Celebrate the Spirit of Singapore this August with the SSO
![Celebrate the Spirit of Singapore this August with the SSO](https://web-assets.sso.org.sg/images/Events/_620xAUTO_crop_center-center_none/SSO-NATIONAL-DAY-CONCERT-2560x1440.jpg)
A new music video featuring singers RRILEY and Rangga Jones performing The Road Ahead with the SSO to celebrate youth, the arts and the excellence of tomorrow, plus an exciting live concert showcasing commissions by Singaporean composers with an accompanying free livestream – the Singapore Symphony pays homage to local creativity and the pride which music brings to Singaporeans this National Day
Singapore, 1 August 2023 — The Singapore Symphony Orchestra celebrates every National Day with a well-established annual showcase of Singaporean capability in every aspect of music. This year’s concert pays homage to local creativity with a line-up of works by Singaporean composers and will be streamed live on the SSO’s YouTube channel. To further rouse the Singapore spirit, the SSO will also release a music video featuring its musicians and affiliated youth performing artists, together with homegrown pop singers RRILEY and Rangga Jones performing a favourite national song.
Upcoming concerts by the SSO will feature Singaporean musicians, including violinist Chloe Chua, pianist Hao Jia, organists Phoon Yu and Anne Maria Lim, electronic music producer Benjamin Ang and Lorong Boys in a variety of programmes catering to many musical tastes.
August 2023
Now into its sixth instalment, the Temasek Foundation SSO National Day Concert, an annual celebration of Singapore and its musical identity, will return on 13 August at the Esplanade Concert Hall to present the world premiere of a multi-movement work by Cultural Medallion recipient Kelly Tang, as well as SSO commissions of new work by Singaporean composers Chua Jon Lin, Felix Phang, Sulwyn Lok, and Zechariah Goh. Led by Singaporean conductor Ng Tianhui, the performance will feature the SSO, Singapore Symphony Chorus, Singapore Symphony Youth Choir, Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir and members of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra. This concert will be livestreamed free on SSO’s YouTube channel. Singapore Sign Language Interpretation will be available for portions of the concert.
In addition to the National Day Concert, the SSO will also release a music video celebrating the nation’s birthday and showcasing the people, the arts and the excellence of tomorrow. This year’s National Day music video features the National Day song The Road Ahead, orchestrated by Elliot Teo, and features the SSO, affiliated youth performing artists, together with homegrown pop singers RRILEY and Rangga Jones. The music video will be released on the SSO’s YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channels on 2 August. This project is presented by the Temasek Foundation.
On 20 August, Singaporean organist Anne Maria Lim and electronic music producer Benjamin Ang of Cosmic Armchair and NUS Electronic Music Lab will come together for VCHpresents Organ: Acoustic Shock – An Organ and Electronic Music Spectacular. Witness what the power of electronic music and the pipe organ can do to charge up the concert hall as they present works by composers Larry King and special renditions of selected local songs.
September 2023
On 2 September, SSO Artist-In-Residence Chloe Chua Plays Paganini – she is set to dazzle audiences with her performance of the Violin Concerto No. 1 by Paganini, a composer famously known for impossible feats on the violin. That’s not all – in the second half of the concert, the Singapore Symphony Chorus and the Singapore Symphony Youth Choir will accompany the SSO in Debussy’s Nocturnes and Vaughan Williams’s Toward The Unknown Region, the latter a humanistic choral celebration of the spirit of adventure and discovery.
On 9 and 10 September, Concerts for Children: Little Red Riding Hood makes for the perfect September school holiday activity for the whole family. Let the SSO, under the baton of Associate Conductor Rodolfo Barráez, and the actors of Dandi Productions show you how Little Red thwarts the Big Bad Wolf to save the day with lively theatre, music and bold costumes.
This year’s President’s Young Performers Concert on 23 September will shine the spotlight on multi award-winning pianist Hao Jia as he performs Rachmaninoff’s popular Third Piano Concerto. Mendelssohn’s popular Scottish Symphony makes up the second half of this concert directed by Associate Conductor Rodolfo Barráez.
