Making a triumphant return this January is the Singapore Chamber Music Festival (SCMF). Organised by Resound Collective, the biennial festival is back after nearly 20 years, and brings together music lovers, students and top chamber musicians connect, share and celebrate the joy of chamber music. In this particular edition, attendees and participants can not only look forward to top international musicians from USA, UK and Japan, but also the opportunities to develop their skills through workshops and masterclasses.
Speaking to Resound Collective Chairman Mervin Beng, we found out more about the decision to bring the festival back, and what it takes to commit to such a huge undertaking. “I think a lot about how Resound was formed, and at the point, we didn’t even know whether we’d have enough people to form a chamber orchestra. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith, and create the opportunity for people to be a part of something before it can grow,” says Mervin. “What SCMF is about is to bring together any and all lovers of chamber music, from students looking for exposure, to the musicians who may not have taken to the stage for 20 years and are looking to dust off their instrument.”
Mervin explains how SCMF really is about connection and networking, not only to get a chance to watch and learn from some of the world’s best, but also just be aware of their counterparts. “Many of the younger generation seem to have missed out on having such opportunities to have chamber music sessions or really participate in chamber music competitions, maybe limited only to school bands and orchestras,” says Mervin. “And even when you do have younger musicians winning awards, the opportunity to play with an ensemble is quite rare, and often need help finding fellow musicians of the same mindset and form a group.”
“That’s why the SCMF might give them the chance to interact with their counterparts and be exposed to the scene, and when they go overseas, they might just end up knowing a few more friendly faces here and there,” he continues. “There’s a culture of people who really do look up the local chamber music society when they’re visiting other cities, and end up having dinner with them to bond over their lifelong affinity with music.”
An important part of the festival will be the Chamber Music Academy (CMA), where amateur musicians of all ages and abilities will perform and get coaching from the festival faculty. This academy gives participants exclusive access to certain programmes, and they will be led by Jonathan Ong (leader, Verona Quartet), Aoi Trio (Japan) and Toh Chee Hung (piano, UK) to perform and coach the participants of the academy, in conjunction with Concordia Quartet, faculty of the YST Conservatory of Music, NAFA and SOTA, alumnus of earlier SCMF and other chamber musicians.
“We are very grateful to the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music for partnering with us, and providing us this anchor venue, along with the faculty who’ve gotten involved with coaching and concerts,” says Mervin. “It’s a win-win situation for them as well with the participants supporting the programme, and from our shortlist, we have a very diverse and vibrant line-up, to facilitate cultural exchange and cross-fertilisation that will invigorate their practice.”
To elaborate more on the Academy, Mervin explains that the students are not expected to be experts just yet, but to really give them the opportunity that they’ve been missing. “We accept participants of all ages and levels – the only criteria is that you do play something that is chamber music or adjacent, and we had applications from a harp quartet and a flute trio, but those don’t exactly fit,” says Mervin. “And I think it’s important to push them while we can, because you never know when they end up being inspired by such experiences – we’ve got many people in Resound Collective and beyond for example, who remember those previous editions of SCMF, and are now leading artists in chamber music today.”
Elsewhere in the programme, members of the public can also attend concerts by the Aoi Trio, and the final Gala celebration. “We’re not just here to import top artists from the world; these are programmes are meant to make chamber music feel accessible, with Mozart and Mendelssohn, to provide a buffet of music for everyone to appreciate, and really show that you don’t have to reach a certain point in life to be given the opportunity to play professionally,” says Mervin. “No matter how sophisticated or refined the music is, it first and foremost has to connect to the audience. We don’t plan on introducing and analysing every work, but would rather let them speak for themselves and let the musicians make the music relatable, and be welcoming of all kinds of audiences, not just those who are already invested in it.
Mervin does express pity that for a First World cosmopolitan city like Singapore, chamber music isn’t at the top of people’s minds, unlike say New York with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, or Europe’s many chamber music festivals, featuring gatherings of both amateurs and professionals. “This isn’t something a ministry or institution would do as their main focus, so we feel there is value in us stepping in and being a neutral party to push our own objectives of building an audience here in Singapore,” says Mervin. “If we do it right, I believe that the right people will come, and continue working with these new friends, and keep the spirit of chamber music alive with all these new connections.”
“I do hope that at the end of it, we manage to start the process of building a community, and give these participants a chance to show themselves onstage and make new friends, to form trios and quartets, evident from the maybe 28 or so groups who applied to be a part of this festival,” Mervin concludes. “For me, I’m happy that the festival could be a catalyst to help speed up this process, and hope that they continue building on such experiences even after the festival is over, and that people will take a larger interest in what we’re doing as time goes by.”
The Singapore Chamber Music Festival 2024 runs from 24th January to 3rd February 2024. Full programme available here
Bakchormeeboy 