Annual Report 2012/13 - Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Contents
“A top-flight, richly enjoyable performance.”
The Telegraph, 7 April 2012
Message from the Chairman
02
Message from the Music Director
04
SSO Musicians05
Governance06
The Year in Review 08
Community22
Victoria Concert Hall
32
Sponsors, Donors & Musician’s Chair
35
Symphony Society44
Financial Highlights49
The SSO’s historic home, the Victoria Concert Hall,
will reopen in the second half of 2014 after an
extensive 3-year renovation with its seating capacity
reduced to 678 to improve its acoustics. Following
this, the SSO will divide its time between the
Esplanade Concert Hall and the Victoria Concert Hall,
performing different repertoire in two splendid but
very different world-class concert halls.
The SSO’s ticket prices remain within the reach of
all Singaporeans. The cheapest standard ticket costs
$15, and there are substantial discounts available
to students and senior citizens. The Swire-SSO
Ticketing Scheme, launched in 2013, benefits local
schools and allows students to enjoy SSO concerts
for as little as $10 per ticket. We also conduct free
music appreciation talks for schools with every group
booking.
Chairman’s
Message
At 34, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra has
consolidated its reputation as one of Asia’s finest
orchestras. Recent recordings have won sterling
reviews, and the feedback from visiting artists has
continued to be very encouraging. Perhaps the best
measure of this is the number of famous artists who
have agreed to return to perform in Singapore after
making their debuts.
The SSO progressed steadily through its 2012/13
financial year. Average attendance for ticketed
subscription and gala concerts was satisfactory
at 81.6%, though this was less than the 82.4%
set in the previous year partly because of a more
challenging series of programmes. Internationallyfamous artists making their Singapore debuts this
year included violinist Alina Ibragimova and Nicola
Benedetti, pianists Helene Grimaud and Krystian
02
Zimerman, and cellist-conductor Han-Na Chang.
We also continued our association with pianist
Yevgeny Sudbin in concert, and with a recording of
Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto that has since
won rave reviews. Among the highlights for the year
were our sold-out choral concerts featuring Orff’s
Carmina Burana and Handel’s Messiah.
Outside of the Esplanade Concert Hall, we continued
to deepen our community engagement through many
free concerts on school campuses, the Singapore
Botanic Gardens, Gardens by the Bay and the
Singapore Racecourse at Kranji. We continued to
draw large audiences for our Concerts for Children,
the perennially-popular SSO Babies’ Proms and
the SSO Christmas Concerts. These and other
outreach events account for over a third of the SSO’s
performing calendar.
A large part of the SSO’s funding comes from the
Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, the
Totalisator Board and the Singapore Turf Club.
Contributions from sponsors and donors are
essential to sustain our operations. For FY12/13,
total expenditure amounted to $17.7 million, a
relatively small sum in the context of international
orchestras, and we ended the year with a slight
surplus of $93,425. Management has been careful
in expenditure without compromising the quest for
artistic excellence.
The SSO’s Endowment Fund has increased to $32.6
million, largely on investment gains totalling $2.2
million. We will need to grow the Endowment Fund
further in the years ahead to create a more sustainable
investment income stream for the SSO.
I am very grateful that we have so many partners and
friends who have helped us from our earliest days.
The SSO’s Board of Directors has been critical in
mapping out the SSO’s vision and strategies, and in
this it is now strongly supported by the SSO Council,
which met for the first time in April 2013. We are
encouraged in our efforts by the number of donors,
large and small, who remind us of the breadth of
interest that exists for Singapore’s national orchestra.
Goh Yew Lin Chairman
03
SSO Musicians
Lan Shui
jason lai
joshua tan
Choo Hoey
Okko Kamu
Lim Yau
Music Director
Associate Conductor
Associate Conductor
Conductor Emeritus
Principal Guest
Conductor
Choral Director
FIRST VIOLIN
LEADER
Igor Yuzefovich
CO-LEADER
Lynnette Seah
ASSISTANT LEADER
Lillian Wang
Wu Man Yun
Xu Jue Yi
Ye Lin
Yeo Teow Meng
Yin Shu Zhan
Zhang Si Jing
Kong Zhao Hui
VIOLA
Music Director’s
Message
Music – the universal language – speaks volumes
where words sometimes fail. With the power to uplift,
inspire, entertain and educate, the true power of
music lies in its ability to create experiences which
are unique yet unifying, personal yet communal.
The SSO is proud to play its part in shaping these
experiences for Singapore and Singaporeans.
Touching new audiences through music remains a
key facet of the SSO’s mission. Outside the concert
hall, we continued to extend a welcoming hand to the
thousands of music-lovers in the community – many
newly-initiated – who joined us at school and campus
concerts across Singapore in the last year, and at
outdoor performances and Children’s Concerts.
Our 2012/13 season has been another exciting
journey filled with many highlights: we have seen
spectacular SSO debuts by acclaimed artists such as
Krystian Zimerman and Hélène Grimaud, return visits
by old friends like Neeme Järvi, Sarah Chang and
Wang Jian, as well as most memorable performances
of Orff’s Carmina Burana and Handel’s ever-popular
Messiah. Our recording project of orchestral works
by Rachmaninov is well under way – with the CD
of the First Piano Concerto and First Symphony just
recently released.
It is to you – our audience – that the music is always
dedicated. Thank you for your support and company
on yet another stretch of our journey. As the music
speaks, it is heartening to know that you are listening.
FIXED CHAIR
Chan Yoong-Han
Cao Can
Chen Da Wei
Duan Yu Ling
Foo Say Ming
Gu Wen Li
Jin Li
Cindy Lee
Seow Jin Chong
Alexander Souptel
Sui Jing Jing
Karen Tan
William Tan
Wei Zhe
SECOND VIOLIN
PRINCIPAL
Zhang Zhen Shan
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Michael Loh
FIXED CHAIR
Hai-Won Kwok
Lan Shui Music Director
Nikolai Koval
Priscilla Neo
Margit Saur
Shao Tao Tao
PRINCIPAL
Zhang Manchin
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Guan Qi
FIXED CHAIR
Jiang Han Song
Gu Bing Jie
Marietta Ku
Liu Hao Yu
Luo Biao
Shui Bing
Tan Wee Hsin
Tong Yi Ping
Yang Shi Li
CELLO
PRINCIPAL
Ng Pei-Sian
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Yu Jing
Wang Yan
Wu Dai Dai
Zhao Yu Er
COR ANGLAIS
TRUMPET
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Elaine Yeo
David Smith
DOUBLE BASS
CLARINET
PRINCIPAL
PRINCIPAL
Guennadi Mouzyka
Ma Yue
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Yang Zheng Yi
Li Xin
FIXED CHAIR
Liu Yoko
Tang Xiao Ping
Karen Yeo
Olga Alexandrova
Ma Li Ming
Jacek Mirucki
Wang Xu
Yang Xun
FLUTE
PICCOLO
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Roberto Alvarez
OBOE
FIXED CHAIR
PRINCIPAL
Guo Hao
Rachel Walker
Chan Wei Shing
Ding Xiao Feng
Li Cheng
Song Woon Teng
Tang Xiao Ping
Allen Meek
Damian Patti
BASS TROMBONE
Shannon Pittaway
TUBA
PRINCIPAL
BASSOON
Hidehiro Fujita
PRINCIPAL
Zhang Jin Min
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Liu Chang
Roberto Alvarez
PRINCIPAL
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Evgueni Brokmiller
TROMBONE
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
BASS CLARINET
PRINCIPAL
Jin Ta
Ikebe Jun
Christoph Wichert
Zhao Ying Xue
CONTRA BASSOON
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Zhao Ying Xue
TIMPANI
PRINCIPAL
Jonathan Fox
Grzegorz Markiewicz
PERCUSSION
PRINCIPAL
Jonathan Fox
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Mark Suter
HORN
PRINCIPAL
Han Chang Chou
Mark De Souza
Lim Meng Keh
Grzegorz Markiewicz
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Pan Yun
Carolyn Hollier
Elaine Yeo
Gao Jian
HARP
Jamie Hersch
PRINCIPAL
Marc-Antoine Robillard Gulnara Mashurova
Wang Min
This list is correct as at 1 October 2013.
04
05
Governance
SSO Council
The Singapore Symphonia Company Limited is a registered charity governed by its Board of Directors which is
appointed by the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth.
On 1 April 2013, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra Council was formed comprising a group of distinguished
people. The SSO Council generously give their experience and expertise at the request of the Orchestra and are
consulted by members of the Management and Board in an advisory role.