October 2023
The month is off to an insightful start with VCHpresents Organ: Unboxing the Organ with Dr Phoon Yu and the Lorong Boys on 1 October as organist Phoon Yu and acclaimed Singaporean band Lorong Boys teach you all about the true meaning of music history, Singapore style. From Bach to the Beatles, Mozart to Metallica, and Strauss to Sambal, there is bound to be something for everyone to enjoy.
On 5 October, the Heroic Tales of Richard Strauss, led by Music Director Hans Graf, will see the SSO bring to life the merry misadventures of the prankster Till Eulenspiegel and the fantastic escapades of the would-be knight, Don Quixote, with the latter featuring SSO Principal Cello/The HEAD Foundation Chair Pei-Sian Ng and Principal Viola Zhang Manchin.
The Road Ahead receives new life on the air in the Singapore Symphony’s special cover version this National Day 2023, brilliantly orchestrated by young Singaporean composer Elliot Teo, featuring youth in the arts from all walks of life. This uplifting new take on the popular NDP 2021 song originally written by Linying and Evan Low weaves the stories and aspirations of youth, celebrating the light they shine on their road ahead.
Presented by:
Video Title: SSO National Day Music Video: The Road Ahead
Date & time: Wednesday, 2 August 2023, 8pm
Platform: SSO’s YouTube, Facebook and Instagram
Artists:
RRILEY
Rangga Jones
Kong Xian Long, violin
Kong Zhao Hui, violin
Chikako Sasaki, violin
Wang Dan Dan, viola
Jamshid Saydikarimov, cello
Alexsalma Herbert, double bass (SNYO)
Ellissa Sayampanathan, choir conductor-instructor
Brandon Lum, dancer
Natasha Boon, dancer
Bryan Herbert, electric guitar
Samuel Phua, saxophone
Julia Tan, percussion
Chloe Chua, violin
Dai Ailin, violin
Programme: LINYING and EVAN LOW The Road Ahead (orch. Elliot Teo)
![Temasek Foundation SSO National Day Concert 2023](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.sso.org.sg%2Fimages%2F_620x372_crop_center-center_none%2FSSO-NATIONAL-DAY-CONCERT-2560x1440.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
Temasek Foundation SSO National Day Concert 2023
Ng Tianhui, conductor / Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Singapore Symphony Chorus / Singapore Symphony Youth Choir / Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir / Eudenice Palaruan, Choral Director / Wong Lai Foon, Choirmaster / Members of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra / Lily Goh, Deaf Artist-Performer / Adora Sarah, Host
Sun / 13 Aug 23 / 4.00pm
Esplanade Concert Hall
Now in its sixth year, the SSO National Day Concert is the Singapore Symphony’s well-established annual showcase of Singaporean capability in every aspect of music. Join us to witness the world premieres of new music by Singaporean composers commissioned by the SSO, and hear us revive musical treasures from the repertory of Singapore’s pioneer composers.
The concert will be streamed live on the Singapore Symphony YouTube Channel.
Special fundraising seats have been set aside to support Shared Services for Charities (SSC) and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. These seats are available for a donation of $500. 50% of the funds raised will support SSC programmes to help charities improve their governance. The remaining 50% will support the national orchestra in enriching our diverse communities via music. Donations will qualify for a 2.5 times tax deduction for Singapore tax residents.
To adopt these seats, please visit the giving.sg campaign page or email contact@sscharities.com. Donors can opt to attend the concert or donate the tickets to a children's charity. For more information on the SSC, please visit www.sscharities.com.
