Bravissimo! - Singapore Symphony Orchestra

B
ravissimo !
October 2014 Vol. 15 No. 4
MICA (P) 019/07/2014
The Quarterly Newsletter of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra
SSO’s Proms debut:
“A fine display of
orchestral bravado”
Exclusive photographs from the Proms
Singapore debut for violinist-conductor Thomas Zehetmair
Backstage with Gulnara Mashurova
www.sso.org.sg
Editorial
In this issue we bring you exclusive photographs from behind the scenes of SSO’s triumphant debut at the BBC
Proms in London, which received glowing reviews in the UK and in Singapore including 4-star reviews in The
Guardian and Telegraph. In a night which marked the greatest milestone in the SSO’s 35 years, it was a proud
moment for the Singaporean supporters present in the 5,500-strong audience as the crowd burst into resounding
applause at the end of the performance. Bravo, Maestro Lan Shui and the amazing musicians of the SSO!
CINDY LIM
Editor
[email protected]
Contents
SSO at the Proms
03
Backstage 14
Conrad Celebrities: 08
Ray Chen & Thomas Zehetmair
Conrad Celebrities 09
SSO News 10
Symphony Society 12
Backstage with Gulnara Mashurova
14
On My Playlist
15
The Autograph Collector 16
Symphony Society 12
On the cover:
The SSO’s night at the Proms
Photography by Chris Christodoulou
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
Playing in the Royal Albert Hall
SSO at the Proms
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s debut at the 120th BBC Proms season in London on September 2 played to
a capacity audience of 5,500, including Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong.
Under Music Director Lan Shui, the concert at the Royal Albert Hall saw the SSO take on two Russian masterworks
– Glinka’s Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla and Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2 – as well as the European
premiere of Postures for Piano and Orchestra by Zhou Long, with Swiss pianist Andreas Haefliger as the soloist.
Responding with rapturous applause and stamping of feet, the enthusiastic audience was rewarded with an English
encore, a flamboyant performance of William Walton’s March for A History of the English-Speaking Peoples,
bringing a magnificent evening to a rousing close.
SSO’s performance received 4-star ratings in the major UK newspapers The Guardian and Telegraph. Calling it
“a fine display of orchestral bravado for the SSO and Shui”, The Guardian described the performance as “intense
without sentimentality, noble but never bombastic”.
The Telegraph described Lan Shui’s interpretation of the Rachmaninov symphony as “refreshingly airy and spruce,
playing to his orchestra’s strengths in a reading that, despite its flexibility, kept the rhythms taut and the textures
remarkably clean”.
The Straits Times wrote: “Shui’s direction of the hour-long symphony from memory was exemplary – intelligent,
subtly nuanced and well-shaped. He was matched by an orchestra in sizzling form. Every player, every section
without exception gave their best, with the principal clarinet, cor anglais, and percussion and horn sections
deserving special mention.” !
Minister Lawrence Wong on the podium during the rehearsal at LSO St Luke’s
04
Hidehiro Fujita
Ma Yue, Zhou Long & Gudrun Sigurdardottir
Nikolai Koval
Prom Plus Intro session at the Royal College of Music: Petroc Trelawny, Kathy
Lai, Chan Yoong-Han & Simon Calder
bravissimo!
Minister Lawrence Wong with Lan Shui
Acting Proms Director Edward Blakeman addressing the SSO at the start of the dress rehearsal
Rehearsing at the LSO St Luke’s on Sep 1
Jon Fox & Mark Suter
Jin Ta
Zhao Ying Xue & Li Xin
bravissimo!
05
Acknowledging the warm applause
Acting Proms Director Edward Blakeman (left) congratulating Lan Shui
backstage after the concert
Shannon Pittaway & Roberto Alvarez
06
bravissimo!
Paul Hughes, SSO Chairman Goh Yew Lin, Minister Lawrence Wong &
Maestro Lan Shui
A fine debut at the Proms
SSO Chairman Goh Yew Lin with SSO friends Toh Chee Hung & Dennis Lee
Lan Shui leaving the stage after a flamboyant Walton encore
bravissimo!