The Board is made up of a group of civic, business, cultural and philanthropic leaders, who together with the
Music Director, the General Manager of the SSCL and the General Manager of the SSO, direct and carry out
the artistic mission of the SSO. The Board is supported by various committees such as: Nominating & Executive
Committee, Audit Committee, Endowment Fund Committee, Artistic Advisory Committee and Musicians’
Committee; as well as the SSO Ladies’ League.
Patron
Board of Directors
President Tony Tan Keng Yam
Chairman
Mr Goh Yew Lin
Directors
Mr Ang Chek Meng (appointed on 26 September 2013)
Mrs Odile Benjamin
Mr Chng Hak-Peng
Mr Lionel Choi
Prof Arnoud De Meyer (appointed on 26 September 2013)
Ms Carol Fong (retired on 25 September 2013)
Mr Heinrich Grafe
Mr Kwee Liong Seen
Ms Lim Mei
Prof Lim Seh Chun
Ms Tan Choo Leng
Ms Yvonne Tham
Mr Wong Nang Jang
Mr Yee Chen Fah (appointed on 26 September 2013)
Ms Yong Ying-I
06
Company Secretary
Auditors
Samas Management Pte Ltd
Ernst & Young LLP
Bankers
Registered Office
United Overseas Bank Ltd
DBS Bank Ltd
OCBC Bank Ltd
4 Battery Road #20-01
Bank of China Building
Singapore 049908
Chairman
Members
Prof Cham Tao Soon
Mr Frank Benjamin
Mr Alan Chan
Ms Chew Gek Khim
Mr David Conner
Dr Geh Min
Mr Goh Geok Khim
Mr Khoo Boon Hui
Prof Tommy Koh
Mr JY Pillay
Dr Stephen Riady
Ms Priscylla Shaw
Dr Gralf Sieghold
Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao
Dr Tan Chin Nam
Ms Tan Choo Leng
Mr Tan Soo Nan
Mr Wee Ee Cheong
07
“The Singapore Symphony accompanies
perfectly, adding considerably to the
colour and atmosphere of the work.”
BBC Music Magazine, May 2012
The
Year in
Review
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s events
were attended by 70,000 people in FY12/13. We
performed 36 ticketed subscription and gala concerts,
and numerous free outreach events and activities.
The average attendance at subscription and gala
concerts was a satisfactory 81.6%, while its children’s
programmes, which included the 10th Anniversary
edition of the ever-popular Babies’ Proms, continued
to fare very well at the box office, reaching out to
over 10,000 children. More than 32,000 people
attended our outreach concerts.
Jian, violinist Renaud Capuçon and pianist
Yevgeny Sudbin, the latter returning to record
Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto with Lan Shui.
The resulting BIS CD has since won rave reviews
from many critics.
The SSO Live
The SSO also performed in the Esplanade 10th
Anniversary Concert: Constellation in October
2012, joining a stellar cast of musicians who
have contributed to Singapore’s musical heritage
including conductors Lan Shui and Joshua Tan,
pianists Dennis Lee, Toh Chee Hung and Lim
Yan, and violinists Kam Ning and Gabriel Ng. The
evening also saw the SSO partner combined choral
forces for Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy.
The SSO’s choral concerts were among the highlights
of a star-filled year. Tickets were sold out for Orff’s
Carmina Burana, conducted by Lim Yau, and
Handel’s Messiah, conducted by John Nelson.
Piano fans were treated to back-to-back weeks
featuring the Singapore debuts of Krystian Zimerman
and Hélène Grimaud, performing Lutoslawski and
Brahms piano concertos respectively under the baton
of Music Director Lan Shui. The year also witnessed
the SSO debuts of Alina Ibragimova, Nicola Benedetti
and Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. Han-Na Chang impressed
both as cellist in Haydn’s Concerto and as conductor
in Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony.
In collaboration with Esplanade – Theatres on the
Bay, the SSO gave a sold-out performance of The
Blue Planet Live! in June 2012, with conductor
Joshua Tan and a combined chorus in music by
award-winning composer George Fenton for the
BBC’s acclaimed nature film.
Legendary conductors Neeme Järvi and Gennady
Rozhdestvensky returned for memorable concerts,
and violinist Sarah Chang returned to play and
conduct in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Other great
concerts featured cellists Steven Isserlis and Wang
Conductor Neeme Järvi
08
09
The Blue Planet Live! with the SSO
36
Subscription and
gala concerts
81.6
%
Average attendance
37,337
Total audience
A Musical Legacy
Outside of SSO rehearsals and performances, a
number of our SSO musicians are also respected
faculty members and teachers at various arts
institutions including the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory
of Music, School of the Arts Singapore and the
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Many of Singapore’s
best school orchestras are also trained and conducted
by SSO musicians, some of whom also help to
train the musicians of the Singapore National Youth
Orchestra.
Violinist Alina Ibragimova
SSO in FY12/13
Master cellist Wang Jian
10
11
Pianist Behzod Abduraimov
Several SSO musicians also serve as mentors in the
Orchestra of the Music Makers, inspiring the young
musicians in their playing and performance. The SSO
encourages these activities to help strengthen the
broader classical music eco-system, and to encourage
and cultivate the next generation of Singapore’s
musicians.
The SSO encourages its musicians to perform in
chamber music concerts, whether in the SSO’s own
chamber music series, or under different auspices.
SSO musicians have also spearheaded the formation
of highly successful chamber groups including re:mix
and Take5, who regularly perform to sold-out houses.
Cellist Han-Na Chang
“To say that this performance of Carl Orff ’s
Carmina Burana (1937), the first-ever at the
Esplanade, simply rocked from start to finish,
is an understatement.”
The Straits Times Life!
(from left to right)
Carmina Burana: Markus Eiche,
John Zuckerman, Son Jihye & Lim Yau
12
13
Violinist Yang Shuxiang
Young violinist Loh Jun Hong and guitarist Kevin Loh
Nurturing Young Talents
The 2012 edition of the President’s Young Performers
Concert showcased the talents of three young
musicians under Singaporean conductor Darrell Ang:
13-year-old pianists Gavin Jared Bala and Jonathan
Chua Yu Jing, and 23-year-old violinist Yang Shuxiang.
Two Singaporean musicians – 22-year-old violinist
Loh Jun Hong and 14-year-old guitarist Kevin Loh
– shared the stage with Lan Shui and the Singapore
Symphony Orchestra for its 34th Anniversary
Concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall in January
2013. Kevin Loh was the soloist in the world
premiere of the Guitar Concerto by Singaporean
composer Bernard Tan.
Inaugurated in 2011, the F J Benjamin-SSO Bursary
was designed to help young music talents in
Singapore hone their skills. The 2013 F J BenjaminSSO Bursary benefited three promising Singaporean
musicians, with the $20,000 bursary split among
conductor Amos Chia, 22, pianist Abigail Sin, 20,
and violinist Helena Dawn Yah, 17.
Amos Chia received $8,500 to defray his ongoing
conducting course fees at the Rimsky-Korsakov St
Petersburg State Conservatory. Abigail Sin received
$7,700 to fund part of her graduate diploma
programme at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of
Music, while Helena Yah used her $3,800 bursary to
attend a masterclass in Romania.
F J Benjamin-SSO Bursary Award Ceremony
14
15
Singapore Symphony Chorus
& Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir
The Singapore Symphony Chorus traces its origins to
1980, when selected singers from various choirs in
Singapore came together to form the first symphonic
chorus in Singapore under the guidance of the SSO’s
founding conductor, Maestro Choo Hoey. The SSO
was then just a year old, but Maestro Choo envisaged
the potential for broadening the repertoire to include
symphonic choral works.
Today the Singapore Symphony Chorus performs
regularly with the SSO in a wide range of music, from
Christmas concerts to the peaks of the symphonic
choral repertoire. It is frequently augmented by
other excellent local choirs, including the Singapore
Bible College Chorale, Hallelujah Chorus and The
Philharmonic Chamber Choir, in order to perform
spectacular blockbusters such as Berlioz’s Messe
Solennelle, Mahler’s Symphony of Thousand and
Orff’s Carmina Burana.
In June 2006, the Singapore Symphony Children’s
Choir (SSCC) was formed. Under the direction of Lim
Yau, the SSCC made its debut performance in 2007
Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir
at the SSO’s Christmas Concerts, and has joined the
SSO for Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust and Britten’s
War Requiem, among others, at the Esplanade
Concert Hall.
