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

Review: ‘A Song of Life’ Concert by Sachiyo

There’s something about the Esplanade Recital Studio that is so special, given the intimacy it affords. This intimacy is what gives rise to the power of Japanese singer songwriter Sachiyo Nakagaki’s beautiful voice, crisp, sensual and chic as it wafted through the Recital Studio in her ‘A Song of Life’ concert last Wednesday (27th June). Sachiyo’s voice lends itself perfectly to the kind of music … Continue reading Review: ‘A Song of Life’ Concert by Sachiyo

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

Preview: ‘A Song of Life’ Concert by Sachiyo

Singapore-based, Japanese singer-songwriter Sachiyo will be staging her all new concert at the Esplanade Recital Studio next week. Having lived in Singapore since the age of four, the talented performer weaves elements from both Singapore and Japan into her songs, whose lyrical content is inspired by her own life. This concert will mark the 20th anniversary of the singer, and through her music, will tell … Continue reading Preview: ‘A Song of Life’ Concert by Sachiyo

Nothing But Pride for Local Talent: An Interview with Dick Lee (Singapopera 2018)

Dick Lee is perhaps one of the few Singaporeans whose name is immediately recognizable. For many Singaporeans, Dick is best known as the composer of ‘Home’, the song most synonymous with National Day. Written abroad while harbouring thoughts of missing Singapore, the 1998 song has since gone on to become a mainstay at just about every National Day Parade, at any and every Singaporean event … Continue reading Nothing But Pride for Local Talent: An Interview with Dick Lee (Singapopera 2018)

M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival 2018: EARTH and Filled with sadness, the old body attacks by T.H.E Dance Company (Review)

A double-bill of movement heavy pieces open the 2018 M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival. T.H.E Dance Company opened the 2018 M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival with a double bill of work. Featuring ‘EARTH’ by Humanhood and ‘Filled with sadness, the old body attacks’ by Kim Jae Duk, the festival kicked off to a strong start with both these thought-provoking, physically challenging pieces.  EARTH by Humanhood In … Continue reading M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival 2018: EARTH and Filled with sadness, the old body attacks by T.H.E Dance Company (Review)

M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival 2018: An Interview with Festival Director Kuik Swee Boon and Festival Manager Athelyna Swee

Often assumed to be esoteric, avant garde or incomprehensible, reserved only for the educated, upper echelons of society, contemporary dance can be a daunting art form to come face to face with. But the truth is, contemporary dance is simply a representation of the human spirit in a different language, each dancer bringing to stage their own brand of physicality and movement, and with a … Continue reading M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival 2018: An Interview with Festival Director Kuik Swee Boon and Festival Manager Athelyna Swee

Esplanade’s Next Stage: Singtel Donates S$10m to Fund Esplanade’s New Waterfront Theatre

Last Saturday, in conjunction with the Esplanade’s inaugural Gala evening in its fifteen years of existence, local telcomm company Singtel has announced its decision to donate S$10 million towards Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay’s development of its new mid-sized, waterfront theatre. Prior to the gala, Ms Yvonne Tham, CEO-Designate at The Esplanade Co Ltd, addressed members of the media and expressed her gratitude towards Singtel … Continue reading Esplanade’s Next Stage: Singtel Donates S$10m to Fund Esplanade’s New Waterfront Theatre

Review: Leonard Bernstein’s Mass by Orchestra of the Music Makers

The Esplanade Concert Hall becomes a joyous megachurch for one night only. The Orchestra of the Music Makers takes its name from Arthur O’Shaughnessy’s poem Ode, inspired to remain movers and shakers as they dream, cultivate and create music each year. Celebrating both Bernstein’s centennial as well as the Orchestra of Music Makers’ 10th anniversary, last Saturday saw the Singapore premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s musical epic Mass. Combining multiple genres of music … Continue reading Review: Leonard Bernstein’s Mass by Orchestra of the Music Makers

Bernstein’s Mass: An Interview with Conductor Joshua Kangming Tan and Director Edith Podesta

As the Orchestra of the Music Makers commemorates their 10th anniversary in 2018, there’s no better way to celebrate than with a massive performance uniting some of the most diverse genres of music with composer Leonard Bernstein’s Mass. Best known for composing West Side Story, Bernstein’s Mass brings together Broadway, jazz, Western art music, epic chorus, orchestral works and more in this ambitious undertaking, and in its Singaporean premiere, … Continue reading Bernstein’s Mass: An Interview with Conductor Joshua Kangming Tan and Director Edith Podesta