07
CONRAD CELEBRITIES
RAY CHEN
Ray Chen performs with the SSO at the
Esplanade Concert Hall on October 17.
Tickets available from SISTIC.
A ray of light
Violin sensation Ray Chen has appeared in many concerts
since his triumph at the Queen Elisabeth (2009) and Yehudi
Menuhin Competitions (2008). Before every concert you will
find him in his dressing room downing a sandwich and a can
of Coke. “The caffeine and sugar give me an energy boost
before I play,” explains Chen. “Right before I walk on stage, I
make sure my pants are zipped and then hold out my hand and
do a countdown. ‘5…4…3…’ and when I reach ‘1’, I whip out
my hands as pistols and say ‘pow, pow, pow’, making everyone
backstage, including the conductor, laugh. This may sound
ridiculous, but it helps me feel psychologically in control of the
situation (I choose when the door opens!) which is important
when you’re about to walk into a high-pressure environment
where anything could happen.” Born in Taiwan, Chen’s family moved to Brisbane when he was
just four months old. Based in Philadelphia, where he graduated
from the Curtis Institute of Music, he also spends much of his
time in New York where his manager and many of his friends
live. Russian virtuoso Maxim Vengerov has praised Chen for
his “beautiful youthful tone, vitality and lightness”. Yet despite
his shining achievements, the 25-year-old rising star remains
modest. “I really hope to continue growing as a musician and
as a person, and I’m always looking for opportunities for new
and exciting projects. I’ve recently started planning a project
with Israeli mandolinist Avi Avital, who plays classical music
but also dabbles in folk, jazz, and traditional music. In our
project, we plan to showcase a variety of sounds from different
corners of the world including China and Eastern Europe.” On October 17 he will partner Günther Herbig and the
Singapore Symphony Orchestra in Mendelssohn’s Violin
Concerto in E minor. For this concert he will play on the 1715
Joachim Stradivarius violin loaned to him earlier this year by
the Nippon Music Foundation. “It’s an incredible instrument
that has such great depth to draw from,” says Chen. “Getting
to know an instrument is definitely something that takes time kind of like a relationship with a person. They can be difficult
at times but the results are well worth it!”
The boyish musician is dressed by fashion maven Giorgio
Armani for all his onstage appearances. Offstage he says he
enjoys playing video games, trying new restaurants and going
to the gym to unwind. With his father who recently visited him
in the US, Chen took a Caribbean cruise, one of his “all-time
favourite activities”. His parents are still based in Australia.
Says Chen: “I learned a lot about Taiwanese culture through
my parents, and continue to feel a special connection towards
Taiwan and Chinese people in general.” !
Cindy Lim
THOMAS ZEHETMAIR
SSO debut for
violinist-conductor
The celebrated husband-and-wife duo of Thomas
Zehetmair and Ruth Killius will make their SSO debut with
Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra at
the Victoria Concert Hall on November 1. Zehetmair will also
direct the orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 ’Eroica’
in E-flat major.
“The Concertante is an amazingly mature work with many
dimensions and a perfect mixture between virtuoso solo playing
and symphonic character,” explains Zehetmair. “Mozart
requires ‘scordatura’ for the solo viola part – all strings are
tuned a half tone higher. The Eroica is a revolutionary work,
not only for the subject, but also an explosion of the classical
form, bringing harmonic and formal dimensions unheard until
this time. Both pieces are very popular; the complexity and
depth of the pieces give extra pleasure to the listener.”
One of today’s most outstanding artistic personalities,
Zehetmair is the Music Director of the Royal Northern Sinfonia
in England, Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the
Orchestre de chambre de Paris in France, and Artistic Partner
of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in the United States. The
prolific violinist has recorded nearly the entire violin repertoire
and his recent CD releases include B. A. Zimmermann’s
Canto di speranza with the WDR Symphony Orchestra
under Heinz Holliger, Paganini’s 24 Capricci, Elgar’s Violin
Concerto with the Hallé Orchestra under Mark Elder (which
won the Gramophone Award 2010) as well as Mozart’s Violin
Concertos with the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century under
Frans Brüggen. Currently based in Berlin, this will be his first
time performing in Singapore.