In November 2012 the SSCC under conductor
Wong Lai Foon gave a free performance of favourite
Broadway and movie classics at the School of the
Arts as part of the SPH Gift of Music series. The SSCC
also performed Christmas carols and Singaporean
folk songs at the Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Concert at
the Hwa Chong Institution in December 2012, which
was attended by beneficiaries from various charities
including the Brahm Centre, the Henderson Senior
Citizens’ Home, the Kheng Chiu Loke Tin Kee Home
and the Singapore Cancer Society.
Hadel’s Messiah
SSO Christmas Concert
The SSO-ABRSM Partnership
Since 1985 the Singapore Symphonia Company
Limited has been managing the Singapore office of
the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
(ABRSM), which sees some 40,000 candidates taking
practical and theory examinations every year.
“Having mentored Ming Min, a wonderfully gifted
young cellist, I have no doubt that she has gained
new perspective and insight and hopefully has been
inspired to develop her musical journey further,” said
Ng Pei-Sian.
Under the new SSO-ABRSM Youth Mentoring Scheme
sponsored by ABRSM, two outstanding young
musicians who gained distinctions in their ABRSM
diplomas were selected to receive lessons and advice
from SSO principal players.
Toh rounded off her time with the SSO by taking part
in a performance of Carmina Burana in May, while
Ramirez performed in three children’s concerts. Said
Rachel Walker: “Franz’s natural talent made him
a very enthusiastic student so lessons have been
exciting and incredibly productive.”
Singaporean cellist Toh Ming Min was offered a rare
opportunity to work with SSO’s Principal Cellist Ng
Pei-Sian, while oboist Franz Miguel Ramirez from
the Philippines worked with SSO’s Principal Oboist
Rachel Walker.
“I found his [Ng Pei-Sian’s]
comments regarding leading
the section useful when playing
in the Singapore National
Youth Orchestra. They helped
me understand my role better
and appreciate how precise my
playing needs to be.”
Toh Ming Min
16
17
“The Paganini Rhapsody, with the
Singapore orchestra responding so
vividly to Sudbin’s dynamic artistry,
leaves a memorable impression.”
“Lan Shui and his Singaporean players
play their hearts out, and bring an apt
autumnal glow to the lovely second
movement in BIS’s ideal acoustic.”
International Record Review, April 2012
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3
Rhapsody on a Theme Of Paganini
Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals /
Britten: Young Person’s Guide
Salut d’Amour –
Best Loved Classics
Discography
Piano Festival
Under the direction of Music Director Lan Shui,
the SSO has over 30 CD recordings to its credit,
including 24 albums under BIS Records. Among the
three releases in FY12/13 was a critically acclaimed
recording of Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 3 and
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (BIS-SACD-1988)
featuring Russian pianist Yevgeny Sudbin, which
was described as “a top-flight, richly enjoyable
performance” by The Telegraph.
Since its inception in 1994 the Singapore
International Piano Festival has drawn on pianists
from all over the world, featuring the likes of Yuja
Wang, Angela Hewitt, Nikolai Demidenko, Stephen
Hough, Vladimir Feltsman, Marc-André Hamelin,
Pascal Rogé, Boris Berezovsky, Piotr Anderszewski,
and Paul Lewis, among many others.
To raise awareness of classical music amongst
students and young audiences, the SSO recorded an
album comprising two perennial classics: Saint-Saëns’
Carnival of the Animals (with pianists Low Shao Suan
and Low Shao Ying) as well as Benjamin Britten’s
Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. An album
Salut d’Amour – Best Loved Classics was also released
in the same period.
18
Gramophone, May 2012
Offering four consecutive evenings of piano recitals,
the Festival attracts a sizeable audience every year,
including a number of overseas visitors. The 2012
Singapore International Piano Festival: Fantasies
in Sound was held from 28 June to 1 July at the
School of the Arts Concert Hall. Featuring virtuosos
Paul Lewis, Khatia Buniatishvili, Chiyan Wong
and Stephen Hough, the 2012 festival attracted a
1,600-strong audience. The Piano Festival’s current
Artistic Director is Lionel Choi, a former music critic
and a current member of the SSO Board.
19
Nakako Sano (centre) with the SSO Double Bass Section
TMSO-SSO Exchange Programme
In 2009 the Singapore Symphony Orchestra together
with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
launched the TMSO-SSO musician exchange
programme. TMSO was formed in 1965 as part of a
cultural promotion project of the Tokyo Metropolitan
Government to mark the Tokyo Olympic Games and
has since grown to become one of Japan’s foremost
professional orchestras.
For the 2012 exchange which was supported by
the JCCI Singapore Foundation, SSO played host to
TMSO double bassist Nakako Sano, who joined her
SSO colleagues for six performances – including
a subscription programme and five Babies’ Proms
concerts – from 30 November to 8 December. SSO’s
bassoon player Christoph Wichert worked with the
TMSO for four concerts between December 5 and 16.
“The exchange programme is
a welcome step out of the
routine and I also learned a few
new things about bassoon reed
making and made many new
friends. I hope this programme
will give many orchestra
members the opportunity to
experience the hospitality of
the TMSO.”
SSO bassoon player Christoph Wichert
Pianist Hélène Grimaud
20
21
Jason Lai conducting at
Botanic Gardens
Community
Concerts
As Singapore’s national symphony orchestra, the
SSO seeks to bring music to audiences beyond the
confines of traditional concert halls. It regularly
performs free concerts at a wide variety of locations,
from schools, polytechnics and universities to
outdoor venues such as the Singapore Racecourse,
Singapore Botanic Gardens and Gardens by the
Bay. These performances of great classics in a less
formal setting reach more than 22,000 audience
members each year.
Outdoor & Family Concerts
One of the most eagerly anticipated series of events
in the local music calendar, the SSO’s Classics in
the Park concerts are held twice each year at the
Singapore Botanic Gardens. By now a popular local
tradition, the SSO Mother’s Day concert took place
on 13 May 2012, sponsored by Singapore Press
Holdings (SPH) as part of the SPH Gift of Music
series. The concert attracted a crowd in excess of
5,000, including many families out for a picnic with
mum on this special day.
2012 also saw the expansion of the Classics in
the Park series to include performances at other
outdoor venues. The SSO made its Gardens By
The Bay debut on 21 July 2012, in a concert at The
Meadow conducted by Jason Lai. The programme
featured familiar favourites such as Tchaikovsky’s
Nutcracker Suite and excerpts from Bizet’s Carmen,
and included the unplanned but entirely welcome
participation of a military flypast and fireworks
display as part of the National Day rehearsals.
An all-French programme conducted by Darrell
Ang was performed at the next Gardens By The Bay
concert on 9 March 2013, including the Orpheus
in the Underworld Overture by Offenbach and
excerpts from Gounod’s Faust. Both Gardens By The
Bay performances were sponsored by Singapore
Press Holdings as part of its Gift of Music series,
and each attracted over 6,000 audience members.
The Botanic Gardens concert of 2 September 2012
was sponsored by the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation
as part of its Music-For-All series of concerts.
This also drew more than 5,000 attendees. Some
150 of the Foundation’s beneficiaries – including
representatives from the Brahm Centre, Home
Nursing Foundation, Pertapis and Singapore Heart
Foundation – were specially brought to the Gardens
for an invigorating evening of music.
22
23
13
SSO in FY12/13
11
Free community
concerts
Ticketed children’s
concerts
10,171
22,659
Attendance at free concerts
and open rehearsals
Attendance at ticketed
children’s concerts
32,830
Total audience at
outreach concerts
24
25
“To have the SSO perform in our very own
Performance Theatre… encourages students who
normally would not attend classical concerts to make
a first attempt at appreciating classical music…”
Ms Ding Yih, Aesthetics Subject Head, Victoria Junior College
Carmina Burana open rehearsal
Music for Schools and Students
The SSO works closely with a number of schools
and educational institutions to bring the joy of
live classical performances to their students, in
the familiar and easily-accessible environs of
their own performing arts centres. In recent years,
fruitful partnerships with schools such as Paya Lebar
Methodist Girls’ School (Secondary), Republic
Polytechnic and Dunman High School – amongst
others – have made possible many exciting concerts
which reach out not only to students but also to
music-lovers who reside in the vicinity. These
well-attended free concerts now form an important
segment of the SSO’s annual performance calendar.
