Start the new year on a high note with SSO
Reinvigorate the senses with SSO’s first concerts of 2022 — led by Chief Conductor Hans Graf, the series feature the Singapore debut of Romanian-born German pianist Herbert Schuch and the return of young Chinese violinist He Ziyu.
Singapore, 30 November 2021— Setting the stage for another year of enthralling performances, Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) maintains its musical momentum by delivering its characteristic zest of music with outstanding programmes. Chief Conductor Hans Graf will take the helm to orchestrate the Singapore debut of Romanian-born German pianist Herbert Schuch as well as the concert that sees the return of highly accomplished young Chinese violinist He Ziyu. During January and February, the SSO will also premiere online concerts that are exclusively available on SSOLOUNGE, the orchestra’s streaming platform.
January
On 6 January, the musicians of the SSO come together for VCHpresents Chamber: The Elegiac Russian, where they will play three beautiful yet poignant chamber pieces from Russian composing greats comprising Tchaikovsky, Khachaturian and Rachmaninoff.
A week after on 14 & 15 January, Romanian-born German pianist Herbert Schuch makes his highly-anticipated Singapore debut in Schumann Piano Concerto and Mozart’s Jupiter. Audiences can expect to revel in a delicate symphony of sounds as SSO Chief Conductor Hans Graf directs Mozart’s 33rd Symphony, followed by Schuch’s performance of the rhapsodic masterpiece — Schumann’s Piano Concerto. The evening will culminate in the orchestra’s exhilarating performance of Mozart’s last symphony, the grandiose Jupiter Symphony.
After his Singapore debut with SSO in 2019, Chinese violin prodigy and 1st prize winner in the Senior Division of the 2016 Menuhin Competition He Ziyu returns on 21 & 22 January for Beethoven, 1806. Conducted by Chief Conductor Hans Graf, He, known for his distinctive confident and sprightly performance, will be delivering his rendition of Beethoven’s one and only Violin Concerto. The concert will also see the orchestra performing Beethoven’s dynamic Symphony No. 4.
Beyond January’s exciting live concerts, the SSO experience can also be enjoyed with the digital release of A Triptych of Ravel, Respighi and Copland on the SSOLOUNGE. Available free from 20 January, audience can bask in the picturesque soundscape of Respighi’s celebrated Three Botticelli Pictures, Ravel’s fairytale Ma mère l'Oye, and Copland’s vibrant Clarinet Concerto featuring SSO’s Principal Clarinetist Ma Yue.
February
The riveting concert lineup continues into February at Victoria Concert Hall. The month’s programme is off to a majestic start with VCHpresents Organ: Daniel Moult – The English Connection on 12 February. Marking the return of the first international organist to perform with SSO since 2020, Daniel Moult, director of the highly acclaimed organ arm of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, will be performing an eclectic concert spotlighting works from English composers and arrangers including Mendelssohn, Purcell, and Handel.
In a two-day concert special for SSO’s Baroque Festival, Andrew Arthur, Associate Director and harpsichordist of the UK’s renowned period ensemble, The Hanover Band, will be conducting the orchestra for Temasek Foundation SSO Baroque Festival – Bach, the Beginning and End on 18 February, dedicated to SSO Founding Patron the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, and Temasek Foundation SSO Baroque Festival – Music from Georgian England on 19 February. The former will transport audience to the golden era of Baroque featuring masterpieces from Bach, Handel, and Corelli, while the latter will celebrate the regal music of Georgian England with pieces from Avison, Boyce, Handel, and Geminiani.
Complementing SSO’s February live concerts will be the digital release of Sounds For A Summer Evening on 10 February via SSOLOUNGE. Recorded live at the Victoria Concert Hall in December 2020, the concert features the dreamy Grassfield in the Summer, written by SSO’s Principal Flute, Jin Ta. During this online concert, audience can also enjoy Debussy’s Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp and Beethoven’s String Quintet in C major.
The Elegiac Russian
Chen Da Wei, violin / Nikolai Koval, violin / , violin ³ / Ye Lin, violin / Janice Tsai, viola / Chan Wei Shing, cello / Jamshid Saydikarimov, cello ³ / Li Xin, clarinet / Albert Tiu, piano ³ / Yao Xiao Yun, piano
Thu / 06 Jan 22 / 7.30pm
Victoria Concert Hall
From 1 Jan 2022, only fully vaccinated, recovered, medically ineligible individuals, or children aged 12 and below, will be allowed admission into the venue. Pre-Event Testing (PET) results will no longer be accepted. Refunds will not be granted to ticket-holders who do not meet these admission requirements.
Experience the heart and soul of three beautifully melancholy chamber gems from Russian/Soviet composers, played by musicians of the Singapore Symphony. The exotic strains of Khachaturian’s folk-influenced clarinet trio are framed by Rachmaninoff’s remarkable Trio élégiaque No. 1 and the music of his own mentor, Tchaikovsky – whose String Quartet No. 1 famously reduced Leo Tolstoy and even Helen Keller to tears.
