Singapore, 1 August 2022 (Monday) – Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s ensemble performs in Germany with Nuremburg Symphony Orchestra (NSO) as part of “Klassik Open Air” Series. Conducted by Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition first prize winner and renowned Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong, the SCO ensemble’s performance will take place on 6 August 2022 (Saturday), 8pm local time at the Luitpoldhain, Nürnberg, Germany. The performance will also be livestreamed online and on the Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR, Bavarian Radio).
This annual, two-day Klassik Open Air concert will be performed by two symphony orchestras - the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra and the Nuremberg State Philharmonic Orchestra. More than 30,000 spectators are expected to gather in groups to enjoy the grand scene of music leisurely, with their family and friends while having a picnic.
The SCO ensemble consists of five talented musicians, including: Boo Chong Wei Benjamin (Percussion), Lee Jun Cheng (Dizi), Ma Huan (Yangqin), Tan Manman (Huqin), and Zhang Yin (Pipa). The quintet will be showcasing charms of the Chinese orchestral instruments, bringing the unique SCO music and east-meets-west cross-cultural programme to the European audience. The programme brings classics, modern and popular flavours together and is presented in different forms such as solo, duet and quintet. More details available below:
Date: 6 August 2022 (Saturday)
Time: 8pm (local time)
Venue: Luitpoldhain, Nürnberg, Germany + Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR, Bavarian Radio)
Nürnberger Klassik Open Air (Nuremberg Classic Open Air)
Orchestra: Nürnberger Symphoniker (Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra)
Conductor: Kahchun Wong
Singapore Chinese Orchestra Ensemble: Boo Chong Wei Benjamin (Percussion), Lee Jun Cheng (Dizi),
Ma Huan (Yangqin), Tan Manman (Erhu), Zhang Yin (Pipa)
Bilder einer Ausstellung (Pictures at an Exhibition), Sinfonia concertante for Chinese instruments and Chinese orchestra
Modest Mussorgsky, orchestration by Kahchun Wong
Solo: Singapore Chinese Orchestra Ensemble
Livestream link: https://www.br-klassik.de/concert/ausstrahlung-2947560.html
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Furthermore, as part of National Day Celebration, Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s ensemble will be also performing at Singapore Embassy in Berlin, Germany on 8 August 2022. The SCO Ensemble will perform to distinguished guests of the Singapore Embassy, and invited Singaporeans residing in Germany, bringing proudly Singapore music to the audience in celebration of the nation’s 57th birthday.
SCO’s Germany Tour is supported by Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and the National Arts Council.
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SCO presents Kahchun Wong and SCO
The collaboration with renowned Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong continues, back in Singapore! He will be conducting the full-strength Singapore Chinese Orchestra, made up of more than 80 musicians on 20 August 2022 (Saturday), 7.30pm at the SCO Concert Hall, Singapore Conference Hall.
The world premiere of Pictures in an Exhibition, sinfonia concertante for Chinese instruments and Chinese orchestra, orchestrated by Kahchun Wong, will be the highlight of the evening’s concert.
SCO is also collaborating with pedagogical mentors who are working with children to reimagine and create 16 artwork pieces, in accompany to the pictures that inspired Mussorgsky’s original piano solo work Pictures of an Exhibition. Take a peek into the fascinating world of young children through these artworks displayed at the Singapore Conference Hall Concourse area (level 1) before watching the concert.
Kahchun Wong and SCO is proudly presented by Temasek Foundation, and is supported by Ministry of Culture, Community and Youths, National Arts Council, and Tote Board.
Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition first prize winner and renowned Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong takes centre stage! Seize the opportunity to catch one of the most sought-after conductors of his generation dazzle audience with his baton, as Zhonghu Associate Principal Wu Kefei and the five soloists present “Fire Ritual” composed by Tan Dun and the world premiere of “Pictures at an Exhibition”, an original piano masterpiece composed by Modest Mussorgsky and orchestrated by Kahchun Wong into a Sinfonia concertante for Chinese instruments and Chinese orchestra. This August, be mesmerised by the Chief Conductor of both the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra as he plunges into the wondrous world of Chinese orchestral music!
