Singapore, 21 November 2017 (Tuesday) – The Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) launches the January to June 2018 concert season with its proud return ‘home’, to the Singapore Conference Hall. SCO January to June 2018 concert season celebrates with the theme “Homecoming, Reverberate and Retrospect” where we rejoice with the homecoming concerts at the acoustically-enhanced Singapore Conference Hall. The Singapore Conference Hall, a gazette national monument in 2010, will reopen with a refreshed design which re-embraces the heritage of the hall. Audience will get to experience an abundance of exciting concerts that will suit all musical desires. Join us, as we celebrate SCO’s commencement of a whole new concert season back home!
Percussion Fiesta
The very first concert in 2018 will be a hit amongst all percussion enthusiasts. Audience will experience a multicultural concert with a cultural blend of percussion instruments. Young Artist Award (YAA) recipients, tabla musician Nawaz Mirajkar and frame drums percussionist Riduan Zalani, together with twin percussion brothers from Tianjin – Gao Chao and Gao Yue, as present a multicultural music dialogue which will include pieces such as Bull Battling the Tiger and Simon Kong’s Drumming in Harmony.
Children alike will also be able to enjoy a percussion-themed Young Children’s Concert, DiSCOvering Treasures of Chinese Music – Carnival of Percussion, in May! Children will be thrilled to find SCO’s percussionists in character, as they take on different personas to introduce the diverse percussion instruments in the orchestra. Allow Brother Quek to answer all the questions of your young ones! This interactive concert will certainly leave children craving for more and may even aid in the cultivation of their interest in music.
Festival Galore
SCO’s annual branded Chinese New Year concert – Rhapsodies of Spring – returns ‘home’ in 2018. World-renowned violinist Lu Siqing, will return to perform with SCO, alongside Singapore host cum actor Mark Lee who will host, sing and narrate in this concert. Lu Siqing will perform Antonio Vivaldi’s First Movement from The Four Seasons: Spring and Taking the Tiger Mountain.
Mother’s Day Concert is also SCO’s annual audience’s favourite. SCO Mother’s Day Concert 2018 will collaborate with radio station UFM100.3 and SCO musicians She Ling and Zhang Li to present a heartwarming concert for all mothers.
The Grandeur of Virtuosos
Internationally-renowned conductor Shao En, who is also the Chief Conductor of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra and the Principal Guest Conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra, will conduct SCO in Shao En & SCO concert. Besides being a conductor, audience will also get to hear his composition titled Xiao Bai Cai Capriccioso, while SCO’s erhu principal Zhao Jianhua and suona associate principal Chang Le will perform the Third Movement from Symphonic Suite: Qiao’s Grand Courtyard and The Summon of Phoenix respectively.
Sheng master from Grammy Award-winning Silk Road Ensemble, Wu Tong, will perform with SCO for the very first time! You will see the ancient sheng and lusheng of the Miao minority in China in action. Not only will Wu Tong be showcasing his sheng skills, he will take you to another musical realm with his vocal talents too. Joining Wu Tong and SCO is famous cellist Qin Li-Wei – they will perform Spring Wind and Duo together. With such diverse and celebrated talents put together in one night – this concert is one not to be missed!
Get Ready for SYF with SCO!
Ever had so many questions about the Chinese Orchestra but never got them answered? Well, you can now do so in Concert-in-Progress 2018, where all your lingering doubts will be answered. SCO Resident Conductor Quek Ling Kiong, dizi musician Phang Thean Siong and erhu musician Zhang Bin, will inspire audience, through the orchestra in rehearsal setting, with a selection of Chinese orchestral pieces for participating schools at the Singapore Youth Festival to experience.
Music Tuesdays
SCO launches a new series of concert to be held on Tuesday evenings. This series will start off with Music Tuesdays: Melodies of Qin, Sheng and Ruan II, which will feature SCO’s husband and wife duo Zhong Zhi Yue and Han Ying. Being well-versed in guqin and sheng, Zhong Zhi Yue will present the ancient piece Solitary Orchirdand Manabe Naoyuki’s Breathe III. The couple will also be performing a duet piece, Autumn Sounds that was composed by Zhong Zhi Yue himself.
SNYCO Presents:
Our very own youth orchestra, Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra (SNYCO), is back with their annual concert that will show off the musical virtuosity of Singapore’s best and brilliant young talents! This concert, which will involve SNYCO’s Music Director Quek Ling Kiong, Advisor Tsung Yeh and Conductor Moses Gay, will include pieces such as Zhao Jiping’s Flying Apsaras and Rao Yu-Yan’s Hymn of Mount Li. With forces joined, both SNYCO and SCO musicians will be sure to thrill your ears in a mass concert involving a force of more than a hundred musicians!
People’s Orchestra and Giving Back to Society
SCO firmly believes in putting the people at the heart of everything we do. We strive to let our music echo throughout Singapore and let people from all walks of life experience the vibrancy of Chinese Orchestral music, through initiatives like the SCO Caring Series, SCO Community Concerts, SCO Music Oasis Concerts and SCO Lunchtime Concerts. We will also be bringing our music to schools to introduce Chinese orchestral music to the young through the Tunes of SCO and SCO Campus Rhapsody.
Please download SCO’s season brochure from this link for the list of SCO’s concerts in January to June 2018.
SCO expresses our heartfelt thanks to the following partners for their support:
Official Radio Station: Capital 95.8FM, LOVE 97.2FM, Symphony 92.4FM
Official Newspaper: Lianhe Zaobao
Official Lifestyle Magazine: 品Prestige
Hotel Partners: Amara Hotel, Hotel Royal @ Queens, Oasia Hotel
Official Airline: Singapore Airline
Official Community Partner: PAssion Card
Official Lifestyle Partner: SAFRA Cards
For more information, photographs, and interviews, please contact the Media Officers below:
Media Contacts
Valesha Soon Weixuan
Executive (Marketing Communications)
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DID: 6557 4037 / 9187 3418
Koh Mui Leng
Assistant Manager (Marketing Communications)
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DID: 6557 4047 / 9833 0556.