Tickets to Thomas Zehetmair & Ruth
Killius (Nov 1) and their chamber
concert (Nov 2) are available from
SISTIC.
The musical duo will also play in a chamber concert with
musicians from the Singapore Symphony Orchestra at the
Victoria Concert Hall on November 2. The programme will
include such popular chamber masterpieces as Mozart’s Duo
for Violin and Viola Nos. 1 & 2, Hindemith’s String Quartet and
Haydn’s String Quartet in F major, Op.3 No.5.
Says Zehetmair: “The Hindemith quartet is a very expressive
piece of the “Roaring Twenties” in Germany. Hindemith as
a string player knew how to make the instruments sing and
how to make a string quartet sound like an orchestra as well
as a very delicate chamber group. It is a perfect contrast to
the classical pieces – Mozart’s Duos show his incredible
mastery creating important pieces even for only two string
players. The famous Serenade Quartet is a special case in music
history: published as written by Haydn and getting famous as
such, and nowadays experts think of Roman Hoffstetter as the
real composer. The quality remains unchanged though!” !
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
SSO in the Park
SSO NEWS
Over 8,000 people turned up at the Botanic Gardens on August 10 for a free SSO concert celebrating
Singapore Press Holdings’ 30th birthday and Singapore’s 49th birthday. Under the direction of Associate
Conductor Jason Lai, the orchestra performed popular classics such as Home by Dick Lee, Sketches of
Singapore by Kelly Tang, Nimrod from Elgar’s Enigma Variations as well as the Pirates of the Caribbean
medley. !
SSO @ Botanic Gardens
Lunchtime
Concert
The SSO’s Lunchtime Concert
at the Victoria Concert Hall on
August 4 was attended by a
full capacity audience of 670.
Marking the 30th anniversary of
SPH, the free performance opened
with Carillon de Westminster by
Louis Vierne featuring Margaret
Chen on the pipe organ and also
included music from West Side
Story and Star Wars. !
The cake-cutting ceremony was led by SPH Chairman Dr Lee Boon Yang,
CEO Mr Alan Chan and SPH directors
Sharing the
joy of music
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong with Jason Lai and musicians of the SSO after the
concert at Victoria Junior College
As part of Temasek’s 40th Anniversary series of
community events, the Singapore Symphony
Orchestra and conductor Jason Lai gave
performances at three neighbourhood venues
on August 1, 2 and 3. The concerts at ITE
College Central, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory
and Victoria Junior College drew a combined
audience of more than 2,300 people. Concert
highlights included Johann Strauss II’s Voices
of Spring and Bizet’s Carmen Suite, music from
blockbusters such as Star Wars and West Side
Story, and Kelly Tang’s Sketches of Singapore. !
A family at ITE College Central
Pre-Tour Concerts
More than 1,400 people attended the SSO’s free pre-tour concerts in the heartlands: ITE College Central
(August 22) and Republic Polytechnic (August 28). Under the baton of Music Director Lan Shui, the SSO
performed Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2 in E minor, a classical favourite which was performed at the
orchestra’s BBC Proms debut in September. !
Performing at Republic Polytechnic
bravissimo!
11
SSO Homecoming
Concert
symphony society
After four years, the beautifully restored Victoria Concert Hall opened its doors once again on July
15 with a special SSO concert conducted by Music Director Lan Shui. The private concert was attended
by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Mrs Lee as well as Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Culture,
Community & Youth, amongst other distinguished guests. The curtain raiser for the evening was the
Capriccio for Orchestra by Singaporean composer Kelly Tang, a work specially commissioned for this
joyous occasion. In the charming Sinfonia Concertante by Haydn, the SSO turned the spotlight on four of
its principal musicians: Lynnette Seah, Ng Pei-Sian, Rachel Walker and Zhang Jin Min. !