Kahchun Wong and SCO programme
Fire Ritual | Composed by Tan Dun
Huqin: Wu Kefei
Pictures at an Exhibition | Composed by Modest Mussorgsky, orchestrated by Kahchun Wong
Soloists: Benjamin Boo (Percussion), Lee Jun Cheng (Dizi), Ma Huan (Yangqin), Tan Manman (Huqin), Zhang Yin (Pipa)
Approximate concert duration: 1 hour 15 minutes, no intermission
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Appendix: Kahchun Wong and SCO Programme Notes:
Fire Ritual Composed by Tan Dun
The composer rearranged this piece from the original music he composed for the movie “Nanjing 1937” in 1995. This Chinese bowed string instrument concerto revives the sad tunes from Chinese history. Fire Ritual incorporates China’s traditional ritual music and palace music, using the concept of “orchestra theatre.” The soloist uses zhonghu, erhu and gaohu to play the melody of the two main themes. The orchestra divides into two sections, one playing on stage and the other in the audience seats. The ancient traditional ritual music is re-enacted using the orchestra, percussion and human voices echoing each other, creating spectacular antiphonal effect. It is as if every instrument is given a soul. The remembrance of the national tragedy and mourning for those who lost their lives during the war is sincerely expressed. It depicts the rich and meaningful expression of this piece and spreads the desire for world peace, which is visibly moving.
Tan Dun is a renowned Chinese composer and conductor. His works are widely performed by symphony orchestras, opera troupes, art festivals, radio stations and TV all over the world; his influence on the word music scene is undeniable. His music compositions crossed classical and modern, eastern and western, multimedia and performing arts. He has also won numerous major international music awards.
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Pictures at an Exhibition
Composed by Modest Mussorgsky, orchestration by Kahchun Wong
Pictures at an Exhibition is perhaps Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky’s most famous work. Inspired by the pictures of his recently deceased friend Viktor Hartmann, Mussorgsky translated his impressions evoked by them into the language of his own art of music. The result was a series of ten pieces for solo piano, each named after the picture by which it was inspired. Completed in 1874, these ten pieces are separated by a total of five interludes titled Promenade, which serve to represent Mussorgsky himself walking through the grand halls of the exhibition.
In No. I “Gnomus” (The Gnome), the irregular lurching tempo mimics a grotesque nutcracker; and its stumbling, halting, wavering movements with distorted limbs.
In No. II “Il vecchio Castello” (The Old Castle), there is an envelope of medieval romance, with a troubadour lilting away in a castle in Italy.
No. III “Tuileries Garden” is a depiction of a Parisian park, with children and their nannies crowding the Tuilleries gardens, and the surrounding alleys resounding with the shrill voices of their playmates.
No. IV “Bydlo” (Oxen), tells of a lumbering Polish oxcart with huge wheels, being dragged by sluggish, plodding oxen thundering upon the sodden ground with their heavy hooves.
No. V “Ballet of Unhatched Chicks” is a scene from the ballet Trilby, where children portray the chicks of canaries, dancing in quaint egg costumes.
In No. VI “Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle”, two Polish Jews, one rich and one poor, hold a burlesque dialogue.
No. VII “Limoges” is raucous with the boisterous quarrels of women haggling at a market.
No. VIII is split into two parts, “Catacombae” (Catacombs) and “In lingua mortua” (In a dead language), set in the underground of Paris, Les Catacombes. The artist portrayed himself exploring one of those mortuary vaults by lantern-light.
In No. IX “Baba Yaga”, a clock is depicted in the form of the hut of the sinister witch Baba Yaga, sweeping through the night skies on the hunt for her victims.
Lastly, No. X “The Great Gate of Kiev”, is based on the design of massive stone gates at the entrance to Kiev, with a grand cupola shaped like a Slavic helmet.
With its vivid and imaginative colours, the original piano work has inspired many composers throughout history to orchestrate it for the symphony orchestra. In this version, Kahchun Wong has orchestrated it as a sinfonia concertante for Chinese instruments and Chinese orchestra.
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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 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.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Lim Ka Min
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Tel: 6557 4037 / 9222 1658
June Teo
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