Singapore, 21 October 2021 (Thursday) – Following the launch of SCO25 programmes from July to November, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) will be presenting Music Tuesdays: Vibrant Strings concert. Online viewers and audience members who watch live concerts at the SCO Concert Hall will all be in for a treat!
SCO presents Music Tuesdays: Vibrant Strings
Programme curated by Sanxian Associate Principal Huang Guifang and Pipa Principal Yu Jia, Music Tuesdays: Vibrant Strings concert will be held at the SCO concert hall and livestreamed on 9 November 2021 (Tuesday), 7.30pm on SISTIC LIVE. The concert video will also be available on SISTIC, limit to 5 views, till 19 November 2021 (Tuesday), 7.30pm. Programme details can be found in Annex A.
As the ancient saying goes “Skills are to be specialized in”, this might seem archaic in light of the information explosion happening today. The five members of Vibrant Strings make the best case for this, as each of them is highly skilled in more than one instrument, allowing for a multitude of possibilities above and beyond that of the traditional plucking quintet. In this concert, the quintet showcases a spectrum of works, which includes traditional piece Fiery Phoenix, contemporary piece Tempting and energetic piece Dynamic Plucked Strings. Specially commissioned for this concert, the quintet will also premiere Composer-in-Residence Wang Chenwei’s latest work Vibrant Strings. Don’t miss this opportunity to see the quintet take “multi-talent, multi-tasking” to a whole new level!
Formed in May 2021, the Vibrant Strings was inspired by "Five Golden Flowers", a plucked string quintet created by pipa maestro Liu Dehai in the 1980s. Vibrant Strings consists of five plucked string musicians from the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), namely Huang Guifang (sanxian musician), Yu Jia (pipa musician), Xu Hui (guzheng musician), Jing Po (daruan musician) and Ma Huan (yangqin musician).
During the pandemic last year, these five musicians participated actively in SCO’s #roomformusic digital series, presenting many pieces such as the duet The Spring of Jiangnan, trio pieces Rhyme of Tanci and Home, and quintet pieces Flowing Water on Rocks and Special Times together.
Vibrant Strings’ members are all talented and versatile musicians. Huang Guifang, the most experienced musician in the quintet, is well-versed in zhongruan asides the sanxian; Yu Jia attained her Master’s in Pipa in 2021, and has since started her Master’s in Zhongruan; Xu Hui plays the guzheng and also the percussion instruments with SCO; Jing Po is proficient in the various types of ruan; Ma Huan, besides being a yangqin musician, dedicates her time on music composition.
Vibrant Strings seek to continuously innovate and break new grounds while remaining rooted to tradition. By integrating the diverse facets of their instruments and expertise in musical performance techniques, the quintet strives to infuse tradition and modernity together.
The programme brings classics, modern and popular flavours together and is presented in different forms such as duet and quintet. Vibrant Strings will be presenting Fiery Phoenix, composed by Cao Wengong; Tempting, composed Wu Sichi; Wang Zhaojun Goes Beyond the Frontier, rearranged by Liu Dehai and Dynamic Plucked Strings, composed by Wang Danhong. Yu Jia, together with Xu Hui, will be performing Three Images of Laughter, composed by Chen Qigang, rearranged by Wang Yidong. In addition, the quintet will be premiering a newly commissioned work Vibrant Strings by Composer-in-Residence Wang Chenwei. The piece is tailor-made for their technical and musical expertise. For the concert on 9 November 2021, Ma Huan will not be participating. She will be replaced by Yangqin Principal Qu Jianqing.
SCO has launched a series of ensemble performances in the coming months. SCO Executive Director Terence Ho said, “The formation of these ensembles is initiated by the musicians. Covid allowed us to explore and experiment ensemble-ship with many commissioned repertoires. In a way, SCO is responding to the country’s SMM. We hope to turn orchestra concerts into opportunities to bring Chinese instrumental music closer to the hearts of our people via the hybrid presentation.”
Catch Vibrant Strings' charming performance on 9 November 2021 (Tuesday), 7.30pm. Watch their performance at the SCO Concert Hall at $20 and $28, as well as digitally on SISTIC Live at $15.
SISTIC: https://bit.ly/sco-xyfh21
Tickets
Live concert - $20, $28
Digital concert Pass - $15
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Annex A: Music Tuesdays: Vibrant Strings Programme
Fiery Phoenix, Composed by Cao Wengong
Plucked String Quintet: Vibrant Strings
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Vibrant Strings, Composed by Wang Chenwei
Plucked String Quintet: Vibrant Strings
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Three Images of Laughter, Composed by Chen Qigang, Rearranged by Wang Yidong
Pipa: Yu Jia
Guzheng: Xu Hui
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Tempting, Composed by Wu Sichi
Plucked String Quintet: Vibrant Strings
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Wang Zhaojun Goes Beyond the Frontier, Rearranged by Liu Dehai
Plucked String Quintet: Vibrant Strings
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Dynamic Plucked Strings, Composed by Wang Danhong
Plucked String Quintet: Vibrant Strings
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About Singapore Chinese Orchestra
Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) is Singapore’s only professional Chinese orchestra. Inaugurated in 1997, the orchestra made up of more than 80 musicians took on the twin role of preserving traditional arts and culture and establishing new frontiers through the incorporation of Nanyang music elements in its repertoire. SCO has impressed a broadening audience with its blockbuster presentations and is fast establishing itself among its counterparts around the world. Known for its high performance standards and versatility, the SCO is recognized through invitations to perform at numerous prestigious events locally and internationally. In line with its vision to be a world-renowned people’s orchestra, SCO continues to inspire, educate and communicate through its music.
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