FeaturingNg Tianhui, conductor / Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Singapore Symphony Chorus / Singapore Symphony Youth Choir / Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir / Eudenice Palaruan, Choral Director / Wong Lai Foon, Choirmaster / Members of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra / Lily Goh, Deaf Artist-Performer / Adora Sarah, Host
ProgrammeMass Rapid City | Sulwyn Lok |
---|---|
Day In The Lion City | Kelly Tang |
Pasat Merdu | Felix Phang |
Where That River Always Flows | Jon Lin Chua (Chua Jon Lin) |
Singaporean Folk Medley | Zechariah Goh |
The Road Ahead | Evan Low |
$48, $38, $28, $15
![Acoustic Shock – An Organ and Electronic Music Spectacular](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.sso.org.sg%2Fimages%2F_620x372_crop_center-center_none%2FOrgan-Acoustic-Shock-KV.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
Acoustic Shock – An Organ and Electronic Music Spectacular
Anne Maria Lim, organ / Benjamin Ang, electronic music producer
Sun / 20 Aug 23 / 4.00pm
Victoria Concert Hall
The organ and electronics share a rich history that has galvanised generations of music-makers. Prepared to be jolted from your seat as young Singaporean organist talent Anne Maria Lim is joined by electronic music master Benjamin Ang of Cosmic Armchair and NUS Electronic Music Lab fame. Witness for yourself what the power of electronic music and the pipe organ can do to charge up the concert hall!
FeaturingAnne Maria Lim, organ / Benjamin Ang, electronic music producer
ProgrammeFanfares to the Tongues of Fire | Larry King |
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Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring | Johann Sebastian Bach (J.S. Bach) |
We are Singapore | Hugh Harrison |
Home | Dick Lee |
Count on Me, Singapore | Hugh Harrison |
Clair de Lune | Louis Vierne |
Medley of Oxygene (Part IV)/Musique Non Stop | Jean-Michel Jarre |
$5
![Chloe Chua Plays Paganini](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.sso.org.sg%2Fimages%2F_620x372_crop_center-center_none%2FChloe-Chua-Plays-Paganini-2560x1440.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
Chloe Chua Plays Paganini
Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Singapore Symphony Chorus / Singapore Symphony Youth Choir / Mario Venzago, conductor / Eudenice Palaruan, Choral Director / Wong Lai Foon, Choirmaster / Chloe Chua, violin/Artist-In-Residence
Sat / 02 Sep 23 / 7.30pm
Esplanade Concert Hall
Paganini is a name associated with impossible feats on the violin, and what better way to show they are possible than in the hands of the very best such as Singapore’s brightest violin star, Chloe Chua? Esteemed Swiss maestro Mario Venzago leads this myriad display of instrumental and choral skill, the latter with the Singapore Symphony Chorus and Youth Choir as the magical sirènes in Debussy’s Nocturnes and explorers in Vaughan Williams’s paean vocalising Walt Whitman’s transcendent poetry.
FeaturingSingapore Symphony Orchestra / Singapore Symphony Chorus / Singapore Symphony Youth Choir / Mario Venzago, conductor / Eudenice Palaruan, Choral Director / Wong Lai Foon, Choirmaster / Chloe Chua, violin/Artist-In-Residence
ProgrammeOverture to Il viaggio a Reims | Gioachino Rossini (Rossini) |
---|---|
Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 6* | Niccolò Paganini (Paganini) |
Nocturnes | Claude Debussy (Debussy) |
Toward the Unknown Region | Ralph Vaughan Williams (Vaughan Williams) |
$88, $68, $48, $38, $28, $15
![Little Red Riding Hood](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.sso.org.sg%2Fimages%2F_620x372_crop_center-center_none%2FCFC-Red-Riding-hood-2560x1440.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
Little Red Riding Hood
Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Rodolfo Barráez, Associate Conductor / Dandi Productions
Sat / 09 Sep 23 / 11.00am
Sat / 09 Sep 23 / 2.00pm
Sun / 10 Sep 23 / 11.00am
Sun / 10 Sep 23 / 2.00pm
Victoria Concert Hall
This September school holidays, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra presents the classic fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood – except this time, Roald Dahl’s feisty Little Red is no pushover! Watch as the SSO and actors of Dandi Productions use clever lighting, music, bold costumes and lively theatre to show you how Little Red thwarts the Big Bad Wolf to save the day.
Features actors in costume performing with the orchestra. Recommended for ages 4 and above. No admission for infants-in-arms. No admission without a ticket.
