SSO 2021/22 season forges ahead with September and October live concerts
The Red Balloon Series returns with Echoes of Psycho and renowned international musicians Sayaka Shoji and Kam Ning to star in highly-anticipated live performances
Singapore, 31 August 2021 — The new norms of living would have been challenging for most; some might even struggle to cope with the changes, and it has been a most trying time especially for the Arts and performing groups in Singapore. Come September and October, take a breather and join the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) as it presents several live concerts featuring widely acclaimed international musicians and local musical talents.
Highlights include the return of SSO's Red Balloon Series, which showcases the music of American composer Bernard Herrmann; appearances of international guests, Japanese violinist Sayaka Shoji and German conductor Jun Märkl; and some of Singapore’s finest, including violin virtuoso Kam Ning, the Wind Ensemble of the SSO, and the Brass Ensemble of the SSO.
September
Launched in 2019, the immensely popular Red Balloon Series, conceptualised to subvert traditional perceptions of classical music and orchestral concerts, returns with its fifth concert — Red Balloon Series: Echoes of Psycho, happening on 17 & 18 September. Audiences can take in the chilling chords and tense mood from the thrilling score of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho composed by American composer Bernard Herrmann, conducted by Joshua Tan. Accompanying the showcase of Herrmann's famous score will be his nostalgic Echoes, arranged for string orchestra, and the tender Souvenirs de Voyage, arranged for clarinet and string orchestra.
The Wind Ensemble of the SSO gathers on 23 & 24 September to wrap up the September live concerts with A Symphony of Winds, a programme featuring music from the Classical and Romantic era.
October
SSO rides into October with the return of acclaimed Japanese violinist Sayaka Shoji, for Sayaka Shoji – Spirit of the Violin on 14 & 15 October. Alongside SSO Chief Conductor Hans Graf, Shoji will demonstrate her brilliant technique and musicianship, delivering the impassioned Schumann Violin Concerto. Audiences will also be treated to Bruckner’s Adagio from String Quintet and Schubert’s Symphony No. 3.
On 21 & 22 October, German conductor Jun Märkl will be directing the SSO for The Sound of Mendelssohn. Märkl will bring audiences on a spirited aural journey with Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony and Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with Singaporean virtuoso Kam Ning on the violin.
The following week on 27 & 28 October, Kam will take centre stage for Kam Ning – The Artistry of Strings. The two evenings will see the seasoned local artist performing two pieces that showcase the mastery of the strings — Haydn’s Violin Concerto No. 1 and Bartók’s Divertimento.
The VCHpresents series returns in October with VCHpresents Chamber: From My Life, where SSO musicians will perform a mix of works from Beethoven, Bruch, and Smetana on 16 & 17 October. The following week on 23 & 24 October, musicians of the SSO will come together for a concert of chamber works*.
*Full programme details and on sale date to be announced at a later date.
Echoes of Psycho
Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Joshua Tan, conductor / Ma Yue, clarinet
Fri / 17 Sep 21 / 7.30pm
Sat / 18 Sep 21 / 7.30pm
Victoria Concert Hall
Pre-Event Testing (PET) is required for those who are not exempted. For more details on exemptions, list of MOH-approved clinics for PET, and reimbursement for cost of PET, please visit here.
American composer-conductor Bernard Herrmann (1911–1975) is celebrated for his work in film music, chief among them, the pioneering music for Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. On the occasion of the 110th anniversary of his birth, this Red Balloon Series programme showcases the thrilling music from the famous score, alongside new string arrangements from the composer’s lyrical side — the nostalgic Echoes and the tender Souvenirs de Voyage.
FeaturingSingapore Symphony Orchestra / Joshua Tan, conductor / Ma Yue, clarinet
ProgrammeEchoes (arr. string orchestra) | Bernard Herrmann (Herrmann) |
|---|---|
Souvenirs de Voyage (arr. string orchestra & clarinet) | Bernard Herrmann (Herrmann) |
Suite from Psycho | Bernard Herrmann (Herrmann) |
A Symphony of Winds
Wind Ensemble of the SSO
Thu / 23 Sep 21 / 7.30pm
Fri / 24 Sep 21 / 7.30pm
Victoria Concert Hall
Pre-Event Testing (PET) is required for those who are not exempted. For more details on exemptions, list of MOH-approved clinics for PET, and reimbursement for cost of PET, please visit here.
The Wind Ensemble of the SSO gathers to present this programme of easy-listening music from the Classical and Romantic era, featuring flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, and horns.
FeaturingWind Ensemble of the SSO
ProgrammeSinfonia for Winds | Gaetano Donizetti (Donizetti) |
|---|---|
Petite symphonie | Charles Gounod (Gounod) |
Octet-Partita | Johann Nepomuk Hummel (Hummel) |
Serenade for Winds in C minor, K.388 | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Mozart) |
Sayaka Shoji – Spirit of the Violin
Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Hans Graf, Chief Conductor / Sayaka Shoji, violin
Thu / 14 Oct 21 / 7.30pm
Fri / 15 Oct 21 / 7.30pm
Esplanade Concert Hall
Pre-Event Testing (PET) is required for those who are not exempted. For more details on exemptions, list of MOH-approved clinics for PET, and reimbursement for cost of PET, please visit here.
