A star-studded 2011/12 seasonMidori’s worldI wish I’d learnt skiing: Viviane HagnerLim Shue Churn leaves SSO after 31 years

www.sso.org.sg

Bravissimo!The Quarterly Newsletter of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra

april 2011 Vol. 12 No. 2 MICA (P) 013/05/2010

In Paradisum

Contents

SSO News 03

Singapore Symphony 06Children’s Choir

Conrad Celebrities: 08Midori & Viviane Hagner

Symphony Society 10

Backstage 13

Book Review 15The Autograph Collector

Piano Festival 16

Anna Netrebko for 2011/12 season 03

Midori’s world 08

On the cover: Maestro Lan Shui and the SSO after a performance of Faure’s Requiem at the Esplanade Concert Hall

Photography by Collin Tan

Editorial CommitteeEditors: Chang Tou Liang, Cindy Lim

Editorial

It’s that time of the year – as our Subscribers and Friends eagerly anticipate the announcement of SSO’s new season line-up – and BraviSSimO! proudly brings you a sneak preview of the star-studded roster which is to come, with top Russian-born soprano Anna Netrebko giving the season a grand curtain raiser on June 29.

Then enter the worlds of famous Japanese violinist Midori, who turns 40 this year, and German-Korean violinist Viviane Hagner, both due to appear with the SSO in April and May respectively – as they wax lyrical on their favourite leisure pursuits. As we celebrate our musical guests from overseas, we also salute our very own in an interview with violinist Lim Shue Churn, who leaves SSO after a glorious 31-year career.

Happy reading!

The Editorscindy@sso.org.sg

Neeme Jarvi

a star-studded roster for 2011/12

The SSO has lined up an exciting roster of international guest artists and performances in its new season. The opening act sees no less than star soprano Anna Netrebko sharing the stage with her husband, bass-baritone Erwin Schrott, Maestro Lan Shui and the SSO in a one-night only Gala concert on June 29.

Legendary conductors Neeme Järvi and Vladimir Ashkenazy will both make their debut with the SSO. Ashkenazy will appear with the SSO on November 4, with the newly minted winner of the 3rd Hong Kong International Piano Competition which will be held in October.

Neeme Järvi will share the stage with fine Russian violinist Vadim Repin on 18 January 2012, while Korean-American violinist Sarah Chang conducts from the violin in Vivaldi’s immortal Four Seasons on 6 & 7 April 2012.

To mark the bicentenary of Franz Liszt in 2011, Stephen Hough will perform both his two piano concertos on Nov 26. The SSO is also proud to present the concert version of Beethoven’s Fidelio on 18 February 2012, as well as Orff’s Carmina Burana on 11 May 2012, joined by the Singapore Symphony Chorus and a huge combined chorus.

Details pertaining to priority sale and public sale dates will be available on www.sso.org.sg in May.

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Anna Netrebko

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Vadim Repin

Neeme Järvi

Farewell supper for Keiko (standing, fourth from left) with her Singapore friends

04 bravissimo!

Musical ChairsOver two weeks late last year, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra played host to Japanese violinist Keiko Ueda from the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. Ms Ueda, who was here from November 29 to December 12 as part of a musician exchange programme, not only played two concerts with the SSO in the Esplanade Concert Hall but also found time to explore Sentosa and other attractions, savour local food and experience the Singapore way of life. “It was such a great experience for me to play with musicians from all over the world. I was very impressed that so many different cultures exist together in one orchestra, and also in the country,” says Ueda. Singaporean violist Marietta Ku, who represented SSO, was overwhelmed by the warm hospitality extended by her Japanese hosts from December 17 to 26. TMSO was formed in 1965 as part of a cultural promotion project of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to mark the Tokyo Olympic Games. Since then, the orchestra has grown to become one of Japan’s foremost professional orchestras.

Welcome dinner for Marietta with the management, Ueda Keiko and her desk partners

Performing in Tokyo

Marietta with her desk partner

Keiko performing with the SSO in the Esplanade

Rehearsing with her SSO colleagues

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Bravo, SSO!

