Generous donors and sponsors of the SSO were recently feted at the National Arts Council (NAC) Patron of the Arts Awards ceremony.
The annual awards recognise organisations and individuals who have contributed significantly towards the development of the arts in Singapore. (According to a 2016 NAC poll, only 2% of donors in Singapore had given to the arts — making arts patrons a relatively rare breed.)
Amongst those receiving the highest honours this year were three Singapore Symphony Orchestra Ladies’ League members: Mrs Rosy Ho, Ms Kris Tan, and Ms Paige Parker were each awarded the Distinguished Patron of the Arts (Individual). Donors in this category had given at least $100,000 to support the arts sector in the past year.
Mrs Rosy Ho is currently the longest-serving member of the Ladies’ League, the committee whose members help raise funds for the SSO in particular through an annual Benefit gala dinner.
With her spouse Mr Christopher Ho, the couple is known for their arts philanthropy in the community. For the past years, the couple have been the Principal Champion for the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir, which trains close to 200 choristers from ages nine to 18, providing them with opportunities to perform with the SSO.
Many people donate towards hospitals and schools and don’t view cultural activities as a priority…. Singapore is a beautiful city as it is. With its own symphony orchestra, with culture, it is even more beautiful.
Ms Kris Tan has always loved music, and in 2011 took the bold step to set up Kris Foundation — to provide young musicians the resources and space to develop their skills and expand their knowledge.
I think Singapore needs to have a lot more of our own music composition; pieces that can be recognisable as Singaporean…. I want to be a part of the creation of the Singapore sound
Despite her busy schedule organising concerts for upcoming young musicians, Ms Tan also devotes her time to the SSO Ladies’ League, to fundraise for the orchestra and its affiliated performing groups.
For her, the motivation for giving to the arts is clear: “Individuals like us need to plant the seeds and keep the good work going.”
A published author and avid supporter of the arts and other social causes, Ms Paige Parker moved from the USA to Singapore with her family over a decade ago and wasted no time in reaching out to the arts sector.
She is a board member, patron and fundraiser for several arts groups. In addition to being a part of the SSO Ladies’ League, she also supports the Singapore Committee for UN Women, the National Gallery of Singapore, and the Singapore Dance Theatre.
Studies show that being involved in the arts — performing, literary and visual — leads children to become smarter and happier, improving their cognitive and communicative skills and increasing their creativity. This applies across the board on every socio-economic level.
Our heartfelt thanks go out to the three special ladies, and to all SSO patrons who give their financial support, resources, skills and time to the national orchestra.
List of SSO Supporters Honoured at the NAC Patron of the Arts Awards 2019:
DISTINGUISHED PATRON OF THE ARTS (CORPORATES)
- Temasek Foundation United
- Overseas Bank Limited
DISTINGUISHED PATRON OF THE ARTS (INDIVIDUALS)
- Christopher & Rosy Ho
- Kris Tan Lay Peng
- Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin
- Paige Parker & Jim Rogers
PATRON OF THE ARTS (CORPORATES)
- BinjaiTree
- Conrad Centennial Singapore
- DBS Bank Limited
- Far East Organization
- Hong Leong Foundation
- Keppel Corporation
- Lee Foundation
- Singapore Press Holdings Limited
- Stephen Riady Group of Foundations
PATRON OF THE ARTS (INDIVIDUALS)
- Clarinda & Christopher Martin
- Irene Tedja
FRIEND OF THE ARTS (CORPORATES)
- Butterfield Trust
- G K Goh Holdings Limited
- JCCI Singapore Foundation Limited
- John Swire & Sons (S.E.Asia) Pte Ltd
- Santa Lucia Asset Management Pte Ltd
- Singapore Airlines Limited
FRIEND OF THE ARTS (INDIVIDUALS)
- Amy & Kevin Gould
- André Klein
- Andreas & Doris Sohmen-Pao
- Arthur & Khim Lee
- Beh Swan Gin & Maisy Koh
- Cham Tao Soon
- Chan Heng Chee
- Chandra Mohan Rethnam
- Chng Hak-Peng
- Christine Ong
- David Zemans & Catherine Poyen
- Geh Min
- Geoffrey & Ai Ai Wong
- Gralf Sieghold
- Judy Hunt
- Julie Lo & Eugene Lai
- Kaikhushru Shiavax Nargolwala
- Lee Theng Kiat
- Leong Wai Leng
- Liew Wei Li
- Lim Mei
- Lin Diaan-Yi
- Lito & Kim Camacho
- Neil Andrew Tottman
- Odile & Douglas Benjamin
- Peter C. Y. Wong
- Sanjiv & Devika Misra
- Thomas Zuellig
- Yong Ying-I
For more information on the Patron of the Arts Awards, click here