31st Singapore International Piano Festival announces its lineup, SSO returns from tour for an exciting March

Winning fervent public and critical acclaim since her prize-winning performances at the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, Singapore-born New York-based pianist Kate Liu has made an indelible mark on every audience she plays for. Witness the much-lauded poetic fluidity of her piano artistry as she opens the 2025 Singapore International Piano Festival with music by Mozart, Brahms and Chopin.

Kate Liu, piano

$88, $68, $48, $38, $28

Described as a “very fine pianist .... with an immaculate sense of style and perfect musical timing" by Gramophone, the multi-award-winning pianist Kyoko Hashimoto presents this fascinating programme traversing two centuries of mesmerising piano flair. Beginning with evocative preludes by three French masters, Hashimoto moves on to the celestial meditations of Takemitsu, Boulez’s twelve 12-bar Notations, ending with the melancholy and solemn heartbreak of Szymanowski and Scriabin.

Kyoko Hashimoto, piano

$88, $68, $48, $38, $28

The Singapore International Piano Festival masterclasses offer the public an opportunity to observe and learn from the world’s top pianists.

Kyoko Hashimoto was born in Tokyo and studied at the Toho-Gakuen School of Music, the International Menuhin Music Academy, Indiana University, and the Juilliard School. An award-winning pianist, she has performed worldwide in more than 35 countries, doing solo recitals and concertos with distinguished orchestras with other top musicians.

She is a Professor of Piano at McGill University in Canada and a guest professor at many major piano institutions around the world. She has been the Director of Europe's International Music Workshop and Festival (IMWAF) since 2004. 

Kyoko Hashimoto, piano

$20

Robert Levin has performed throughout the world, appearing with the various famous orchestras of Atlanta, the BBC, Berlin, and more. Renowned for his improvised cadenzas in Classical period repertoire, Robert Levin has made recordings of a wide range of repertoire. An advocate of new music, Robert Levin has commissioned and premiered numerous works.

A noted Mozart scholar, Mr. Levin’s completions of Mozart’s unfinished works have been recorded and performed throughout the world. He is presently Visiting Professor at The Juilliard School and the Sibelius Academy, and International Chair at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

Robert Levin, piano / Lim Yan, host

$20

The distinguished English pianist Paul Lewis returns in this solo recital at the Singapore International Piano Festival. Famed for his interpretations of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas, Lewis performs Nos. 5 and 32, two masterpieces separated by some 25 years, both brimming with the sublime and astonishing genius of the composer. Brahms's wistful Op. 117 Intermezzi takes its turn beside the Piano Sonata by notable Austrian composer Thomas Larcher, whose music Lewis champions across the world.

Paul Lewis, piano

$88, $68, $48, $38, $28

The Singapore International Piano Festival masterclasses offer the public an opportunity to observe and learn from the world’s top pianists.

Paul Lewis is one of the foremost interpreters of the Central European piano repertoire, his performances and recordings of Beethoven and Schubert receiving universal critical acclaim and awards. This popularity is reflected in the world-class orchestras with whom he works, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, and more.

Lewis showcases his natural affinity for Beethoven as the first pianist to play the complete concerto cycle in a single season at the BBC Proms in 2010. Beyond his award-winning Beethoven recordings, his discography with Harmonia Mundi also demonstrates his characteristic depth of approach in Romantic repertoire.

Paul Lewis, piano

$20

Celebrated for his lifelong dedication to Mozart’s music, American pianist Robert Levin presents a unique all-Mozart programme true to his improvisatory wit and wisdom – with a difference: you get to be involved.

Experience a piano recital that a late 18th-century audience would have expected, in which a series of larger pieces are connected meaningfully through modulating preludes. To up the game, you will be invited during the intermission to submit themes on the spot, with which Levin will improvise upon as part of this musical narrative. Make Mozart and Nannerl proud!

Robert Levin, piano

$88, $68, $48, $38, $28

The viola takes centrestage in this chamber programme starring Diyang Mei, Principal Viola of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Join him and musicians of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in three pieces from Baroque to the Romantic periods shining the spotlight on the viola.

Diyang Mei, viola / Musicians of the SSO

$40, $30, $20

Lyadov's magical trio of tone poems from Slavic legends joins the glitz and nostalgia of Gershwin's beloved Broadway classic, Porgy and Bess, in this attractive programme. Conducted for the first time by Singapore Symphony Orchestra Quantedge Music Director Hans Graf, watch the Singapore National Youth Orchestra demonstrate the full colours of the orchestral palette before presenting Sibelius's magnificent Second Symphony.

Singapore National Youth Orchestra / Hans Graf, SSO Quantedge Music Director

$30, $25, $20, $15

If you’ve ever wanted to experience the sound of a symphony orchestra bringing classical music to life, join us for this free one-hour concert at the stately Victoria Concert Hall, conducted by the Singapore Symphony’s Associate Conductor Rodolfo Barráez.

Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Please collect a ticket at the ground floor atrium before proceeding to the Concert Hall.
• Tickets will be available from 11.45am. We recommend collecting before 12 noon. We regret that tickets cannot be collected on behalf of persons not present.
• Doors open half an hour before the concert. This concert will last approximately 60 minutes.

Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Rodolfo Barráez, Associate Conductor

Free admission

Residents of Ang Mo Kio, Marymount and Bishan, we’re coming to your neighbourhood to present an evening of great music. Come see your national orchestra, the Singapore Symphony, in action with our Associate Conductor Rodolfo Barráez in this free-and-easy introduction to classical music!

Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Audiences will only be allowed to enter the school premises from 6pm via the Main gate (also known as West gate, where the security post is located, along Sin Ming Place), and the East gate (Side school gate linked to Marymount Rd).
• For those who drive, please use designated public parking areas like HDB car parks. Parking within the school compound is not allowed. For more information on how to get there, please visit this link for details.

For more details regarding admission, please refer to the admission advice below.

Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Rodolfo Barráez, Associate Conductor

Free admission

Come experience an evening of easy-listening classical music set to the evening air and sun at The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay. A perfect occasion for families, couples, pets and a picnic basket!

Free pre-show activities, featuring our ever-popular Instrument Petting Zoo, will be held from 4pm to 5pm.

First 100 to turn up at the SSO tentage will receive an SSO merchandise. Giveaway will begin at 5.30pm.

For more details on getting here and barrier-free routes for wheelchair users, click here.

This concert may be delayed or cancelled in the event of inclement weather. Please check our Facebook and Instagram pages for updates.

Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Rodolfo Barráez, Associate Conductor

Free admission

Peter, the Wolf and Friends is an anthology of three musical tales told through the animateurs and vaudeville-inspired storytellers of Really Inventive Stuff, accompanied by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Introduce your kids to classical music with the jingles and whistles of the Toy Symphony, Aesop’s timeless tale of The Tortoise and the Hare, as well as Really Inventive Stuff’s signature production of Peter and the Wolf.

Recommended for ages 4 and above. No admission for infants-in-arms. No admission without a ticket. Pre-concert activities will begin an hour before each show.

Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Really Inventive Stuff / Rodolfo Barráez, Associate Conductor

$35, $25 (Family package available)

In typically modest fashion, Brahms described his Piano Concerto No. 2 as “a very small piano concerto with a very small and pretty scherzo.” Right. Meanwhile, with the threat of deadly censure from the Stalinist authorities hanging over his head, Shostakovich outwardly called his Fifth Symphony “a Soviet artist’s reply to just criticism.” The truth of these two masterpieces is monumentally evident otherwise – witness them in the expert hands of critically acclaimed German pianist Gerhard Oppitz and trail-blazing Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong.

Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Kahchun Wong, conductor / Gerhard Oppitz, piano

$100, $75, $55, $40, $30, $15

Hailed as “an absolute organ prodigy” by National Public Radio of the USA and “one of the most talented organists in the world” by the Chicago Tribune, concert organist Adam J. Brakel is a preeminent artist “with the technique and virtuosity that most concert pianists could only dream of.” (NPR). Adam’s celebrated performances span the globe—from coast to coast in the United States to across Europe and Asia.

Masterclass on 28 March. Registration managed by Singapore AGO.

Adam Brakel, organ

$10

Experience the joy of symphonic choral music with the Singapore Symphony Chorus (SSC) and Youth Choir (SSYC)!

Led by Choral Director Eudenice Palaruan and Assistant Choral Conductor Ellissa Sayampanathan, indulge in an enriching and memorable day at the Victoria Concert Hall alongside choristers from the Singapore Symphony Chorus and Youth Choir, performing from the current season's choral masterpieces by Handel, Vivaldi, and Bach.

Don't miss this exciting and unique opportunity to immerse yourself together with like-minded choristers in this collaborative and joyful session. Join us and be part of this unforgettable musical journey – reserve your spot now!

Please note that the classical repertoire may include liturgical works.

What to Expect

• A full day of workshops and rehearsals, covering choral masterpieces
• Classical Choral training, performance tips and vocal techniques

Fees

• Early Bird Price: $100 (For the first 10 signups!)
• Regular Price: $109

When and Where

• Date: 30 March 2025
• Time: 12 - 6pm
• Location: Victoria Concert Hall

Perks

• Conclude your participation in The Choral Encounter by singing in an evening presentation concert in the Victoria Concert Hall. Friends and Families welcome to watch!
• Ticket discounts to selected concerts in 2025
• Exclusive merchandise and CD recordings by the Singapore Symphony Group

Featuring

• Eudenice Palaruan, Choral Director
• Ellissa Sayampanathan, Assistant Choral Conductor
• Choristers of the SSC and SSYC

Registration Requirements

Participants must be 18 years of age to join.

Registration Closing Date

19 March 2025

Fees from $100

Elgar’s celebrated Enigma Variations are fourteen musical portraits of friends, musical peers, his wife, and of himself; and the source of the divine Nimrod, the noblest, most English of English tunes. Hear this remarkable piece conducted by Kahchun Wong, Principal Conductor/Artistic Advisor of the UK’s Hallé Orchestra and Chief Conductor of the Japan Philharmonic. Japan’s prominent violinist Akiko Suwanai joins us in this programme with Dvořák’s folk-inspired Violin Concerto.

Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Kahchun Wong, conductor / Akiko Suwanai, violin

$100, $75, $55, $40, $30, $15