar to
playing the violin – the pressure of the
bow on the string has to be so carefully
monitored, as the slightest change will
alter the sound and the expression. Akin
to that – the slightest adjustment in the
sails can alter the direction and speed
of the boat. In the end, it’s a game of
balance.” “My first sailboat was a small 20 foot
day sailor. With my friends’ help, I spent
the next year fixing it up from the inside
out and learning all about what not to
do when sailing. Soon after, I upgraded
to a bigger boat, and then to my current
boat, which is a 30 foot Catalina. There is
Born in Moscow, his family moved
to Washington DC when he was 12,
when his musicologist father received a
fellowship from the Woodrow Wilson
Institute to continue his research on
Serge Koussevitzky. His fiancee Angela is
a professional opera singer.
He adds: “As a young Russian violinist,
my natural idol was David Oistrakh.
The name of this giant was often heard
in my house as my father had penned
several books on the violinist. As I got
older, I was introduced to many other
great artists, and my goal since has been
to retain something musical from each of
them.” !
Cindy Lim On My Playlist
What SSO musicians have been listening to
Chan Yoong-Han fixed chair, first violin
This
recent
Grammy
Award winning album by
Osmo Vänskä with the
Minnesota Orchestra has,
in my opinion, one of the
most convincing recorded
interpretation of Sibelius’s
Fourth Symphony.
Described by Sibelius
himself as a “psychological
symphony”, the meaning of this intensely dark and introspective
work has eluded me for many years until I heard this recording.
A truly gripping detailed account of Sibelius’s turbulent psyche
well captured.
William Bolcom’s Violin
Concerto
is
a
work
dedicated to my late violin
teacher, Sergiu Luca, as well
as inspired by the stylistic
bravura of the legendary
jazz violinist, Joe Venuti.
This is perhaps the only
recording
of
Bolcom’s
concerto, which is filled
with fun jazzy elements in the outer movements and a very
somber and intensely beautiful inner movement. Written almost
25 years ago, this work has most recently regained its popularity
with performances by Gil Shaham and Benjamin Schimdt. Also
in this album is Bolcom’s programmatic 5th symphony. I listen
to this recording often as it brings backs many fond memories of
my years with Mr. Luca.
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY CMY
K
the
Autograph
collector
Ever so often, a spectacular young musician makes his or her name by appearing
on international concert stages and the pages of Gramophone magazine, way
before they play before Singaporean audiences. By the time they actually arrive
here, they are already household names, thanks to their CD recordings and
more recently, the phenomenon called Youtube. This edition, we check out
autographs of once-young musicians whose names preceded them, and who
have later developed to become even bigger names.
GIL SHAHAM
No longer a stranger to local audiences,
American violinist Gil Shaham recently gave
the Asian premiere of Bright Sheng’s Violin
Concerto with the SSO. He is used to signing
many autographs in quick succession, as the two
quick and fluid strokes that form his signature
suggests.
NIKOLAI LUGANSKY
Nikolai Lugansky has previously appeared here
in the Singapore International Piano Festival and
on tour with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, but
recently made his SSO début. Russians tend
to be fastidious with their inscriptions, often
writing out their full surnames, and Lugansky is
no exception.
BLAST FROM THE PAST:
KONSTANTIN LIFSCHITZ (2000)
Does anyone remember that most spiritual and riveting
of piano recitals (playing Bach, Scriabin and Messiaen)
at the 2000 Singapore International Piano Festical by
the prodigious Russian pianist Konstantin Lifschitz? His
second coming is still keenly awaited. Like Lugansky,
collectors get the full benefit of his calligraphic
largesse, in gold ink no less.
If you have any interesting autographs to share, please send a high-resolution scan and accompanying texts to: corporate@sso.org.sg. Happy autograph hunting!