FeaturingSingapore Symphony Orchestra / Rodolfo Barráez, Associate Conductor / Dandi Productions
ProgrammeEntry of the Gladiators | Julius Fučík (Fučík) |
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Roald Dahl's Little Red Riding Hood | Paul Patterson |
Toreador Song from Carmen | Georges Bizet (Bizet) |
$35, $25
![President’s Young Performers Concert](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.sso.org.sg%2Fimages%2F_620x372_crop_center-center_none%2FPresidents-Young-Performers-Concert-2560x1440.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
President’s Young Performers Concert
Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Rodolfo Barráez, Associate Conductor / Hao Jia, piano
Sat / 23 Sep 23 / 7.30pm
Victoria Concert Hall
Scintillating with Romantic grandeur, Rachmaninoff’s popular Third Piano Concerto makes a sweeping display of pianistic virtuosity. First Prize (Senior Piano) winner of the National Piano and Violin Competition 2019 and Steinway Youth Piano Competition 2016, 22-year-old Hao Jia is the Singapore Symphony’s 2023 President’s Young Performer who takes the stage again with this imposing masterpiece. Mendelssohn’s popular Scottish Symphony makes up the second half of this concert directed by SSO Associate Conductor Rodolfo Barráez.
FeaturingSingapore Symphony Orchestra / Rodolfo Barráez, Associate Conductor / Hao Jia, piano
ProgrammePiano Concerto No. 3 in D minor. Op. 30* | Sergei Rachmaninoff (Rachmaninoff) |
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Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56 “Scottish” | Felix Mendelssohn (Mendelssohn) |
$48, $38, $28, $15
![Unboxing the Organ with Dr Phoon Yu and the Lorong Boys](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.sso.org.sg%2Fimages%2F_620x372_crop_center-center_none%2F2560X1440-Organ-Unboxing-the-Organ-with-Dr-Pho..-psd.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
Unboxing the Organ with Dr Phoon Yu and the Lorong Boys
Phoon Yu, organ / Lorong Boys
Sun / 01 Oct 23 / 4.00pm
Victoria Concert Hall
Term has started and class is now in session! Sit down at your desks and be treated to a lecture by organist Phoon Yu and acclaimed Singaporean band Lorong Boys as they teach you all about the true meaning of music history, Singaporean style. From Bach to the Beatles, Strauss to friendly swans (!!), and even buying an organ off Taobao, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. Just remember to take notes for your mugging session later.
FeaturingPhoon Yu, organ / Lorong Boys
ProgrammeJesu, Joy of Man's Desiring | Johann Sebastian Bach (J.S. Bach) |
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"Puer Natus in Bethlehem" | Anonymous |
Thus Rocked Zarathustra | Richard Strauss (R. Strauss) |
Clair de Lune | Claude Debussy (Debussy) |
The Other Swan | Camille Saint-Saëns (Saint-Saëns) |
Eleanor Rigby | The Beatles |
While My Guitar Gently Weeps | The Beatles |
Shape of Paganini | Niccolò Paganini (Paganini) |
Montagues and Capulets from Romeo and Juliet | Sergei Prokofiev (Prokofiev) |
Passacaglia from Harpsichord Suite No. 7 in G minor, HWV 432/6 | Georg Frideric Handel (Handel) |
$5
![Heroic Tales of Richard Strauss](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.sso.org.sg%2Fimages%2F_620x372_crop_center-center_none%2FHeroic-Tales-2560x1440-UPDATED.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
Heroic Tales of Richard Strauss
Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Hans Graf, Music Director / Ng Pei-Sian, cello / Manchin Zhang, viola
Thu / 05 Oct 23 / 7.30pm
Esplanade Concert Hall
The full power of the modern orchestra was unleashed when German composer Richard Strauss revealed a range of instrumental colours and heroic bravura that the concert hall had never experienced before. Witness it for yourself as the Singapore Symphony Orchestra brings to life the merry misadventures of the prankster Till Eulenspiegel and the fantastic escapades of the would-be knight, Don Quixote, featuring SSO Principal Cello Ng Pei-Sian and Principal Viola Manchin Zhang.