Witness the meticulous artistry of acclaimed Japanese violinist Sayaka Shoji in her return to Singapore. Schumann’s impassioned Violin Concerto, a work lost to the world for over 80 years, is the centrepiece of this programme, framed by the heavenly music of Bruckner and the youthful classicism of Schubert, conducted by SSO Chief Conductor Hans Graf.
FeaturingSingapore Symphony Orchestra / Hans Graf, Chief Conductor / Sayaka Shoji, violin
ProgrammeAdagio from String Quintet in F major (arr. string orchestra) | Anton Bruckner (Bruckner) |
|---|---|
Violin Concerto in D minor | Robert Schumann (Schumann) |
Symphony No. 3 in D major, D. 200 | Franz Schubert (Schubert) |
The Sound of Mendelssohn
Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Jun Märkl, conductor / Kam Ning, violin
Thu / 21 Oct 21 / 7.30pm
Fri / 22 Oct 21 / 7.30pm
Esplanade Concert Hall
Pre-Event Testing (PET) is required for those who are not exempted. For more details on exemptions, list of MOH-approved clinics for PET, and reimbursement for cost of PET, please visit here.
Whether spirited sunshine or pensive letters from the heart, Mendelssohn fused elegant classical verve and Romantic fervour with unrivalled finesse. Such is what you will hear aplenty in his ever-popular Italian Symphony and the jewel that is his Violin Concerto.
FeaturingSingapore Symphony Orchestra / Jun Märkl, conductor / Kam Ning, violin
ProgrammeViolin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 | Felix Mendelssohn (Mendelssohn) |
|---|---|
Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90 “Italian” | Felix Mendelssohn (Mendelssohn) |
Kam Ning – The Artistry of Strings
Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Kam Ning, violin/leader
Wed / 27 Oct 21 / 7.30pm
Thu / 28 Oct 21 / 7.30pm
Victoria Concert Hall
Pre-Event Testing (PET) is required for those who are not exempted. For more details on exemptions, list of MOH-approved clinics for PET, and reimbursement for cost of PET, please visit here.
A seasoned artist of the international music circles, Singaporean violinist Kam Ning returns to lead the SSO in this fascinating programme of brilliant, sparkling 18th century Haydn contrasted with dark, spectacular 20th century Bartók — two pieces that demonstrate these great composers’ mastery of the strings.
FeaturingSingapore Symphony Orchestra / Kam Ning, violin/leader
ProgrammeViolin Concerto No. 1 in C major | Joseph Haydn (Haydn) |
|---|---|
Divertimento | Béla Bartók (Bartók) |
From My Life
Chan Yoong-Han, violin³ / Zhao Tian, violin³ / Guan Qi, viola ³ / Ng Pei-Sian, cello (The HEAD Foundation Chair) ³ / Ma Yue, clarinet / Liu Jia, piano
Sat / 16 Oct 21 / 7.00pm
Sun / 17 Oct 21 / 4.00pm
Victoria Concert Hall
Pre-Event Testing (PET) is required for those who are not exempted. For more details on exemptions, list of MOH-approved clinics for PET, and reimbursement for cost of PET, please visit here.
Beethoven played the viola. At age 72, Bruch wrote his Op. 83 for his son who was a talented clarinettist. Smetana was completely deaf, near the end of his life, when he wrote his intensely autobiographical string quartet, From My Life. Such are the ways that the composers’ own tales are written into their scores. When you hear their music, you hear their lives.
FeaturingChan Yoong-Han, violin³ / Zhao Tian, violin³ / Guan Qi, viola ³ / Ng Pei-Sian, cello (The HEAD Foundation Chair) ³ / Ma Yue, clarinet / Liu Jia, piano
ProgrammeObligato for Viola and Cello¹ | Ludwig van Beethoven (Beethoven) |
|---|---|
8 Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, Op. 83, No. 1, 2, 6, 7² | Max Bruch (Bruch) |
String Quartet No. 1 Op. 116, “From My Life”³ | Bedřich Smetana (Smetana) |
ABOUT THE SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Founded in 1979, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is Singapore’s flagship orchestra, touching lives through classical music and providing the heartbeat of the cultural scene. In addition to its subscription series concerts, the SSO is also known for its outdoor and community appearances. The orchestra also presents intimate chamber performances in the VCHpresents series, the annual Singapore International Piano Festival (SIPF) and the biennial National Piano and Violin Competition (NPVC) at the Victoria Concert Hall, Home of the SSO. The SSO is part of the Singapore Symphony Group, which also manages the Singapore Symphony Choruses, and the Singapore National Youth Orchestra. The Group’s vision is to be a leading arts organization that engages, inspires and reflects Singapore through musical excellence. Our mission is to create memorable shared experiences with music. Through the SSO and its affiliated performing groups, we spread the love for music, nurture talent and enrich our diverse communities.
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra was nominated and clinched third place in the prestigious Gramophone Orchestra of the Year Award 2021. In 2022, BBC Music Magazine named the SSO as one of the 21 best orchestras in the world.
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