Joe Hisaishi concert draws 3,600Reaching out at ParagonBoris Giltburg: Life without music is very hard to imagineJason Lai: The world through his lens

www.sso.org.sg

Bright Shengs Let FlyThe ASiAn Premiereby SSO and Gil Shaham

The Quarterly Newsletter of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Bravissimo!APriL 2014 Vol. 16 No. 2 MICA (P) 050/07/2013

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.

Contents

SSO News 03

Conrad Celebrities: 08Boris Giltburg & Jason Lai

Symphony Society 10

Backstage with Igor Yuzefovich 14

On My Playlist 15

The Autograph Collector 16

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

editorialIn 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 SSOs 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 LIMEditorcindy@sso.org.sg

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SSO pops concert at Star Theatre draws 3,600The SSOs 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. !

Ng Pei-Sian gives a moving rendition of the theme from Departures

Cosplayers decked out in anime costumes in the Star Theatre foyer

Celebrating the best of Joe Hisaishi

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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 full-capacity 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 Dvor ks tender New World Symphony brought the evening to a close.

Choo Hoey conducting the 35th anniversary concert

Conductor Jason Lai

new GenerationsCelebrating the SSOs 35th anniversary and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatorys 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 SSOs Associate Conductor Jason Lai, the concert concluded with Prokofievs Piano Concerto No. 3, performed by the Grand Final Winner of the 2012 Conservatory Concerto Competition, Ge Xiao Zhe. !

President Tony Tan Keng Yam addressing the musicians

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Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers made a surprise appearance

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A gift of music at ParagonThe SSO and Associate Conductor Joshua Tan gave its debut performance at the Paragon Shopping Centre on March 1, joined by the Singapore Symphony Childrens 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. !!

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 Olympias Doll Aria from Offenbachs Tales of Hoffman, and also rewarded the audience with four encores including the ethereal O Mio Babbino Caro by Puccini. !

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Co-Leader Lynnette Seah acknowledging the applause

Gershwin on campusThe SSOs 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, Dvor k, Respighi and Shostakovich.

At the SSOs concert at Hwa Chong Institution

Students waiting for the concert to start at PLMGS

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Lynnette Seah awarded Womens hall of FameSSOs Co-Leader Lynnette was among 108 to receive the prestigious Singapore Womens Hall of Fame award at the Shangri-La Hotel on March 14. An initiative of the Singapore Council of Womens Organisations, the award recognizes outstanding women who have contributed to Singapores development. !

reaching out at Tampines & Gardens by the Bay

Mr Baey Yam Keng, Mr Goh Yew Lin, conductor Joshua Tan, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat & Mr Masagos Zulkifli

Performing at Tampines Central

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 Gershwins Cuban Overture and Dvor ks 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. !

Gardens by the Bay

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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.

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Life without music is very hard to imagine

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. Its 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

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enormously, but my strongest memory of that concert was its second half, in which Jrvi conducted Rachmaninovs 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 wont be much time for it closer to the concert. Its exciting, its 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

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

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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 Ive tried to represent all these. Youll 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

On his day off, SSOs 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 dont 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 childrens 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 didnt exist in Mozarts time but I thought it would be fun to explore what would happen if we could magically make him appear on stage.

Mozarts 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 theres a great mind at work. Theres something very operatic about his melodies which isnt surprising as he loved writing for the voice.

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 award-winning Golden Peony. Oscars offers delicious buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a delectable Amazing Graze Sunday brunch.

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Birthday delights

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The Singapore Symphony Orchestra welcomed back its Conductor Emeritus Choo Hoey to the podium 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 SSOs 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

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Lee Tzu Yang & Prof Cham Tao SoonMrs Alice Lee-Seah & Mr Moses Lee

Mr & Mrs Tan Puay Chiang Adriaan Van Der Staay & Ong Keng Sen

Dr Aline Wong & Prof John WongHarpist Gulnara Mashurova

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Charles Bremridge & Margaret Chew

Alan Chan & Prof Chan Heng Chee

Ester Gerber, Noemi Gerber & Rolf Gerber

Mr Edmund Cheng & Mr Moses Lee

SSO Associate Conductors Jason Lai & Joshua Tan

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Julian Solms, Andreas Sohmen Pao & Jenny Solms Joanne Kane & Mark Meaney

Clash of colours

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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.

Tucking in

Karin Seidal, Arno Rabenstein & Anne-Sophie Guiard

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I have always been drawn to water, says the SSOs 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.

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

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Igor Yuzefovich with his fiancee Angela

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, its a game of balance.

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.

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.

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 PlaylistWhAT SSO muSiCiAnS hAVe Been LiSTeninG TOChAn YOOnG-hAn fIxed chaIr, fIrST vIOlIN

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This recent Grammy Award winning album by Osmo Vnsk with the Minnesota Orchestra has, in my opinion, one of the most convincing recorded interpretation of Sibeliuss 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 Sibeliuss turbulent psyche well captured.

William Bolcoms 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 Bolcoms 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 Bolcoms programmatic 5th symphony. I listen to this recording often as it brings backs many fond memories of my years with Mr. Luca.

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.

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!

GiL ShAhAmNo longer a stranger to local audiences, American violinist Gil Shaham recently gave the Asian premiere of Bright Shengs 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 LuGAnSKYNikolai Lugansky has previously appeared here in the Singapore International Piano Festival and on tour with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, but recently made his SSO dbut. 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.