Singapore, 23 April 2015 (Thursday) – SCO celebrates the golden jubilee of nation building by dedicating a homecoming concert with established Singaporean musicians who have made a name for themselves overseas. Three renowned musicians Kam Ning, Kwok Chin-chye and Choo Boon Chong will perform with SCO on 5 and 6 June 2015 with Music Director Tsung Yeh on the baton. This concert is a prelude to a series of SG50-themed performances by SCO this year.
Kam Ning began learning the violin at the age of six with her father, violinist and composer, Kam Kee Yong, and thereafter received scholarships from the Lee and Shaw Foundations in 1987 to enter the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey, UK. Winners of the junior section of the Folkestone Menuhin International Violin Competition (1991) and at the Third International Pablo Sarasate Violin Competition in Pamplona (1995), Kam Ning has also been honoured by the National Arts Council with the Young Artist Award in 2000 to a young artist of extraordinary talent. She is currently the artistic director of Het Kamerorkest Brugge in Belgium. Her flair in violin, which won her glory overseas, will be demonstrated in her debut with SCO. Kam Ning will perform violin concerto The Legend of the Holy Deer, composed by Chinese composer Zong Jiang and violinist He Dong, which demonstrates her homesickness and memories of her fond childhood days.
Kwok Chin-chye, a multi-talented musician who specializes in Chinese and western wind instruments, is currently the wind sectional principal at Taiwan Kaohsiung Chinese Orchestra. He will showcase his virtuosity in a suona, saxophone and ya-mu di (Taiwan street opera accompaniment wind instrument) concerto titled Dog Legendary Rhapsody, which was composed for him by Taiwanese composer Li Zhe Yi. Kwok Chin-chye will also perform on the oktavin with SCO in arabic music My Friends, which is rearranged by himself and Yeo Siew Mong.
Choo Boon Chong, who is now the dizi assistant principal at the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and chairman for Hong Kong Bamboo Flute Society, will play Qu Xiao Song’s Divine Melody, which drew its inspiration from Jiu Ge (Nine Songs) by the patriotic Chinese poet, Qu Yuan. In this technically-challenge piece, Choo Boon Chong will perform several Chinese wind instruments such as dizi, xiao and xun. Famous local artist Tan Swie Hian’s oil painting “The Celestial Web”, which was inspired by Divine Melody will also be projected in this concert.
Conductor: Tsung Yeh Violin: Kam Ning Suona / Saxophone / Dizi / Xiao / Xun:
Ya-mu di / Oktavin: Choo Boon Chong
Kwok Chin-chye
Concert details:
Homecoming
Date: 5 and 6 June 2015 (Friday & Saturday)
Time: 8pm
Venue: SCO Concert Hall
Ticket Prices: $70, $60, $45/$30*, $30/$20* (exclude SISTIC fee)
Tickets from SISTIC (+65 6348 5555 / www.sistic.com.sg)
*Concession prices
Please contact media officers for more information, photographs and interviews.
Media Contacts
Toi Liang Shing
Executive (Marketing Communications)
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DID: 6557 4020 / 9620 8280
Koh Mui Leng
Assistant Manager (Marketing Communications)
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DID: 6557 4047 / 9833 0556