While the SSO Subscription Concerts are well received by music lovers, we also pride ourselves on initiatives to bring music to students and under-reached communities. As a national orchestra, it’s also important that we support emerging local ensembles to add to the diverse offerings for audiences in Singapore.
Music Education
Over the years, we have rolled out a variety of educational programmes to build a strong musical connection with the next generation of audiences.
SSO’s in-school programme Connect with Music! makes music education meaningful by providing students the opportunity to witness SSO musicians perform live on school grounds. In August, for example, the SSO Brass Quintet visited Zhonghua Primary School and performed popular pieces from movies like The Avengers and Jurassic Park. The session also introduced students to brass instruments and musical concepts.
Also making headway is our new in-school pre-concert programme, designed to prepare students prior to attending an SSO Subscription Concert. SSO musicians visit schools, such as Yishun Secondary School and Orchid Park Secondary School, and excite students through insightful conversations, music and movement activities and preview performances of pieces from the concert’s programme. The pre-concert activity offers students valuable context, enhancing their experience during the performance itself.
In addition, our new Performing Arts-Based Learning (PABL) programme takes students out of the classroom and into the concert hall. The programme, commissioned by the National Arts Council and Ministry of Education, is aligned with the 2023 Lower Secondary Music Syllabus outcomes and designed to inspire all students and not just those already interested in music. In May, the Secondary 2 cohorts of Manjusri Secondary School, St. Gabriel’s Secondary School, Beatty Secondary School, and Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School attended Expression Avenue at the Victoria Concert Hall, where a range of orchestral works and interactive activities showcased the creativity of programmatic music and its ability to transport audiences to another world.
SSO at St Luke's Hospital
SSO musicians brought musical cheer to St Luke’s Hospital in March and October. The most recent visit featured performances by SSO Section Trumpet Lau Wen Rong and SSO Section Trombone Samuel Armstrong, who treated patients and staff members to classical pieces, jazz tunes, and beloved oldies such as Singapura, oh Singapura.
Recognising the power of music to touch lives and soothe souls, we hope that the music of SSO has contributed to the healing journey of the patients at St Luke’s Hospital.
VCH Venue Support
To broaden the range of classical music offerings in Singapore, we have extended venue support and production guidance to emerging orchestras, ensembles and those showcasing young musicians to hold concerts within the Victoria Concert Hall. Recent events included the NAFA’s 85th Anniversary Celebration Concert in April and June’s Musical Mosaics by the Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra. We hope this initiative offers such music entities more opportunities to stage concerts and contribute to the growth of the symphonic music scene in Singapore.
