Preview: SSO Gala – Rachmaninov Piano Concerto 2

28 year old Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov has received critical acclaim and praise for his wide imagination and incredible harmony. Now, he’s about to make his Singapore debut this April, with the dark majesty and Romantic grandeur of Rachmaninov’s popular Second Piano Concerto, promising a powerful showcase of his pianist gifts as part of the SSO Gala Concert series. Abduraimov has worked with plenty of leading … Continue reading Preview: SSO Gala – Rachmaninov Piano Concerto 2

Preview: VCH Excite! My Muse – Rani Singam presented by Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Rani Singam, Singapore’s ‘first lady of jazz’, takes to the stage this April as part of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s (SSO)’s VCH Excite! series. Taking the form of a music-movie concept, Rani Singam will tell the story of our collective lives through both narration and song, inspired particularly by “Remember”, the love theme from the movie Cinema Paradiso which forms part of the programme. During the programme, audiences are … Continue reading Preview: VCH Excite! My Muse – Rani Singam presented by Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Hong Kong 2019: Pride by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (Preview)

HONG KONG – The term “Gang Piao” literally means drifting back and forth in Hong Kong, yet its exact definition is not certain – are “Gang Piao” professionals who came to work in Hong Kong from the Mainland? Or are they students from the Mainland? Or tourists who came to Hong Kong to shop? The Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (HKRep) presents Pride this March, a new work … Continue reading Hong Kong 2019: Pride by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (Preview)

Preview: Skechers Sundown Festival 2019 – Asia Music Wonderland

The Skechers Sundown Festival, Asia’s definitive music and arts festival, returns to Singapore for its 10th and biggest edition to date this April. Organised by Red Spade Entertainment and presented by Skechers, the festival gathers some of the best artists, both musical and visual, to our island for a larger-than-life 3D2N party. Uniting artists from 11 countries, expect to catch architects, films, musicians and more … Continue reading Preview: Skechers Sundown Festival 2019 – Asia Music Wonderland

Huayi Festival 2019: Painted Skin by Singapore Chinese Orchestra (Review)

Western meets Chinese opera in a spectacle to remember. Inspired by the short story of the same name from Pu Songling’s Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (Liaozhai Ziyi), the Singapore Chinese Opera adapts Painted Skin for the stage as a 100 minute opera in concert. The classic tale follows a Chinese scholar when he comes across a beautiful woman crying in the rain, giving her an … Continue reading Huayi Festival 2019: Painted Skin by Singapore Chinese Orchestra (Review)

Preview: SSO POPS – Video Games Classics

As fans of videogames, we can pretty much assure anyone and everyone that most soundtracks are works of art in themselves, each one a key part of the immersive experience gaming comes with. Now, experience them in their full glory this April as the Singapore Symphony Orchestra presents a special concert featuring Video Games Classics, conducted by Irish Queen of Games Music, Eímear Noone. Noone’s musical … Continue reading Preview: SSO POPS – Video Games Classics

Hong Kong 2019: Marriage by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (Preview)

HONG KONG – Every woman can pursue happiness with no regret. That’s the premise of quintuple Hong Kong Drama Award-winning play Marriage, by celebrated Japanese playwright Hashida Sugako, who other works have moved audiences all around the world. Marriage, originally a 1982 television drama before being adapted for the stage the following year, traces the path of women’s self-determination and how they overcome fate. In the Hanada family, a mother and her … Continue reading Hong Kong 2019: Marriage by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (Preview)

Singapore Symphony Appoints Hans Sørensen as Director of Artistic Planning

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has appointed Hans Sørensen to its newly created position of Director of Artistic Planning. Sørensen was most recently Artistic Planner and Orchestra Manager for the Göteborgs Symfoniker (the National Orchestra of Sweden). Says Chng Hak-Peng, CEO of the Singapore Symphony Group (SSG), which manages the SSO, Singapore’s national orchestra: “We are delighted to welcome Hans on board as one of … Continue reading Singapore Symphony Appoints Hans Sørensen as Director of Artistic Planning

Preview: SSO Gala – Ray Chen

Charismatic, funny and undeniably skilled – Ray Chen, the wildly popular Taiwanese-Australian violinist has dazzled the violin world on stage, in reviews and on social media. In this third performance with us, he is joined by the combined orchestras of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, in Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2. Ray, who turns 30 this March, is distinctive in … Continue reading Preview: SSO Gala – Ray Chen

Huayi Festival 2019: FOUR FOUR EIGHT (四四八) by Emergency Stairs (Review)

Warning: This review may contain spoilers Journey to the centre of the self…and Liu Xiaoyi. Over the years, Emergency Stairs Artistic Director Liu Xiaoyi has made it abundantly clear that the work he puts out staunchly refuses to conform to theatrical standards, having created work that subverts the norm, be it a piece of anti-theatre deliberately attempting to crush audience expectations or even performing in unusual … Continue reading Huayi Festival 2019: FOUR FOUR EIGHT (四四八) by Emergency Stairs (Review)