Preview: Life is Ha-Ha-Happiness – A Voice and Piano Recital For All

Who says opera, art music and the theatre have to be stuffy affairs? After the success of Sure on this Shining Night last December, the same motley crew of musicians is back with an all new show to bring you joy amidst droll September! Titled Life is Ha-Ha-Happiness, opera singers Teng Xiang Ting (soprano), Michelle Tan (mezzo), Leslie Tay (tenor), Alvin Tan (baritone), and pianist Pauline Lee return to … Continue reading Preview: Life is Ha-Ha-Happiness – A Voice and Piano Recital For All

Preview: F. Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites by New Opera Singapore

Following on from last year’s production of Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, New Opera Singapore is back this August with an all new annual production! This year, the company will be presenting Francis Poulenc‘s Dialogues of the Carmelites. Written after George Bernanos’ 1947 play of the same name, Poulenc’s second opera is a three act French opera during the French Revolution, where nuns from a Carmelite monastery are … Continue reading Preview: F. Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites by New Opera Singapore

Review: Love and Duty – Mozart’s Il Re Pastore by The Opera People

Mozart gets funky in this accessible new interpretation that sets Il Re Pastore in a nightclub. Opera often gets a bad rap for being stuffy and inaccessible to the general public. But in their debut production, The Opera People are pulling out all the stops to produce a show that anyone from any background would be more open to attend and be able to appreciate. … Continue reading Review: Love and Duty – Mozart’s Il Re Pastore by The Opera People

Preview: Nam Hwa Blazes 《万紫千红》(July 2018) by Nam Hwa Opera

Nam Hwa Opera is having a busy summer period. Just last week, the fifty year old Teochew Opera troupe performed two full length operas at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, and this coming Sunday, they’ll be showcasing the tenth edition of their quarterly Nam Hwa Blazes programme at the Aliwal Arts Centre! The last edition in April saw the troupe showcasing three classic Teochew Operas, highlighting the … Continue reading Preview: Nam Hwa Blazes 《万紫千红》(July 2018) by Nam Hwa Opera

Preview: Kopi for One – From Page to Stage by L’Arietta Productions

  Before the premiere of the Singapore Trilogy this October, L’Arietta Productions will be presenting a short preview of the performance this July, with an all new commission and first part of the trilogy – Kopi For One! The Singapore Trilogy will feature three chamber operas, woven together by a woman reflecting on her life at different ages, and her relationships with her father,  fiancé and herself. Each part … Continue reading Preview: Kopi for One – From Page to Stage by L’Arietta Productions

Review: 《告亲夫》Prosecuting the Husband by Nam Hwa Opera

The Chinese Opera I experienced growing up was always a very communal type of activity. Setting up makeshift stilt stages on the roadside, I’d join my excited grandparents as they dragged us along to watch in the evenings, particularly closer to the seventh month periods. As much as I never did master any dialect, these operas remained a fascinating aspect of my childhood as the … Continue reading Review: 《告亲夫》Prosecuting the Husband by Nam Hwa Opera

Preview: Love and Duty – Mozart’s Il Re Pastore by The Opera People

Opera has come a long way since the ‘park and bark’ style of the 1980s, with newer groups constantly attempting to buck the trend and make it trendy, modern and accessible. And perfectly in line with that, newly formed opera company The Opera People have arrived on the scene with big reputations and aspirations. Founded by opera stalwarts and brothers Jonathan and David Charles Tay, the contemporary opera … Continue reading Preview: Love and Duty – Mozart’s Il Re Pastore by The Opera People

Keeping Teochew Opera Alive: An Interview with Tan Wei Tian, Wendy Lee and Teo Meng Hock of Nam Hwa Opera

This June, Nam Hwa Opera continues their 2018 season with two one night only shows at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre – Teochew Opera film classics《告亲夫》Prosecuting the Husband and《刘明珠》Lady Liu Ming Zhu. Whether you’re a Chinese Opera diehard fan or completely new to the scene, don’t miss this chance to relive the glory days of the past and catch this traditional art form performed by one of Singapore’s leading … Continue reading Keeping Teochew Opera Alive: An Interview with Tan Wei Tian, Wendy Lee and Teo Meng Hock of Nam Hwa Opera

Preview: 《告亲夫》Prosecuting the Husband and《刘明珠》Lady Liu Ming Zhu by Nam Hwa Opera

With its humble beginnings as an amateur music and drama association by a group of Teochew opera enthusiasts, Nam Hwa Opera has braved the test of time to reach its 55th anniversary this year! Having given over 130 public performances, the opera troupe continues to enrich local arts and culture by keeping this art form well and alive even today. This June, the troupe will … Continue reading Preview: 《告亲夫》Prosecuting the Husband and《刘明珠》Lady Liu Ming Zhu by Nam Hwa Opera

Review: La Voix Humaine by Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Heartbreak expresses itself through dropped calls and missed connections.  Irrevocably changing the way humans live and communicate, the phone has simultaneously enabled and limited the way in which we interact with one another over the years, due to our increasing reliance on it for human connection. It’s no wonder then that it continues to be the subject of art and music, from Adele’s “Hello” to Francis … Continue reading Review: La Voix Humaine by Singapore Symphony Orchestra