FeaturingChen Da Wei, violin / Nikolai Koval, violin / , violin ³ / Ye Lin, violin / Janice Tsai, viola / Chan Wei Shing, cello / Jamshid Saydikarimov, cello ³ / Li Xin, clarinet / Albert Tiu, piano ³ / Yao Xiao Yun, piano
ProgrammeString Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11 ¹ | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Tchaikovsky) |
|---|---|
Trio in G minor for Clarinet, Violin and Piano ² | Khachaturian |
Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G minor ³ | Sergei Rachmaninoff (Rachmaninoff) |
Schumann Piano Concerto and Mozart’s Jupiter
Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Hans Graf, Chief Conductor / Herbert Schuch, piano
Fri / 14 Jan 22 / 7.30pm
Sat / 15 Jan 22 / 7.30pm
Esplanade Concert Hall
From 1 Jan 2022, only fully vaccinated, recovered, medically ineligible individuals, or children aged 12 and below, will be allowed admission into the venue. Pre-Event Testing (PET) results will no longer be accepted. Refunds will not be granted to ticket-holders who do not meet these admission requirements.
From one of his smallest-scale symphonies to his ultimate symphonic legacy, SSO Chief Conductor Hans Graf directs Mozart’s delicate 33rd Symphony and the magnificent Jupiter Symphony - written nine years apart but sharing one signature theme - a touch of the divine. The centrepiece this evening is Schumann’s Piano Concerto, a rhapsody of virtuosity in poetry – and the virtuoso making his Singapore debut: Romanian-born German pianist Herbert Schuch.
FeaturingSingapore Symphony Orchestra / Hans Graf, Chief Conductor / Herbert Schuch, piano
ProgrammeSymphony No. 33 in B-flat major, K.319 | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Mozart) |
|---|---|
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54* | Robert Schumann (Schumann) |
Symphony No. 41 in C major, K.551 “Jupiter” | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Mozart) |
A Triptych of Ravel, Respighi and Copland (Online)
Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Hans Graf, Chief Conductor / Ma Yue, clarinet
Thu / 20 Jan 22 / 8.00pm
SSOLOUNGE
A picturesque soundscape of Respighi’s celebrated Three Botticelli Pictures and Ravel’s fairy-tale Ma mère l'Oye frame the centrepiece in this programme, Copland’s colourful Clarinet Concerto, featuring SSO’s Principal Clarinetist Ma Yue and conducted by Chief Conductor Hans Graf.
FeaturingSingapore Symphony Orchestra / Hans Graf, Chief Conductor / Ma Yue, clarinet
ProgrammeTrittico Botticelliano | Ottorino Respighi (Respighi) |
|---|---|
Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra* | Aaron Copland (Copland) |
Let's be Happy* | Giora Feidman (Feidman) |
Ma mère l’Oye - Complete Ballet | Maurice Ravel (Ravel) |
Beethoven, 1806
Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Hans Graf, Chief Conductor / He Ziyu, violin
Fri / 21 Jan 22 / 7.30pm
Sat / 22 Jan 22 / 7.30pm
Esplanade Concert Hall
From 1 Jan 2022, only fully vaccinated, recovered, medically ineligible individuals, or children aged 12 and below, will be allowed admission into the venue. Pre-Event Testing (PET) results will no longer be accepted. Refunds will not be granted to ticket-holders who do not meet these admission requirements.
In the year 1806, Beethoven produced his one and only Violin Concerto and the brilliant Symphony No. 4. The former, a violin showcase of noble lyricism and the latter, a dynamic powerhouse of orchestral energy the equal of any of Beethoven’s symphonic output. The highly accomplished young Chinese violinist He Ziyu, 22, is a welcome and familiar face to Singapore audiences and to our Chief Conductor Hans Graf. Both hail from Austria, where Beethoven lived nearly all his life.
FeaturingSingapore Symphony Orchestra / Hans Graf, Chief Conductor / He Ziyu, violin
ProgrammeSymphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60 | Ludwig van Beethoven (Beethoven) |
|---|---|
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61* | Ludwig van Beethoven (Beethoven) |
Sounds for a Summer Evening (Online)
Chan Yoong-Han, violin / Zhao Tian, violin / Guan Qi, viola / Gu Bing Jie, viola / Ng Pei-Sian, cello / Jin Ta, flute / Miao Shanshan, flute / Evgueni Brokmiller, flute / Christoph Wichert, bassoon
Thu / 10 Feb 22 / 8.00pm
SSOLOUNGE
In the evenings when our thoughts turn to the end of day, the fuss and flurry of life dissolve to the sound of music. Enjoy the sound of three flutes and a bassoon as they float over the Grassfield in the Summer Nights, written by our Principal Flute Jin Ta, and be recharged by the unmistakable wit and vigour of Beethoven.