The closing week of the 2012/13 concert season –
also the week before the month-long June school
holidays – saw free performances on two consecutive
evenings at Victoria Junior College and at School Of
The Arts respectively. Both concerts featured the great
British pianist, Stephen Hough, and were conducted
by Darrell Ang. Apart from the scintillating solo
26
performances, audiences were treated to a rendition
of Kelly Tang’s Symphonic Suite on a Set of Local
Tunes as well as a jazz arrangement of excerpts
from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky. The Nanyang
Technological University and Republic Polytechnic
were the destinations of choice for two further SSO
on Campus concerts in September, both featuring the
SSO’s former concertmaster Alexander Souptel and
conductor Joshua Tan.
For students who want to experience live music
within the concert hall, the SSO offers significant
discounts for most of its concerts. In addition to the
usual concessions for students and seniors, the SSO
has entered into a collaboration with the Swire Group
to offer $10 subscription concert tickets under the
Swire-SSO Ticketing Scheme for Schools. Participating
school groups also enjoy a specially-designed music
appreciation talk that will help enhance the students’
enjoyment of the concerts.
Neeme Järvi
1 February 13
27
Concerts for Children
Concerts for Children:
Symphonic Sorcery –
The Music of Harry Porter
While the love of good music can be inculcated
at any age, the SSO’s commitment to delivering
quality classical music experiences to Singapore
and Singaporeans also encompasses reaching out
to children – the concertgoers of tomorrow.
Within each SSO concert season are a number of
programmes targeted specifically at the young.
The ever-popular Babies’ Proms marked its tenth
anniversary in December 2012, with four sold-out
performances featuring conductor and presenter
Peter Moore originally planned over two days, later
supplemented by an additional show
due to popular demand.
Promoting Music Appreciation
The SSO’s series of pre- and post-concert activities are
an integral part of its initiative to make the concertgoing experience even more enriching for audiences.
These activities include pre-concert talks by
established personalities on classical music, as well as
post-concert Symphony Chats in which the conductor
and guest artists discuss the evening’s concert
programme. Each season the SSO also opens selected
rehearsals to the public, giving participants a better
insight into the making of a concert performance.
Concerts for Children: Vivaldi’s Ring Of Mystery
28
29
Peter Moore at the SSO Babies’ Proms
“Babies’ Proms is a fun and
entertaining way to introduce
classical music to my children.”
Felicia Ng, mother of two
The Concerts for Children series has long established
a reputation as an exciting and accessible platform
for young audiences to begin their classical music
journey. Combining bite-sized excerpts from the
great classics with elements of comedy, drama and
mime, each performance is a fun-filled, participative
experience for the entire family. In collaboration with
international children’s theatre companies such as
L’Arsenal à Musqiue, Platypus Theatre and the Magic
Circle Mime Company, SSO’s Concerts for Children
has breathed new life into familiar children’s
classics such as Peter and the Wolf and Carnival
of the Animals, as well as introduced to Singapore
audiences new classical music mascots such as Dan
Kamin “The Classical Clown” and “clownductor”
Melvin Tix.
30
Music and magic came together on 31 August and 1
September 2012 in Symphonic Sorcery – The Music
of Harry Potter, which saw the SSO teaming up with
Dandi Productions to present three performances
filled with comedy, enchantment, and not least the
spectacular scores by John Williams and Nicholas
Hooper for the Harry Potter series of films. Regular
collaborators Classical Kids Live! returned to
perform with the SSO on 16 March in Vivaldi’s Ring
of Mystery, the follow-up to last year’s successful
production of Beethoven Lives Upstairs. Then it was
on to the opera for two performances on 18 May: A
Whimsical Tale – A Comic Opera featured a lively
romp in mime through the music of Rossini, Verdi,
Puccini and Mozart, with the help of Canadian
ensemble L’Arsenal à Musique.
Peter Moore at SSO Babies’s Proms
31
Victoria
Concert
Hall
The Victoria Concert Hall’s rich history goes
back well before the founding of the Singapore
Symphony Orchestra. Completed in 1905 at a
cost of $340,000 to commemorate the diamondwedding anniversary of Queen Victoria, the
Victoria Memorial Hall quickly became an
important public meeting hall. As the century
progressed, the hall served diverse social and
cultural needs in the crown colony.
In 1941, it became a hospital during the bombing
of Singapore, and when the war was over in 1945,
it served as the venue of the Japanese war crime
trials. The inauguration of People’s Action Party
in 1954 was held in the same hall that hosted
many 20th century musical luminaries including
British composer Benjamin Britten, Russian cellist
Mstislav Rostropovich and German baritone
Hermann Prey. Leading international orchestras
including the London Symphony, the New York
Philharmonic and the St Petersburg Philharmonic
performed memorable concerts in the hall.
To link the Memorial Hall with the older Victoria
Theatre, a 54-metre clock tower was added in
1906. Atop this tower sat a 4-metre Gillet and
Johnston clock weighing over one ton. This
massive precision instrument provided accurate
time in all four directions to generations of
inhabitants on the island.
With the formation of the Singapore Symphony
Orchestra in 1978 and its need for a home and
a permanent performing venue, the Victoria
Memorial Hall was renovated to become the
Victoria Concert Hall, with air-conditioning, a lift
and other modern amenities. With the fundraising
efforts from the newly formed SSO Ladies’ League,
the original St Clair organ (1931) was replaced by
a fully mechanical Klais organ in 1984. Seating
capacity in the hall was also increased significantly
to 883, in anticipation of the growth of music
appreciation and audience in Singapore. For the
first time, the public could listen to live orchestral
performances almost every week, and many local
musicians made their debuts in the much-loved
VCH, on the same stage as visiting renowned
soloists and conductors. The VCH’s intimate
acoustics were also enjoyed by many choirs, bands
and recitalists, with recordings and broadcasts
bringing the music to a much wider audience.
After almost three decades of glorious music
making on its stage, and with the advent of the
Esplanade Theatres by the Bay, the Victoria Concert
Hall and VictoriaTheatre were slated for full
scale redevelopment. The project was carefully
planned over several years before work began on
site in 2010. One of the key challenges was the
restoration of the unique architectural heritage of
the two buildings. Another challenge was the need
for the redeveloped hall and theatre to remain
relevant to audiences in the 21st century. Great
pains were taken by the heritage specialists to
preserve the unique blend of Renaissance and
Classical features of the concert hall, even while
the handsome façades of the eight columns were
Artist’s impression of the interior of Victoria Concert Hall
32
33
Our Sponsors and Partners
Patron Sponsors
A Standing Ovation for Our Corporate Partners
Official Hotel
Official Radio Station
Official outdoor media
Official Postage Sponsor
Official Airline
Partners
Artist’s Impression of the refurbished Victoria
Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall
LEE FOUNDATION
“In our restoration of VCH,
we strove to create an elegant
setting within, both in its
visual appearance and acoustic
quality. This was done through
the subtle profiling of the
ceiling coffers, the precise
proportions of the balcony and
the restored decorative plaster
walls that were painted a light
pastel colour.”
Mok Wei Wei, Managing Director, W Architects
restored to their full glory. The acoustics of the hall
were also significantly improved by the reduction of
the number of seats to 678.
Being the only mechanical organ in Singapore,
the Klais organ at the Victoria Concert Hall was
removed piece by piece, repaired, and stored in
climate-controlled warehouses for four years during
the redevelopment. Such was its emotional link
with generations of audiences that many donors
and supporters of classical music, notably the Lee
Foundation, stepped forward to provide financial
support for the restoration. When the Concert Hall reopens in the second half of 2014, the organ will once
again take centrestage, providing awe inspiring and
delicate strains of music to old and new audiences.
Moving on towards the 50th anniversary of the
founding of modern Singapore, the new Victoria
Concert Hall will provide the national orchestra
a unique home in an environment ideal for
more intimate musical forms to complement its
appearances in the much larger and no less splendid
Esplanade Concert Hall.
SSO Benefactors
The SSO Benefactor Award honours organisations which have donated over $1 million to the SSO.
