In the blink of an eye, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra chalked up its 45th year of classical music-making in January 2024. Its lasting history is owed to the vision of founding patron, Dr Goh Keng Swee.
The late Dr Goh sought to grow Singapore’s cultural wealth and campaigned for the formation of a professional orchestra during his tenure as Deputy Prime Minister. His incredible foresight and resolve led to the eventual founding of our national symphony orchestra in 1979.
Today, the SSO upholds its role as a national cultural institution, bringing a plethora of live symphonic performances to audiences over 44 weeks a year.
The Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto 3 and Symphony 3, held on 18 and 19 January, was dedicated to Dr Goh – the fourth edition of this annual series since 2021. The concert also marked SSO’s 45th birthday, completed with a cake-cutting ceremony on stage on the second evening at the Esplanade Concert Hall.
Under the baton of Music Director Hans Graf, the SSO presented the music of Rachmaninoff, starting with South Korean pianist Jae-Hyuck Cho's invigorating delivery of the Third Concerto. The enthusiastic cheers for the soloist were rewarded with an encore of the Prelude in C major, BMV 870 from Bach’s Well-tempered Klavier. Later, the SSO proved its world-class performing chops by taking the reins of the composer’s Third Symphony, which received a seal of approval from the audiences’ rousing applause.
We would like to thank the SSO Council for initiating the annual series that honours Dr Goh.
At 45, the SSO’s storied history continues to unfold. We invite you to be part of it through our newly launched Have A Seat, comprising an exclusive selection of seats made available for adoption at the Victoria Concert Hall, Home of the SSO, and a place of such fond concert memories for so many of us. Your first date? The performance that inspired you to take up music lessons? With donations tiers from $8,000, your seat will be marked with a dedicated plaque for the next five years as a show of support towards the national orchestra.