Lynnette Seah, Ng Pei-Sian, Rachel Walker & Zhang Jin Min
PM Lee Hsien Loong passing the baton to Lan Shui
A standing ovation for the SSO
President’s Young
Performers Concert
Taking
centrestage at the 2014 President’s Young Performers Concert on July 24 and 25 was 16-year-old
saxophonist Samuel Phua. Currently a student at the School of the Arts Singapore, Phua earned glowing praise
for his outstanding rendition of Ibert’s Concertino da Camera and Escapades from John Williams’ Catch Me If You
Can with the SSO under Jason Lai. Sponsored by the Singapore Institute of Management, the concert opened on
a high note with the premiere of Bernard Tan’s Aspirations Overture. !
Young saxophonist Samuel Phua
Mr Ronald Tan & Prof Pang Eng Fong
Prof & Mrs Bernard Tan
bravissimo!
bravissimo!
13
Gulnara Mashurova
At home in Singapore
10 years ago, Gulnara Mashurova moved to Singapore from
New York to take up the position of Principal Harpist with the
SSO. “We still very much enjoy living in Singapore,” said the
Kazakhstan-born musician. “There is always something new to
do and we enjoy the international feeling that Singapore offers.
It has been a very exciting and fulfilling time for me.”
Her husband Mark Suter is Associate Principal Percussionist
with the SSO and they have a five-year-old son Jasper. Gulnara
started piano lessons when she was six, and three years later
she started harp lessons under Natalia Sibor at the pre-Moscow
Conservatory. She then received a full scholarship to study at the
prestigious Juilliard School in New York under Nancy Allen, the
Principal Harpist of the New York Philharmonic.
Her advice to parents who aspire for their kids to become
musicians is simple: be encouraging and supportive. “Be patient;
it takes time to develop technique and sound and sometimes it’s
not that apparent until much later.” Gulnara with her husband Mark
backstage
Her son Jasper is currently fascinated with the cello, but is now
taking Suzuki violin lessons. “He likes his violin lessons but he
does not like to practise,” Gulnara adds. “He is really looking
forward to starting Suzuki cello lessons in school. I am enjoying
learning how to play violin more than he is!”
She singles out Sentosa and East Coast Park as their favourite
destinations for family excursions. “Jasper loves the Skyline Luge
at Sentosa. He is too small to drive by himself, but loves to speed
down the hill. He also likes to ride his scooter or watch wake
boarding when we go to East Coast Park. Sometimes we have a
picnic there or go for walks. After these outings we always go
for pizza or soup dumplings, Jasper’s favourite food!” she added
with a smile. !
Cindy Lim Gulnara with her son Jasper
On My Playlist
What SSO musicians have been listening to
Roberto Alvarez
SSO Flautist & Assistant Principal Piccolo
Prokofiev’s Romeo and
Juliet is one of my favourite
pieces for orchestra, and
this version by the Boston
Symphony
Orchestra
under Seiji Ozawa brings
out so many different
colours,
details
and
textures that it is possible
to imagine the scenes as if
it was a movie.
I totally love this Concerto for Harpsichord and 5 Instruments
by Manuel de Falla performed here by Joaquin Achúcarro and
members of the London Symphony Orchestra. At 15 minutes,
SSO_148x210_YEFIM_FA.pdf
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it is the last “long” piece
written by Falla and the
sonorities that Achúcarro
displays are fantastic. I
have very fond memories
of preparing the premiere
of this work in Singapore
and I listen to it often. It is
so energetic and really gets
you ready to confront any
challenge!
the
Autograph
collector
In celebration of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s début performance at the
BBC Proms, we feature autographs of the three personalities that distinguished
that historic concert on 2 September 2014. SSO led by Music Director Lan Shui
and Swiss pianist Andreas Haefliger gave the European premiere of Postures,
the newly commissioned piano concerto by Pulitzer Prize winning ChineseAmerican composer Zhou Long.
Below is a photograph of conductor, composer and pianist receiving their
accolades immediately after the brilliant performance at the Royal Albert Hall.
Incidentally, Andreas Haefliger also appeared on the cover of the September
2014 issue of International Record Review, and here he is autographing that
very magazine!
To complete the “full monty”, we also have the autographs of Zhou Long and
Maestro Lan Shui.
SSO_148x210_CHOLIANGLIN_FA.pdf
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If you have any interesting autographs to share, please send a high resolution scan and texts to: [email protected]