Singapore Totalisator Board & Turf Club
CIMB Securities (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Conrad Centennial Singapore
Dresdner Bank Group, Singapore
Far East Organization Centre Pte Ltd
G K Goh Holdings Limited
Keppel Corporation Ltd
Lee Foundation, Singapore
Siemens Pte Ltd
Singapore Airlines Limited
Singapore Petroleum Company Limited
Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
SMRT Corporation Limited
The Shaw Foundation Pte Ltd
United Overseas Bank Ltd
34
35
Donations for the period from April 2012 to March 2013
($1,000 & above)
Singapore Pools (Pte) Ltd
Tian Hock Properties Pte Ltd
Tote Board and Singapore Turf Club
Mr & Mrs Yong Pung How
Temasek International Pte Ltd
Conrad Centennial Singapore
$10,000.00
and above
SMRT Corporation Limited
CIMB Securities (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Zhendong Foundation
Paige Parker and Jim Rogers
Lee Foundation, Singapore
One North Capital Pte Ltd
Lippo Group
$100,000.00 and above
Thomas Zuellig
Santa Lucia Asset Management Pte Ltd
BNP Paribas
Singapore Press Holdings
Boardroom Limited
Bunli (Holdings) Pte Ltd
$50,000.00 and above
Chopard (Asia) Pte Ltd
Singapore Airlines Ltd
Christina Ong
Keppel Corporation Ltd
Composers And Authors Society of Singapore Ltd
Tan Chin Tuan Foundation
Creative Eateries Pte Ltd
FJ Benjamin Holdings Ltd
C. Melchers GMBH & Co.
Serta International Pte Ltd
Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara
Lim & Tan Securities Pte Ltd
Geoffrey Wong Ee Kay & Wong Ai Ai
Estate of Mdm Nyien Mou Kao
Ho Ching
Ernst & Young LLP
Hong Leong Foundation
GK Goh Group
Hong Leong Holdings Ltd
Christopher Ho & Rosy Ho
Interlocal Exim Pte Ltd
In memory of Tan Boon Teik from his family
Mr & Mrs Kevin Wong
NSL Ltd
Latham and Watkins LLP
LGT Bank Singapore Ltd
$20,000.00 and above
Low Check Kian
United Overseas Bank Ltd
Overseas Union Enterprise Ltd
Singapore Petroleum Company Limited
Prima Limited
Pontiac Land Group
Tan Kong Piat (Pte) Ltd
Miele Pte Ltd
Tow Heng Tan
Singapore Institute of Management
Yong Ying-I
Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi-Martin
Eugene Paul Lai Chin Look
$5,000.00 and above
Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd
Bernard Tan Tiong Gie
STT Communications Ltd
Cees and Raife Armstrong
JCCI Singapore Foundation Ltd
Tan Chin Nam
Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin
Winston Hauw Sze Shiung
Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore Pte Ltd
Su Pin & Mervin Beng
PSA International Pte Ltd
Andress Goh Lai Yan
$200,000.00 and above
36
Athenaeum Limited
Paul A. J. Supramaniam
Margaret Wong Choon Wah
Professor Cham Tao Soon
Alban Salord
Mark Edward Hansen
Choo Chiau Beng
Albert Lee Boon Par
Matthew Latham
ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited
Andreas Ruschkowski
Michael Wong Pakshong
iGlobe Partners Pte Ltd
Bao Zhiming
Migielia de Rooij
Joseph Grimberg
Belinda Koh Yuh Ling
Nam Yoon Suck
Mr Guenther and Mrs Heike Meyer
Bernhard Steiner
Nekane Ijurco
Leong Wai Leng
Brian Holt Gambrill
Pauline Ang Hooi Yeong
Professor Lim Seh Chun
Catherine Heeley
Qin Xiao
Loke Cheng Kim Foundation
Cheang Lit Ren
Raj Rajkumar
Michael Koh Ann Kheng
Chng Hak Peng
Ricardo Uncilla
nTan Corporate Advisory Pte Ltd
Christopher Chew
Richard Logan
Teo Siong Seng
Chua Li Wen
Rita Wang Yiru
WBL Corporation Ltd
Cynthia Chee
Robert C Lichko
Wing Tai Holdings Ltd
Florian Hoppe
Robin Ian Rawlings
Wowz Entertainment Pte Ltd
Foo Jou Min
Rolf Gerber
Yeoh Chee Yan
Franck Jean Pierre Manichon
Ross Forde Hamou Jennings
Geh Min
See Tho Kai Yin
$1,000.00 and above George Yuille Caldwell
Sun Cheng Hung
Georges
Gedeon
Susiwaty Luhur
Arnoud De Meyer
Goh
Chiu
Gak
Takashi Kousaka
Gralf Sieghold
Goh Juay Tong
Tan Chor Suan
Ronald P Stride
Gordon H L Tan
Tan Kah Ho
Ms Manju Vangal and Mr Arudra Vangal
Sam Schwartz
Tan Siok Sun
Kaybee Exim Pte Ltd
Ho
Shui
Wei
Tan Tatt Si
Lim Tiang Chuan and Kris Tan
James
Worth
Teo Ee Peng
Bryan Manaf Ghows
Janek
Schergen
Teresa Woo
Mr and Mrs Andreas Sohmen-Pao
Janet
Lim
Hong
Eng
Thomas Hecht
Bernard Jean Sabrier
Jean-Francois
Manzoni
Todd On
Chan Wai Leong
Jeffrey Loke Sin Hun Victor Chong Xy-Tung
Christopher J Fussner
Joanne Tan Mae Shen
Warlin Angelo Pantoja
Josephine Kwa Lay Keng
Johann Heinrich Jessen Willem Mark Nabarro
Lawrence Stephen Basapa
John & Eliza Bittleston
Willi Hess
Robert Khan & Co Pte Ltd
John
&
Elaine
Kim
William H Hernstadt
Sat Pal Khattar
Kris
Taenar
Wiluan
Wilson Tan Whye Seng
Tong Moi Eng
Leow
Oon
Geok
Wong Chin Hong
Winifred Dente Degli Scrovegni
Lim
Kam
Ming
Mr & Mrs Wong Nang Jang
Wong Liang Keen
Liu Donghua
Shih Chih Lung
Loh Pong Tuan
Teo Chen Hian
Madeleine Lee
Heidrick & Struggles
Marcie A Ball
Mavis Lim Geck Chin
37
Cumulative Donations received
between 1978 and March 2013
$4,000,000 and above
$300,000 and above
Tote Board & Singapore Turf Club
JCCI Singapore Foundation Ltd
Mr Christopher Ho & Mrs Rosy Ho
$1,000,000 and above
Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation
FJ Benjamin Holdings Ltd
Lee Foundation Singapore
Tan Chin Tuan Foundation
Singapore Airlines Limited
British-American Tobacco (Singapore)
Conrad Centennial Singapore
Sembawang Holdings Pte Ltd
Far East Organization Centre Pte Ltd
Ernst & Young LLP
United Overseas Bank Ltd
Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin
The Shaw Foundation Pte
Amcol Holdings Ltd
Temasek International Pte Ltd
Singapore Tourism Board
CIMB Securities (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Prima Limited
Singapore Petroleum Company Limited
Post Office Savings Bank
Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
Singapore Technologies Pte Ltd
GK Goh Group
Standard Chartered Bank
Keppel Corporation Ltd
Mr & Mrs Yong Pung How
Siemens Pte Ltd
UBS AG
Dresdner Bank Group, Singapore
$200,000 and above
$500,000 and above
Philips Electronics Singapore Pte Ltd
NSL Ltd
Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd
Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd
DaimlerChrysler South East Asia Pte Ltd
SMRT Corporation Ltd
Hong Leong Foundation
The Mandarin Singapore
Overseas Union Bank Ltd
Dorothy Chan
Zhendong Foundation
Singapore Pools (Pte) Ltd
Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre Foundation
Singapore Institute of Management
Liem Sioe Liong alias Sudono Salim
38
Chopard (Asia) Pte Ltd
Epson Singapore Pte Ltd
Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore Pte Ltd
Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd
ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
Murata Electronics Singapore (Pte) Ltd
Kenwood Group
Kikkoman (S) Pte Ltd
Omron Management Centre of Asiapacific Pte Ltd
Sumitomo Electric Group
Creative Technology Ltd
BP Singapore Pte Ltd
Ssangyong Cement (Singapore) Ltd
Rothmans of Pall Mall (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Ban Guan Enterprise (Pte) Ltd
Lippo Group
Loke Cheng Kim Foundation
Citibank N.A.
