The Singapore Symphony Orchestra Presents a Mozart Triptych With the Jussen Brothers, Akiko Suwanai and Haochen Zhang
THE SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS A MOZART TRIPTYCH WITH THE JUSSEN BROTHERS, AKIKO SUWANAI AND HAOCHEN ZHANG
The phenomenally talented Dutch piano duo, Lucas and Arthur Jussen, are taking the classical music world by storm. On 22 & 23 November they’ll be joining the Singapore Symphony Orchestra to play Mozart’s famous Concerto No. 10 for two pianos, K. 365. Complementing the Mozart is Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony (No. 6) and the Asian premiere of Enescu’s Pastorale-Fantaisie – prepared for performance by the evening’s conductor, Gabriel Bebeşelea.
The Jussen Brothers received their first piano lessons in their native town of Hilversum. It became clear quickly that they were great talents. As children, they were invited to perform for the Dutch Queen Beatrix. In 2005, the brothers studied in Portugal and Brazil for nearly a year at the invitation of Portuguese master pianist Maria João Pires. Despite their young age, Lucas and Arthur have worked with orchestras such as Mariinsky Orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Dallas, Sydney and Shanghai Symphony Orchestras.
Our next Mozart concerto comes courtesy of the highly-regarded Japanese violinist Akiko Suwanai, who is not only one of the top violinists today, but also plays one of the finest violins in existence: the 1714 “Dolphin” Stradivarius previously owned by no less than the legend among violin legends, Jascha Heifetz. In a pair of concerts on 28 & 29 November she’ll be playing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in a concert conducted by Mario Venzago. Alongside, the SSO will perform Mendelssohn’s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage and Brahms’s Second Symphony.
Akiko Suwanai was the youngest-ever winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1990. Since then she has enjoyed a flourishing international career and appears regularly with celebrated conductors and top orchestras across the globe. Akiko Suwanai performs on the Stradivarius ‘Dolphin’ violin from 1714, which has been kindly loaned to her by the Nippon Music Foundation.
We round off the triple-bill on 5 December – the 228th anniversary of the composer’s death – with a performance of one of the best-loved works by the composer – the Piano Concerto No. 24. The brilliant pianist Haochen Zhang is the soloist while Thomas Dausgaard joins us to conduct the programme. The evening also includes Bruckner’s monumental Symphony No. 4, a Wagnerian masterpiece which conjures images of castles touched by the dawn, knights on the hunt and the magic of the forest.
Since his gold medal win at the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009, when he became one of the youngest-ever winners of the competition, Haochen Zhang has captivated audiences in the United States, Europe, and Asia with a unique combination of deep musical sensitivity, fearless imagination and spectacular virtuosity. In 2017 Haochen received the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, which recognizes the potential for a major career in music.
The Jussen Brothers Play Mozart
Gabriel Bebeşelea, conductor / Lucas Jussen, piano / Arthur Jussen, piano
Fri / 22 Nov 19 / 7.30pm
Sat / 23 Nov 19 / 7.30pm
Victoria Concert Hall
The talented, blonde, blue-eyed Dutch brothers, Lucas and Arthur, are a fresh byword for double-piano fare, and their presentation of the charming K.365 Mozart concerto is sure to delight. Guest conductor Gabriel Bebeşelea presents the Asian premiere of the Pastorale by his great Romanian compatriot, Enescu. Rediscovered only in 2017 and prepared for performance by Bebeselea himself, it is an intriguing partner to Beethoven’s beloved Pastoral Symphony.
FeaturingGabriel Bebeşelea, conductor / Lucas Jussen, piano / Arthur Jussen, piano
ProgrammeConcerto No. 10 for Two Pianos, K.365 | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Mozart) |
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Pastorale-Fantaisie for Small Orchestra | George Enescu (Enescu) |
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 “Pastoral” | Ludwig van Beethoven (Beethoven) |
Akiko Suwanai Plays Mozart
Mario Venzago, conductor / Akiko Suwanai, violin
Thu / 28 Nov 19 / 7.30pm
Fri / 29 Nov 19 / 7.30pm
Multiple venue
The highly regarded Japanese violinist Akiko Suwanai is not only one of the top violinists today, but also plays one of the finest violins in existence, the 1714 “Dolphin” Stradivarius previously owned by no less than the legend among violin legends, Jascha Heifetz. Hear this inimitable pairing in Mozart’s lyrical Violin Concerto No. 3, alongside Romantic classics by Mendelssohn and Brahms, directed by eminent maestro Mario Venzago.
FeaturingMario Venzago, conductor / Akiko Suwanai, violin
ProgrammeCalm Sea and Prosperous Voyage, Op. 27 | Felix Mendelssohn (Mendelssohn) |
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Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K.216 | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Mozart) |
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73 | Johannes Brahms (Brahms) |
Zhang Haochen Plays Mozart
Thomas Dausgaard, conductor / Haochen Zhang, piano
Thu / 05 Dec 19 / 7.30pm
Esplanade Concert Hall
Mozart’s 24th Piano Concerto is one of the most revered gems in the repertory, admired even by Beethoven and Brahms. Danish conductor Thomas Dausgaard leads us in this concert starring acclaimed Chinese pianist Haochen Zhang, one of the youngest winners of the prestigious Van Cliburn Competition. Bruckner’s popular Fourth Symphony paints a picture of Wagnerian Romanticism, of castles touched by the dawn, knights on the hunt and the magic of the forest.
FeaturingThomas Dausgaard, conductor / Haochen Zhang, piano
ProgrammePiano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K.491 | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Mozart) |
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Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major | Anton Bruckner (Bruckner) |
*before booking fees: $1 for tickets $20 and below, $3 for tickets $20.01 to $40, $4 for tickets above $40.
Tickets are available from: the website ticketing.sso.org.sg, SISTIC hotline: 6348 5555, SISTIC counters island-wide and, for concerts at the Esplanade Concert Hall, at Esplanade Box Office
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Singapore Symphony Group
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