The hushed silence of the Grand Auditorium at the Macao Cultural Centre was broken by the first notes of Echoes from the Heartland, a Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) commission by Singaporean composer Tony Makarome. It was a powerful signal: the SNYO was back on tour—and they had brought the Singapore sound with them.
From 28 to 30 June, over 70 musicians from the SNYO performed to 1,000 concertgoers in not just Macao, but also at the Shenzhen Grand Theatre and the William Au Concert Hall at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Joined by award-winning Chinese violinist Ning Feng and led by SNYO Music Director Joshua Tan, the tour, titled Friends in Harmony, was a showcase of exceptional orchestral performance from the SNYO and its partners in all three cities. In pursuit of scaling each orchestra’s musical excellence, the tour also featured a collaborative masterclass conducted by Ning Feng for members of the SNYO, Macao Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) and the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra (HKYSO).
Under the direction of Maestro Joshua, the orchestra delivered a sophisticated programme that belied their youth. Following Makarome’s vivid portrayal of Singapore’s heartland arts and culture scene as the opening piece, violinist Ning Feng took centre stage in a gripping performance of Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No.2, demonstrating his masterful technique and emotional depth in the deeply introspective and complex work, alongside the SNYO. Then came a radiant shift, as the SNYO presented Dvořák’s Symphony No. 6 — a buoyant, optimistic work laced with Czech folk rhythms and charm.
In Macao, the SNYO performed alongside the MYSO, ending the concert with Stokowski’s electrifying arrangement of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor. The same piece brought SNYO’s multi-city tour to a close in Hong Kong, where the young musicians shared the stage with their peers from the HKYSO. Audiences in Hong Kong also witnessed the HKYSO perform Liszt’s symphonic poem, Les Préludes, led by HKYSO conductor Joseph Kam.
The SNYO, one of the performing entities of the Singapore Symphony Group, plays a central role in nurturing Singapore’s next generation of musicians. Through world-class training and opportunities like Friends In Harmony, SNYO empowers young talents to not only excel artistically, but to grow as cultural ambassadors on the world stage.