National Arts Council
Wee Cho Yaw
Canon Singapore Pte Ltd
See Hoy Chan (S) Pte Ltd
Miele Private Limited
Fraser & Neave (S) Pte Ltd
American Chamber of Commerce In Singapore
Chartered Asset Management Pte Ltd
Chiap Nguan Chan Co Pte Ltd
$100,000 and above
Lim & Tan Securities Pte Ltd
Morgan Guaranty Trust Co of New York
NEC Singapore Pte Ltd
Insurance Corporation of Singapore Ltd
Lien Ying Chow
Rolex Singapore Pte Ltd
Wee Swee Teow & Co
LGT Bank Singapore Ltd
Hongkong And Shanghai Bank Corpn Ltd
The Shangri-La Hotel Ltd
Aw It Haw (Datuk)
Cooma, Lau & Loh
Coutts Bank (Schweiz) AG
Allen & Gledhill LLP
The Swatch Group S.E.A. (S) Pte Ltd
NTUC Income Insurance Cooperative Limited
Nichicon (Singapore) Pte Ltd
BSI Bank Ltd, Singapore
Nokia Pte Ltd
Hyflux Ltd
Tan Chin Tuan (Tan Sri)
KPMG LLP
Kuok (Singapore) Ltd
Shook Lin & Bok LLP
Morgan Grenfell Investment Management (Asia) Ltd
Santa Lucia Asset Management Pte Ltd
Interlocal Exim Pte Ltd
Singapore Aerospace Pte Ltd
Aiwa Singapore Pte Ltd
Chemical Industries (F.E.) Ltd
Tony Chew Leong Chee
PSA Corporation Limited
DBS Bank Ltd
Chase Manhattan Bank
Akzo Nobel N V
BNP Paribas
Ikebana International Singapore
Sing Investments & Finance Limited
Straits Times Press (1975) Ltd
Cerebos Pacific Ltd
Azmi Wan Hamzah (Tan Sri)
Mr & Mrs Wong Nang Jang
Khattar, Wong & Partners
Wing Tai Holdings Ltd
Tat Lee Bank Ltd
SIMBL
SM Motors Private Limited
SembCorp Industries Ltd
Aberdeen Asset Management Asia Ltd
Ko Teck Siang (Datuk)
Phng Siew Hoon
Times Conferences (Pte) Ltd
Nestle Singapore (Pte) Ltd
Chip Seng Co Pte Ltd
Enplas Co (S) Pte Ltd
Khoo Teck Puat (Tan Sri)
Caltex International Pte Ltd
Boustead Singapore Limited
Edward Eu
Singapore International Chamber of Commerce Rubber
Teo Hang Sam Realty Sdn Bhd
Tuas Power Supply Pte Ltd
39
Friends of the SSO
Platinum
Ang Hooi Yeong Pauline
Richard Armstrong
Marcie Ann Ball
Bao Zhiming
John Bittleston
Chan Chia Lin
Chan Wai Leong
Cheang Lit Ren
Chee Bin Eng Cynthia
Cheng Wei
Chew Yee Chian Christopher
Chng Hak-Peng
Chong Xy-Tung Victor
Chua Li-Wen
David Philbrick Conner
Charles P Cousins
Arnoud De Meyer
Migielia De Rooij
Winifred Dente Degli Scrovegni
Maureen Derooij
Foo Jou Min
Nico Francken
Neil Franks
Christopher John Fussner
Brian Holt Gambrill
Leila Gedeon
Geh Min
Rolf Gerber
Bryan Manaf Ghows
Goh Chiu Gak
Mr & Mrs Goh Kian Chee
Goh Lai Yan Andress
Grand Hyatt Singapore
Joseph Grimberg
Mark Edward Hansen
Prof Thomas Hecht
Catherine Heeley
William H Hernstadt
Willi Hess
40
Ho Shui Wei
Ho Soo Foo
Florian Hoppe
Nekane Ijurco
Ross & Florence Jennings
Matthew G Johnson
Kang Tze Yong
Khor Cheng Kian
John & Elaine Kim
Koh Yuh Ling Belinda
Takashi Kousaka
Herlina Kwee
Matthew J R Latham
Madeleine Lee
Lee Suan Yew
Francis J Leong
Leow Oon Geok
Robert Christian Lichko
Lim Geck Chin Mavis
Lim Hong Eng Janet
Lim Kam Ming
Serene Lim
Liu Donghua
Richard Logan
Loh Pong Tuan
Loke Sin Hun Jeffrey
Susiwaty Luhur
Jean-Francois Manzoni
Massimo Mercurio
Mr & Mrs Willem Mark Nabarro
Nam Yoonsuck
Todd On
Warlin Angelo Pantoja
Qin Xiao
Jeremy Ramsey
Robin Ian Rawlings
Andreas Ruschkowski
Bernard Jean Sabrier
Mr & Mrs A. Sadayasu
Alban Salord
Janek Schergen
Sam Schwartz
See Tho Kai Yin
Shih Chih-Lung
Robert Sinclair
Mr & Mrs Andreas Sohmen-Pao
Doris Susan Sohmen-Pao
Bernhard Steiner
Tan Chor Suan
Tan H L Gordon
Tan Kah Ho
Tan Mae Shen Joanne
Tan Vern Han
Tan Whye Seng Wilson
Tan Woon Teck Clement
Teo Ee Peng
Emil Noel Teo
Tham Ming-Loong Ryan
Thng Soon Heng Douglas
Toh Chan Hin Veronica
Tsai Ching Long Samuel
Ricardo Uncilla
Arudra Vangal
Wang Yiru Rita
Rebecca Watters
Wong Chen Seong
Wong Chiang Yin
Wong Chin Hong
Wong Choon Wah Margaret
Wong Liang Keen
Michael Wong Pakshong
Teresa Woo
James Worth
Dr Thomas & Mrs Mary Zuellig
Leah Hyegyoung Zveglich
Gold
Ann Mei Lian Maureen
James Berlino
Stoltz Bertrand
Michel Blanc
Robert Stewart Boyd
George Yuille Caldwell
Roberto Cartelli
Chan Ah Khim
Chee Yen Teng
Christopher Chen
Chia Li-Ann Faith
Evelyn Rachel Chin
Choa Wee Keong Mark
Choong Joo Chuan
Dixie Chua
Barry Duncan Clarke
Paul Coggles
John S Davison
Artur Ekert
Lin Siao Fou-Menuhin
Fun Kiang Chay
Geh Min
Robert Henri Graf
Andrea Cristina Corgosinho Groth
Gwee Tiong Kee Ronald
Michael Hafferty
Marina Harper
Landis W. Hicks
Susanna Ho
Hong Gee Ho James
Jiang Zilin
William Kerr
Kor Hanwei Philip
Kum Wai Yip
Lai Siu Chiu
Nicolas Langlois
Nicola Lee
Leow Li San Serene
Lisa Liaw
Lim Eng Neo
Lim Kian Chong Gerald
Lim Leong Thian Stanley
Lim Woon Boon
Vivian Laurence Lines
Ling Yu Fei
Looi Yin Peng
Low Nguok Kwong
Edlyn Lum
Johanna Frederika Makkink
Gillian Metzger
Kathleen Moroney
Johannes Mueller
Ng Suah Bwee Agnes
Akira Ohmori
Ong Kian Wee
Ilanit Oshri
Franz Michael Pachl
Bryan Paulding
Britta Pfister
Luis E Rincones
Charles L Robertson
Sim Yen Yen
Jeremy Snoad
Soh Leng Wan
Soon Hwee Ling Lindy
Wendy H Stimpson
Sung Hay Ee Molly
Tan Gek Li Ginny
Tan Kok Huan
Tan Kok Kiong
Tan Meng Cheng Ivan
Tan Poh Lian Phyllis
Tay Swee Ann Anthony
Tham Kwang Hsueh Yvonne
Woon Cheng Peng
Silver
Tesei Alessandro
Tom Anderson
Ang Boon Kian
Ang Seow Long
Ang Sze Peng Brenda
Steven Austin
Elain Barrett-Power
Su Pin & Mervin Beng
Frederic Berger
Mario Bernasconi
Mark Birch
Sam Bonifant
Guenter Herbert Gerhard Boos
Celine Bruce
Genevieve Brunner
Rocio Becerro Canas
Shiao-Ling Cave Jones
Pesi Bejonji Chacha
Chan Kuan Woon
Maureen Chan
Chang Yoong Ming Paul
Chee Jin Mieh
Chee Weng Yan Mike
Chen Hsiao Yun Louis