FeaturingSingapore Symphony Orchestra / Hans Graf, Music Director / Ng Pei-Sian, cello / Manchin Zhang, viola
ProgrammeSerenade in E-flat major, Op. 7 | Richard Strauss (R. Strauss) |
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Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Op. 28 | Richard Strauss (R. Strauss) |
Don Quixote, Op. 35* | Richard Strauss (R. Strauss) |
$88, $68, $48, $38, $28, $15
ABOUT THE SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Founded in 1979, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is Singapore’s flagship orchestra, touching lives through classical music and providing the heartbeat of the cultural scene. In addition to its subscription series concerts, the SSO is also known for its outdoor and community appearances. The orchestra also presents intimate chamber performances in the SSO Chamber Series and SSO Organ Series, the annual Singapore International Piano Festival (SIPF) and the biennial National Piano and Violin Competition (NPVC) at the Victoria Concert Hall, Home of the SSO. The SSO is part of the Singapore Symphony Group, which also manages the Singapore Symphony Choruses, and the Singapore National Youth Orchestra. The Group’s vision is to be a leading arts organization that engages, inspires and reflects Singapore through musical excellence. Our mission is to create memorable shared experiences with music. Through the SSO and its affiliated performing groups, we spread the love for music, nurture talent and enrich our diverse communities.
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra was nominated and clinched third place in the prestigious Gramophone Orchestra of the Year Award 2021. In 2022, BBC Music Magazine named the SSO as one of the 21 best orchestras in the world.
Visit Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s website and find out more.
Follow Singapore Symphony’s Orchestra Facebook page, Instagram
and YouTube page
ABOUT VCHPRESENTS
The VCHpresents series by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a showcase of the finest musicians from around the world: master instrumentalists and acclaimed ensembles in diverse programmes both traditional and unexpected. The series is presented at the Victoria Concert Hall in various formats: Chamber, featuring world-class artistes and familiar faces from the Singapore Symphony in the intimate setting of chamber music; Intimate Moments, which offers a harmonious concert to listen and converse with a select musician of the Singapore Symphony family; and Organ, featuring the VCH Klais Organ as it brings organists from around the world to perform a magnificent range of music, from traditional organ soliloquys to transcriptions of orchestral showpieces, contemporary compositions and collaborations with other instruments, plus family programmes tailored to introduce classical music to the young ones.
Follow VCHpresents Facebook page and Instagram
ABOUT THE SINGAPORE NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA
Formally established in 1980, the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) has welcomed generations of youths to the life-changing experience of playing orchestra music, performing locally as well as representing Singapore at prestigious concert halls and music festivals overseas. Over the years, the SNYO has performed in concert venues and music festivals across Australia, Austria, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. Today, the orchestra consists of 180 youths aged 10 to 21, from more than 60 schools across Singapore. The SNYO family consists of a main orchestra and a junior orchestra, where they are guided by professional musicians in rehearsals, sectionals and masterclasses. Their programme is accessible to talented youth musicians with selected individual lesson subsidy and travel grants for tours as well as participation in exchange programmes. The SNYO is recognised by the Ministry of Education as a National Project of Excellence, and part of the Singapore Symphony Group.
Find out more about Singapore National Youth Orchestra.
ABOUT THE SINGAPORE SYMPHONY CHORUSES
The Singapore Symphony Choruses is a premier choral body comprising the Singapore Symphony Chorus, Singapore Symphony Youth Choir and Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir.
Since 1980, the Choruses have seen membership from diverse ages, backgrounds and nationalities. Regularly sharing the stage with the SSO, the Choruses record and tour with the orchestra, as well as give their own performances in Singapore and abroad. Through holistic training that nurtures artistic growth and personal development, the Choruses aim to articulate an ecosystem of choral excellence. Repertoire for the respective choruses straddle musical worlds and styles, ranging from orchestral masterpieces to a cappella favourites, and spanning the Renaissance to contemporary 21-st century music. Throughout the pandemic, the Choruses challenged the boundaries of remote collaboration in music making, releasing several productions including a music video "We Will Get There", as well as a one-of-its-kind joint choral performance "Longing", entirely enabled by technology.
Find out more about Singapore Symphony Choruses
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