Singapore Symphony Names Hans Graf as New Chief Conductor

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has announced Austrian maestro Hans Graf as its Chief Conductor. Graf will assume the role from the 2020/21 concert season, beginning mid-2020. In Graf, SSO has appointed an internationally established maestro with highly regarded expertise in core orchestral repertoire. His background and work in Vienna, Salzburg and Graz makes him especially at home in Austro-German repertoire that is crucial in developing … Continue reading Singapore Symphony Names Hans Graf as New Chief Conductor

Preview: Baybeats 2019 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

  2018 may have seen the last of the Esplanade’s iconic Powerhouse stage (which has since become a construction site for the up and coming Waterfront Theatre), but that certainly isn’t any deterrence to the Baybeats festival itself, marking a return for its 18th edition this August! As Singapore’s largest free alternative music festival, Baybeats has come to be loved by music fans for the … Continue reading Preview: Baybeats 2019 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Preview: Steven Osborne plays Mozart presented by Singapore Symphony Orchestra

This July,  award-winning pianist Steven Osborne, “one of Britain’s most treasured musicians”, comes to town to play Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 12, a standout work of lyrical peace and effusive melody. During the concert, be sure to also look out for Rossini’s Overture to The Silken Ladder, Kernis’ Musica celestis, and Haydn’s Symphony No. 98 in B-flat major. Steven Osborne’s insightful and idiomatic interpretations of diverse repertoire show an immense … Continue reading Preview: Steven Osborne plays Mozart presented by Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Preview: VCHpresents 2019/20 Season presented by Singapore Symphony Orchestra

The Victoria Concert Hall has announced its brand new VCHpresents 2019/20 seaso, marking the fifth anniversary of its re-opening. The season will include a range of performances that explore the chamber music repertoire, solo voice recitals, more intimate happenings, and two music festivals. The VCHpresents Chamber series promises to be Singapore’s widest offering of chamber music at the highest level – from western classical strings and … Continue reading Preview: VCHpresents 2019/20 Season presented by Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Review: Fatih – The Prince and the Drum by NADI Singapura (Pesta Raya 2019)

An epic, joyous production elevating the art of drumming to new heights.  There are some productions that can only be described as nothing more than pure joy to watch. Fatih – The Prince and the Drum, happens to be one such production, as it cleverly uses a mix of Malay percussion, song, martial arts and staging to make a familiar tale of a fallen prince seeking … Continue reading Review: Fatih – The Prince and the Drum by NADI Singapura (Pesta Raya 2019)

Review: The Seen and Unseen (Sekala Niskala) by Kamila Andini (Pesta Raya 2019)

Clear direction and precise choreography make this highly spiritual work a success. Transitioning from one medium to another can be a daunting task, with the biggest question being “what does the new form add that the old one did not?” But for Indonesian director Kamila Andini, the answer to that is clear, with the stage adaptation of her 2017 film The Seen and Unseen. Born out … Continue reading Review: The Seen and Unseen (Sekala Niskala) by Kamila Andini (Pesta Raya 2019)

Preview: Musical Frontiers 2019 by Ding Yi Music Company

Bringing two unlike worlds together, this August, get ready as Ding Yi Music Company returns with the third edition of their Musical Frontiers series, this time uniting Ding Yi with the award-winning Vietnamese Bamboo Ensemble, Suc Song Moi (The New Vitality) in their first ever visit to Singapore for a music showcase and collaboration One an intimate Chinese chamber music company best known for its … Continue reading Preview: Musical Frontiers 2019 by Ding Yi Music Company

Preview: Fatih – The Prince and the Drum by NADI Singapura (Pesta Raya 2019)

As the annual Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of the Arts returns this weekend, expect the Esplanade to come awash in a flurry of activity as the space is enlivened by a carefully curated variety of performing arts from the Malay Archipelago, from famous regional singers and bands, to children’s theatre, to dance and theatre. Headlining the festival is the first large-scale commission of a … Continue reading Preview: Fatih – The Prince and the Drum by NADI Singapura (Pesta Raya 2019)

Preview: The Seen & Unseen by Kamila Andini (Pesta Raya 2019)

This weekend, the Esplanade’s annual Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of the Arts returns to present a finely curated selection of performing arts from the Malay Archipelago, ranging from well-known regional singers, children’s plays, and of course, theatre and dance. Of these, they will be premiering Indonesian artist Kamila Andini’s The Seen and Unseen, a theatrical/dance performance inspired by her film of the same name, as performed … Continue reading Preview: The Seen & Unseen by Kamila Andini (Pesta Raya 2019)

Preview: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants by re:Sound

Singapore-based music collective re:sound, the first professional chamber orchestra in the country, is set to perform a new concert this July. Titled Standing on the Shoulders of Giants, the collective, comprising conservatory-trained professionals and some of Singapore’s most talented and dedicated musicians, will be performing songs such as Vivaldi’s Sinfonia to La Senna Festeggiante RV117, Haydn’s Symphony no.104 in D major, and Prokofiev’s Symphony no.1 in D major (“Classical”). … Continue reading Preview: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants by re:Sound