FROM BAROQUE TO BORODIN

Connect directly with the legacy of J.S. Bach with German organist Stefan Kießling, who hails from the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig where Bach was Kapellmeister for the final decades of his life. The Singapore Symphony Chorus conducted by Eudenice Palaruan joins Kießling to complete this tribute to the grand master of the Baroque.

This concert is supported by the Singapore Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Eudenice Palaruan, conductor / Stefan Kießling, organ / , cello / Singapore Symphony Choruses

Presenting Partner: European Union in Singapore
Celebrating EU-ASEAN Friendship in Singapore

Witness the majestic tunes of Purcell and Handel, whose unparalleled mastery of setting the English language to music will be showcased in magnificent choral tributes to kings and queens. Swedish-French conductor Sofi Jeannin conducts the combined forces of the Singapore Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, with German organist Stefan Kießling and Philippine choral director Eudenice Palaruan. Europe and Asia together in song: My heart is inditing of a good matter; and all the people rejoiced! - Handel.

This concert is also dedicated to the late Dr. Goh Keng Swee, founding patron of the SSO, to mark his 100th birthday.

Sofi Jeannin, conductor / Stefan Kießling, organ/continuo organ / Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Singapore Symphony Choruses / Eudenice Palaruan, choral director

Rejoice greatly through the jubilant tunes of Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks and bare your hearts to the poignant strains of Purcell’s theatre music as acclaimed choral conductor Sofi Jeannin leads you through a jewel-studded tour of the English Baroque. Soprano Stefanie Quintin joins the SSO in an expressive selection of arias, including the radiant serenity of Handel’s “Ombra mai fu”.

Sofi Jeannin, conductor / Stefanie Quintin, soprano / Stefanie Quintin / Singapore Symphony Orchestra

In this first of a pair of unmissable recitals, the Borodin Quartet is joined by SSO musicians in two of the finest quintets ever written. Schubert’s sublimely crafted C major Quintet is among the composer’s final compositions, regarded not only as his greatest chamber work, but as one unparalleled in all of chamber music history. The poignant lyricism of Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet won it the Stalin Prize in 1941 - this is your chance to connect with its legacy: members of the Borodin Quartet played it with the composer himself in 1947.

Sergei Lomovsky / Igor Naidin / Vladimir Balshin / Musicians of the SSO

On their second outing, the Borodin Quartet present a spellbinding pairing of Tchaikovsky’s melodic String Quartet No. 1 with the heart-stoppingly beautiful String Quartet No. 15 by Shostakovich – his final string quartet. Steeped in history and honed to perfection, ‘the Russian Grand Masters’ make a welcome return to the Victoria Concert Hall.

Ruben Aharonian, violin / Sergei Lomovsky, violin / Igor Naidin, violin / Vladimir Balshin, cello

Canadian violinist James Ehnes, praised for his ‘honeyed tone and immaculate technique’, performs Beethoven’s vigorous Violin Sonata No. 1 together with acclaimed pianist Andrew Armstrong. Their artistry continues with a programme of virtuosic works by Ravel and Brahms, culminating with John Corigliano’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, the first of his works that brought him success as a composer.

James Ehnes, violin / Andrew Armstrong, piano / Andrew Armstrong