Recorded at the Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore, on 12 December 2020.
FeaturingChan Yoong-Han, violin / Zhao Tian, violin / Guan Qi, viola / Gu Bing Jie, viola / Ng Pei-Sian, cello / Jin Ta, flute / Miao Shanshan, flute / Evgueni Brokmiller, flute / Christoph Wichert, bassoon
ProgrammeGrassfield in the Summer Night for Three Flutes and Bassoon 夏夜的草坪 | Ta Jin (Jin Ta) |
|---|---|
String Quintet in C major, Op. 29 | Ludwig van Beethoven (Beethoven) |
Temasek Foundation SSO Baroque Festival – Bach, the Beginning and End
Ye Lin, violin / Xu Jueyi, violin / Manchin Zhang, viola / Jamshid Saydikarimov, cello / Jacek Mirucki, double bass / Evgueni Brokmiller, flute / Shane Thio, harpsichord
Fri / 18 Feb 22 / 7.30pm
Victoria Concert Hall
From 1 Jan 2022, only fully vaccinated, recovered, medically ineligible individuals, or children aged 12 and below, will be allowed admission into the venue. Pre-Event Testing (PET) results will no longer be accepted. Refunds will not be granted to ticket-holders who do not meet these admission requirements.
11 Feb update: Conductor Andrew Arthur is indisposed and unable to direct both the 18 and 19 Feb concerts. Shane Thio will be replacing Andrew Arthur as harpsichordist for both concerts, while conductor Joshua Tan will be conducting the concert on 19 Feb. There will be no change to the concert programmes.
“Bach is the beginning and end of all music”, it is said. Two of the most beloved works by Bach, recognisable in all their joy and richness, open and close this first day of SSO’s Baroque Festival. Intimate trio sonatas by Italian and English contemporaries Corelli and Handel join in thoughtful company. Come with us back to the time of the Baroque masters, whose influence on music will never fade.
Dedicated to the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, founding patron of the SSO.
FeaturingYe Lin, violin / Xu Jueyi, violin / Manchin Zhang, viola / Jamshid Saydikarimov, cello / Jacek Mirucki, double bass / Evgueni Brokmiller, flute / Shane Thio, harpsichord
ProgrammeConcerto in D major for Harpsichord and Strings, BWV 1054 | Johann Sebastian Bach (J.S. Bach) |
|---|---|
Trio Sonata in E minor, Op. 2, No. 4 | Arcangelo Corelli (Corelli) |
Trio Sonata in G major, Op. 5, No. 4 | Georg Frideric Handel (Handel) |
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV 1050 | Johann Sebastian Bach (J.S. Bach) |
Temasek Foundation SSO Baroque Festival – Music from Georgian England
Joshua Tan, conductor / Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Sat / 19 Feb 22 / 7.30pm
Victoria Concert Hall
From 1 Jan 2022, only fully vaccinated, recovered, medically ineligible individuals, or children aged 12 and below, will be allowed admission into the venue. Pre-Event Testing (PET) results will no longer be accepted. Refunds will not be granted to ticket-holders who do not meet these admission requirements.
11 Feb update: Conductor Andrew Arthur is indisposed and unable to direct both the 18 and 19 Feb concerts. Shane Thio will be replacing Andrew Arthur as harpsichordist for both concerts, while conductor Joshua Tan will be conducting the concert on 19 Feb. There will be no change to the concert programmes.
Oboes, bassoons, trumpets, timpani, strings and continuo – all the goodness of the Baroque orchestra come together on day two of our Baroque Festival. Join the Singapore Symphony in this evening celebrating the regal music of early Georgian England.
FeaturingJoshua Tan, conductor / Singapore Symphony Orchestra
ProgrammeConcerto Grosso in B-flat major, Op. 3, No. 2 | Georg Frideric Handel (Handel) |
|---|---|
Concerto Grosso No. 9 in C major/A minor | Charles Avison (Avison) |
Symphony No. 5 in D major | William Boyce (Boyce) |
Concerto Grosso in D minor “La Follia” (after Corelli) | Francesco Geminiani (Geminiani) |
Concerto Grosso in A major, Op. 6, No. 11 | Georg Frideric Handel (Handel) |
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.
Visit Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s website and find out more.
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ABOUT SSOLOUNGE
Launched in September 2021, the SSO’s streaming platform SSOLOUNGE allows audiences to watch live and pre-recorded masterworks of great composers, as well as premieres of classical performances from the comfort of their own screens. From reliving the best of Mozart’s concertos to revelling in the passages of lyrical grace from Romantic works, SSO fans and concertgoers can enjoy access to a repository of digital premieres and archived concerts. SSOLOUNGE comes with two subscription options: the 12M Premium All-Access Pass offers exclusive access to archived concerts, as well as 3-month unlimited access for new releases, and the Single Access Pass which allows the user to view one concert for 3 months.
Visit the SSOLOUNGE platform
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