Chen Man Ling
Richard Y Chen
Chen Sitong Bridget
Chen Tsung Mong Beatrice
Cheng Pei Yun
Cheok Tze Hui Jase
Cheung Ming Yan Amy
Chew Beng Kheng
Chia Pei Xian
Chiang May Yoke Yvonne
Chiow Huan Tong Alan
Chng Mah Lee
Chong Chian Chin
Chow Pak Kin Patrick
Chow Wai Lee
Choy Yok Kay
Chua Chin Kiat
Chua Eu Tiong
Chua Hwee Teng
Jonathan Cox
Wyatt Crosswhite
41
Marius Pieter De Beer
Rajeev De Mello
Nergish Doctor
Christopher Drumgoole
Anke Maria Meta Dunsche
Fan Foo Tang Richard
Andrew Finn
Fong Rui Min Bernadette Cheryl
Fong Zi Qin Andrew
Valerie Kamile Forbes
Fu E-Len
Natalie Futcher
Gan Kok Koon
Gan Yit Koon
Genevieve Gay
Goh Ai Wei Wendy
Goh Boon Hang Elaine
Goh Keng Hoong
Goh Suat Hong
Goh Teck Han
Vivien Goh
Branka Gonzalez-Dorfmeister
Margaret Susan Gremli
Victoria Han
Richard L Hartung
Yasutoshi Hashimoto
He Min Rong Minna
Heng Lee Suan
Ho Sook Fen Emily
Ho Suit Keng
Ho Ting Fei
Ho Wah Lan Jenny
Alvin Hong
Hor Guo Yi
Laura Hsu
Edward Ion
Miranda Jayakumar
Jung Ja Yong
Gunjan Kalra
Michael Kan
S Hilary Kemeny
42
Kim Kyoung Hoon
Barbara B Knowles
Jonas Koh
Koh Thong Wee Benny
Koh Tiah Ann
Gillian Koh-Tan
Volker Kohl
Kong Sim Guan Douglas
Jurgen Kremb
Kimberly Chew Kurek
Kwan Wei Jie Victor
Erik Gerard L’Heureux
Calogero La Galia
Lai Wee Chiang
Victoria Lam
Lau Eng Gek Michelle
Lau Soo Lui Stephanie
Benjamin Lee
Jennifer Lee
Lee Keow Jit
Lee Kwok Whay Reuben
Lee Liak Chai
Lee Peijun Clara
Lee Sian Ching Lisa
Lee Siaw Yean Rena
Susannah Lees
Leong Kok Ho
Leong Voon Seong
Leow Boon Hwi
Lim Bee Hee Christine
Jane Lim
Lim Kah Ann
Lim Kay Ee Christina
Lim Lay Yong
Lim Li Ping Genevieve Lynn
Lim Poh Gek Audrey
Lim Tshui Ling
Lim Yue-Li
Liu Jia Yuen Claire
Liu Shu Chen
Loh Kok Hua
Loh Li Cheng
George Charles Lynn
Graeme MacLaren
Jean Maissen-Welker
Virginia McCloy
Martha Ann Mehta
Victor Mills
David Arthur Mitchell
Midya Nafadini
Nah Hwee Ling Valerie
Mark Nelligan
Neo Kok Hwee
Jason Neville
Ng Ngan Kee
Ng Peng Hock
Andre Maia Nobre
James Oakes
Jenny Oakes
Oh Buong Yu May
Ong Chang Sam
Ong Cheong Bee Patricia
Ong Giok Siew
Ong Qian Ning Giselle
Ong Seng Poon
Oon Lin Ean Lynette
Simone Opper
Laura Jarnagin Pang
Pee Tze-Yang Liam
Peh Min Min
Phua Mui Lu Linda
Phua Sin Ru
Herbert Pilles
Poon Wei Ching
Katherin Rainbow
Anthony Richardson
Michel Rizzo
Seah Kia Ger
Christopher H J Sear
See Tho Ving Mei
Seetho Ving Shan Stacie
Shinobu Seki
Seo Sung Hwa Erica
Seow Bee Lean
Seow Jean Lin
Putu Sanjaya Setiawan
Shaw Soo Chee Priscylla
Shum Chee Hoong
Sabine Silberstein
Irene Sim
Sim Lee Koon Susan
Soh Bee Hong Simon
Luz Soto-Rooney
Ildiko Szeverenyi
Stephanie Tahiri
Tan Cheng Bock
Tan Gek Yeong Ann
Tan Hui Shan Elena
Tan Jun Leon Andy
Tan Li Ching Jill
Tan Mor Cher
Oscar Franklin Barcelona Tan
Tan Shao Yi
Tan Yan Mui
Tan Yu Pin
Tang Kok Peng
Anthony Tann
Ingrid Grace Tatham
Tay Chuan Seng
Teo Ee Yong Elliot
Martina Teo
Marcel Thurau
Tong Jiasheng Edwin
Richard Topping
Tsien Jiuan Jiuan
Patrick Turner
Carlo Van Den Akker
Simone Cecile Vaz
Wai Kar Foon Charmaine
Monika Waltermann
Wang Hee Weng
Luverne S Ward Jr
Silke Weber
Wee Boon Hong Katherine
Ida Wei
Armin Helmut Wensky
Joanne Wheeler
Wong Kit Whye
Wong Yueh Erl Luna
Yap Pheng Aun Peter
Makoto Yawata
Yee Woon Chin Lionel
Yeo Ken Jin Ivan
Yong Chin Hwei
Yong Seow Kin
Zhu Weiguang
Michael Zink
President’s Young Performers 2012 Jonathan Chua and Gavin Bala
43
Symphony
Society
Formed in May 1984 by a small group of dynamic volunteers to raise funds for the
installation of the pipe organ at Victoria Concert Hall, the SSO Ladies’ League has
since raised more than $15 million through benefit dinners, soirees, golf tournaments
and various other projects in support of the Orchestra’s many public performances and
outreach activities. Mrs Odile Benjamin is currently the Chairlady of the League.
All That Jazz
The annual Benefit Dinner which took place at The RitzCarlton Millenia Singapore on 31 March 2012 raised
$1,055,000 for the orchestra. The black-tie event titled
All That Jazz was graced by Guests-of-Honour President
Tony Tan Keng Yam and Mrs Mary Tan, and co-chaired
by Dr Julie Lo and Mrs Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi-Martin,
both members of the SSO Ladies’ League. Joining the
SSO and Associate Young Conductor Darrell Ang for
the performance segment was the exciting Steinway
artist Joja Wendt. Part of the amount raised came from
the silent auction of a Steinway & Sons grand piano,
autographed by superstar pianist Lang Lang.
Opera Paradiso
Amongst Friends
The 2013 Benefit Dinner on April 20 saw over 300
distinguished guests join President Tony Tan Keng
Yam and Mrs Mary Tan at the St Regis Singapore
for a black-tie dinner titled Opera Paradiso which
raised $889,050 for the SSO. Guests showed
their support by bidding for the three items on
the silent auction: a Piaget Altiplano Anniversary
Edition timepiece, a Damiani white gold pendant
with diamonds and a Daum Black and Chrome
Collection Cheval Porteur de Feu. Making a
sensational debut with the SSO and conductor
Darrell Ang was star soprano Hayley Westenra.
The 2012 Conrad-SSO Amongst Friends Dinner
took place at the Conrad Centennial Singapore
on November 6. Made possible with the kind
support of the Conrad Centennial Singapore, the
event provided a valuable platform for members
of the SSO Board and SSO Council to share
their ideas and aspirations on how to build for
Singapore one of the finest orchestras in the
21st century.
