Singapore, 24 October 2023– The Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) is invited by the China Shanghai International Arts Festival (CSIAF), and will embark on a China Concert Tour from 9 November 2023 to 13 November 2023, to perform three concerts at the distinguished festival.
Established in 1999, the China Shanghai International Arts Festival (CSIAF), is hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China, and organized by Shanghai Municipal People's Government. It is the only state-level arts festival in China, and is now a significant platform for cultural exchange and one of the leading arts festivals in the world.
Executive Director Mr Terence Ho shared, “We are very honoured to be invited by the China Shanghai International Arts Festival (CSIAF), and bring SCO’s distinctive sounds to the Chinese audience. Singapore and China are close friends; we have built a longstanding and fruitful partnership that is rooted in the arts and culture affinity. We hope our music will inspire the audience with new encounters of the East and Nanyang, of traditional and classical, and virtuosic performance by the soloists and the SCO.
“Arts transcend geographical borders. This year, the China Shanghai International Arts Festival is staging 77 outstanding programmes performed by local and overseas brilliant artists, to wow audience and win the hearts of performing arts enthusiasts. I welcome the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) back to the CSIAF stage once again, to share the unique music of Singapore with our festival audience”, said the CEO of the Centre for China Shanghai International Arts Festival, Mr Li Ming.
The SCO China concert tour 2023 is made possible with the support from Cultural Matching Fund, and the national carrier Singapore Airlines. Established by MCCY, the Cultural Matching Fund (CMF) provides dollar-for-dollar matching grants for private cash donations to registered charities in the arts and heritage sector.
SCO would also like to express our appreciation to Consulate-General of the Republic of Singapore in Shanghai and Embassy of the People’s Republic of China for their ardent support and assistance in this concert tour.
DiSCOvering Treasures of Chinese Music – In Search of the Magical Musical Bows
10 November 2023 7pm at the Shanghai City Lawn Music Plaza/ live streaming
11 November 2023 2pm at Xiangyang Park/ live streaming
Principal Conductor Quek Ling Kiong will reprise his character Quek Quek at the Shanghai City Lawn Music Plaza and Xiangyang Park, to bring joy to young music enthusiasts. The Quek Quek series has always been a popular children’s programme locally, for parents of young children, to introduce Chinese orchestral music in a edutaining way. This is the first time SCO is bringing the Young Adventurers production overseas, to delight children and families beyond the shores of Singapore.
We pride ourselves as a people’s orchestra, staging more than 80 educational and outreach concerts and programmes each year. These two free outreach concerts are great opportunities to showcase SCO’s charms as the people’s orchestra, to the people of Shanghai.
These two concerts will also be livestreamed online on CSIAF official WeChat account （中国上海国际艺术节）, and 看看新闻app、澎湃新闻app、经典947 WeChat Moments、新民晚报拾艺路 WeChat Moments. Please stay tuned to the latest updates on SCO’s official WeChat account and other social media!
12 November 2023 – Legends of Nanyang at the Shangyin Opera House
On 12 November 2023, under the baton of Principal Conductor Quek Ling Kiong and Conductor Emeritus Tsung Yeh. The SCO will present “Legends of Nanyang”, a programme specially curated to bring unique sounds and repertoire with local flavour to the Shanghai audience. This is SCO’s first time performing in the Shangyin Opera House, a grand concert hall that was recently completed in 2019. Capable of seating over 1,200 audience, the Shangyin Opera House is a state-of-the-art music hall that is housed within the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
Under the baton of Principal Conductor Quek Ling Kiong, the orchestra presents Ceilidh, the work of another Singapore Cultural Medallion recipient Eric James Watson. The music is inspired from various folksongs from Scotland, Ireland or the north of England, and are catchy and lively.
Highlights of the programme include concertmaster Li Baoshun performing The Legend of Merlion with SCO. Depicting the mysterious and beautiful merlion, this three-movement gaohu concerto was composed by renowned composer Liu Xijin, and was commissioned by SCO and premiered in 1999. Pipa Principal Yu Jia will also be presenting a pipa concerto by an up-and-coming young composer Sun Jing. The Sword and the Scroll is a comprehensive work that fully brings out the expressiveness and versatility of the pipa – the masculine ruggedness of music depicting war scenes, in contrast with the gentle and refined court music. The Legend of Merlion, The Sword and the Scroll, together with two orchestra works Zheng He – Admiral of the Seven Seas, Mvt I: The Voyage by Singapore Cultural Medallion recipient Law Wai Lun, and Guo Feng, composed by prolific Chinese composer Zhao Jiping, will be performed under the baton of Maestro Yeh.
Left: Conductor Emeritus Tsung Yeh
Right: Principal Conductor Quek Ling Kiong
Left: Concertmaster and Section Leader (Bowed Strings), Li Baoshun
Right: Pipa Principal, Yu Jia
Singapore Chinese Orchestra
Asset link：SCO x CSIAF 2023 Pre-concert media release assets
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