Soprano Hayley Westenra
performing at Opera Paradiso
44
45
SSO Annual Dinner 2012
“All That Jazz” Donors
SMRT receiving the Benefactor Award from
President Tony Tan Keng Yam
$100,000 and above
Lee Foundation, Singapore
$50,000 and above
Tan Chin Tuan Foundation
Mr Christopher Ho and Mrs Rosy Ho
Anonymous
$30,000 and above
Keppel Corporation Ltd
Pontiac Land Private Limited
Mr Yong Pung How
$25,000 and above
F J Benjamin (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Far East Organization Centre Pte Ltd
Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited
ST Telemedia Pte Ltd
Mr Eugene Lai and Dr Julie Lo
Mr Christopher Martin
and Mrs Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi-Martin
$10,000 to $20,000
Members of the SSO Ladies’ League with
President Tony Tan Keng Yam & Mrs Mary Tan
46
BNP Paribas
Boardroom Limited
CIMB Securities (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Chopard Asia Pte Ltd
C. Melchers GmbH & Co, Singapore Branch
Creative Eateries Pte Ltd
G K Goh Holdings Ltd
Interlocal Exim Pte Ltd
Latham and Watkins LLP
LGT Bank (Singapore) Ltd
Overseas Union Enterprise Limited
PSA International Pte Ltd
Singapore Pools (Private) Ltd
United Overseas Bank Limited
Tote Board
Mr Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara
Mr Geoffrey Wong and Mrs Wong Ai Ai
Ms Yong Ying-I
Anonymous
Anonymous
Up to $5,000
Athenaeum Limited
Hong Leong Holdings Limited
iGlobe Partners
Kaybee Exim Pte Ltd
WBL Corporation Limited
Mr Guenther and Mrs Heike Meyer
Mr Colin Moran and Mrs Rany Moran
Mr Jim Rogers and Ms Paige Parker
Dr Gralf Sieghold and Mrs Sylvia Sieghold
Mr Teo Siong Seng
Up to $2,000
Mr Lawrence Basapa and Mrs Celeste Basapa
Mr Chen Yang Chin & Mrs Margaret Chen
Mr Jessen Johann Heinrich
Mr Rajgopal Rajkumar and Mrs Mary Rajkumar
Mr Ronald P Stride and Mrs Janet Stride
Mr Sat Pal Khattar
Mrs Piali Normand
Mr Teo Chen Hian
Ms Manju Vangal and Mr Arudra Vangal
Mr Kris Taenar Wiluan
Special Thanks to…
Steinway Gallery Singapore
Conrad Centennial Singapore
Lufthansa German Airlines
Kingsmen Exhibits Private Limited
The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore
Valrhona Far East, Singapore Office
Chef Arnaud Thulliez
Chef Vincent Bourdin
47
SSO Annual Dinner 2013
“Opera Paradiso” Donors
Ms Hayley Westenra, Mrs Mary Tan,
President Tony Tan Keng Yam & Mr Darrell Ang
$50,000 and above
Tan Chin Tuan Foundation
G K Goh Holdings Ltd
Mr Christopher Ho and Mrs Rosy Ho
Chartered Asset Management Pte Ltd
$30,000 and above
Far East Organization
Anonymous
$25,000 and above
CIMB Group
F J Benjamin Holdings Ltd
Keppel Corporation Ltd
LIPPO Group
Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd
United Overseas Bank Ltd
$10,000 to $20,000
BNP Paribas
Boardroom Limited
Kris Tan Foundation
Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple
Lee Foundation, Singapore
LGT Bank (Singapore) Ltd
MayBank
One North Capital Pte Ltd
PSA International Pte Ltd
Singapore Pools (Private) Limited
Tote Board
Anonymous
Bunli Holdings
Mr Charles and Mrs Jenny Ormiston
Mr Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara
Ms Paige Parker and Mr Jim Rogers
George Tan Boon Keng
48
Dr and Mrs Tong Ming Chuan
Mr and Mrs Wong Nang Jang
Ms Yong Ying-I
Up to $5,000
Mr Peter Lim Geok Seng
Ms Lau Leok Yee
Mrs Eva Eng Lee Koon
Ms Frances Low
Mr Franck and Mrs Teresa
Manichon
Mr Oscar and Mrs Audrey Mico
Mr Ng Yong Ngee
Mr J Y Pillay
Mr Kris Taenar Wiluan
Hong Leong Holdings Ltd
Pontiac Land Group
SINGTEL Limited
United Caoutchouc Trading Co Pte Ltd
Mr Alfred Wong
Mr Lawrence and Mrs Celeste Basapa
Special Thanks to
Ms Paulina Bohm and Mr Thomas Welte
Piaget
Mr Julian and Mrs Sandra Chang
Damiani
Mr Chen Yang Chin
St Regis, Singapore
Mr Joseph Grimberg
Conrad Centennial Singapore
Mr and Mrs Edmund Goh
Kingsmen Exhibits Pte Ltd
Dr Peter Goh Tu-Tang
Mr Andrew Hunt
Mrs Tina Lee
Ms Celina Lin-Goros
Mr Christopher and Mrs Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi-Martin
Ms Donna Meyer
Mr Guenther and Mrs Heike Meyer
Mr and Mrs Jaacky See
Mr Ron and Mrs Janet Stride
Dr and Mrs Tan Chin Nam
Ms Manju Vangal
Mr Geoffrey Wong and Mrs Wong Ai Ai
Anonymous
Financial Highlights
Financial Performance
2011/2012
2012/2013
Operating income
5,306,838 4,515,417 Grants received
11,000,000 12,000,000 Tote Board (SSO) Trust
780,000
1,250,000
Operating expenditure
(17,022,653)
(17,671,992)
Surplus for the year
64,185
93,425
Sources Of Income
2011/2012
2012/2013
Ticket income
996,926 1,254,345 ABRSM commission
886,559 902,900 Rental income from VCH
- - Sponsorships
672,311 Notes
VCH closure in Aug 2010
1,056,515 Other income
2,751,042 1,301,657 Includes income from special
projects net of project costs
Operating income
5,306,838 4,515,417 Sources Of Income
Ticket income
2011/2012
2012/2013
ABRSM commission
Sponsorships
Other income
Up to $1,000
Mr Chan Kwai Sum
Dr Bernard and Mrs Dolly Cheong
Mr Alexander and Mrs Olga Iserlis
Mr Khoo Boon Hui and Mrs Betty Khoo
Prof Tommy Koh
Mr Michael Kraemer
49
Grants & Investment Income
2011/2012
Balance Sheet
2012/2013
2011/2012
GRANTS
Investments (market value) MCCY / NAC7,000,000 8,000,000
Fixed assets
291,369248,879
Tote Board4,000,000 4,000,000
Net current assets 7,727,540 8,878,094
INVESTMENT INCOME
Funds (net of reserve)
38,406,580 41,677,955
Tote Board (SSO) Trust
780,000 1,250,000
SSO investment (loss) / gain
(2,446,402)
2,179,217
30,387,671 2012/2013
32,550,982
41,677,955
32,550,982
Grants
2011/2012
2012/2013
MCCY / NAC
Tote Board
Operating Expenditure (recurrent)
2011/2012
2012/2013
Performing staff costs
9,511,788 9,535,458
38,406,580
30,387,671
2011/2012
2012/2013
2011/2012
2012/2013
Guest artists 1,393,544 1,691,457
Investments (market value)
Venue rentals828,025778,009
Funds (net of reserve)
Marketing & publicity 666,830711,933
Administration costs 2,460,677 2,579,779
Other operating costs
2,161,789 1,775,356
17,022,653 17,071,992
The SSO Endowment Fund was established when the SSO was formed to ensure the long-term sustainability of
the orchestra. Currently the Endowment Fund Committee is chaired by Professor Cham Tao Soon, with the funds
being managed by professional fund managers who are given discretionary powers to invest the fund within
certain guidelines. As at 31 March 2013, the SSO Endowment Fund was valued at $32.55 million.
Operating Expenditure
(recurrent)
Performing staff costs
2011/2012
2012/2013
Guest artists
Venue rentals
Marketing & publicity
Administration costs
Other operating costs
50
More information on our financials is available on www.sso.org.sg.
51
Committees
Nominating and
Executive Committee
Artistic Advisory
Comittee
Chairman
Mr Goh Yew Lin
Chairman Prof Bernard Tan
Mr Chng Hak-Peng
Ms Yvonne Tham
Mr Wong Nang Jang
Ms Yong Ying-I
Mr Mervin Beng
Dr Chang Tou Liang
Mr Foo Say Ming
Prof Bernard Lanskey
Ms Pang Siu Yuin
Dr Kelly Tang
Mr Zhang Jin Min
Endowment Fund
Committee
Chairman
Prof Cham Tao Soon
Mr David Goh
Mr Paul Supramanian
Mr Anthony Teo
Audit Committee
Musicians’ Committee
Mr Marc-Antoine Robillard
Ms Lynnette Seah
Mr Mark Suter
Mr Tan Wee Hsin
Mr Christoph Wichert
Mr Yang Zheng Yi
SSO Ladies’ League
Chairlady Mrs Odile Benjamin deputy chairlady
Mrs Kwan Lui
Mrs Celeste Basapa
Mrs Viviana Bernard
Mrs Rosy Ho
Mrs Judy Hunt
Prof Annie Koh
Mrs Alice Lee-Seah
Dr Julie Lo
Mrs Clarinda Tjia-DharmadiMartin
Ms Kris Tan
Ms Manju Vangal
Chairman
Mr Yee Chen Fah
Mr Kwee Liong Seen Ms Lim Mei
This list is correct as at 1 October 2013.
52
Conductor Han-na Chang
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
4 Battery Road, #20-01 Bank of China Building, Singapore 049908
Unique Entity No. 197801125M
Phone +65 6602 4200 (main) Fax +65 6602 4222
E-mail [email protected] Website www.sso.org.sg