SSO at ACS (Barker Road)

Concert at the Promontory

An early start to the classics

SSO’s outdoor concert at the Promontory at Marina Bay on March 19 attracted a 1000-strong crowd. Against the magnificent backdrop of the Marina Bay skyline, the SSO under Darrell Ang won the audience over with their lush performances of the Mephisto Waltz No. 1 by Liszt and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite.

This performance was preceded by a SSO campus concert at Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) on March 17, where over 400 students and music lovers filled the Mrs Lee Choon Guan Concert Hall.

SSO at Marina Bay

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06 bravissimo!

Shubhra and Soumya Ojha: Singing from the heart

14-year-old twins Shubhra and Soumya Ojha have been singing with the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir since 2008. Currently enrolled at the Canadian International School, the highly versatile and multi-talented girls are also well-versed in Indian carnatic singing and classical dance, and were invited to perform at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games held in Singapore. The twins talk to BraviSSimO! editor CINDY LIM about their experiences singing with the SSCC and their love for the performing arts.

What made you join the SSCC?

Shubhra: After participating in the musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with my sister at the Esplanade, I discovered a newfound joy of singing in front of an audience. I knew that I enjoyed singing ever since I was young and I realized I could potentially sing in a professional choir. That is why we decided to audition when my parents saw the SSCC advertisement in the newspaper.

Soumya: I really enjoy performing music on stage, and I thought that the SSCC was a great platform to pursue that passion.

When did you start singing?

Shubhra: I do not remember the exact time when I started singing, but I know that I have been singing ever since I was very young. I know I will, in the future, continue to sing as well.

Soumya: I started taking Indian classical music lessons since I was four. So after performing Indian music many times, I started performing western music. And I only learned western music in training choir in SSCC.

How do you feel before a performance? What is it like on stage?

Shubhra: Before a performance, I feel a bit nervous and anxious. As we arrive on stage, I quickly run through the song in fast forward, even though I know I have memorized it well and been through vigorous rehearsals prior to the performance. On stage, I feel confident when I sing. I make sure that I am looking at the conductor, breathing properly, standing appropriately, thinking of what comes next, and making use of many more useful tips given to me by my teachers at SSO. When I look towards the audience, it is pitch black, so I just focus on the conductor and what he or she wants me to do.

Soumya: I have been performing since a really early age for both dance and music, so I have overcome the stage fright factor. But, before I go on stage, I get really excited to showcase the hard work and practice that have gone into the performance.

The twins performing at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games

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What do you like most about performing?

Shubhra: When I am performing, I love to sing my heart out and I love to hear the melodious sound our choir can create, even though we are just children. I love to hear the audience applauding at the end, because it makes me feel proud that our choir has done a good job.

Soumya: I feel that performing on stage is a platform of freedom and self-expression. Although the audience might judge you, you are an artist showing other people what you are talented at. I find that really exciting and I also enjoy performing because there is a chance to communicate with the audience at a new and creative level.

What has been your most memorable concert to date?

Shubhra: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. I thought it was very exciting that our choir could sing such an amazing symphony. Also, watching the orchestra below was extremely amazing because they were playing as we were singing and together we created something really nice trying to get close to the beautiful symphony created by the great Beethoven.

Soumya: Beethoven’s Ninth. It was a challenging piece and also a popular symphony. It was really memorable because we got to perform alongside the Singapore Symphony Chorus.

What has been your most challenging concert to date?

Shubhra: Sometimes I find the anniversary concerts a bit more challenging than the others because we need to prepare a whole variety of songs some of which are in foreign languages. For example I found it a bit challenging to memorize the music in last year’s anniversary concert.

Soumya: I think all our concerts are challenging because the music should be presented perfectly, and that takes a lot of effort and skill. But, the most challenging would have to be La Damnation de Faust because that was my first concert as part of the SSCC and I wasn’t as confident as some of the other members who had been there longer. Even though it was a short part of the song that the children had to sing, it was a big deal because it was my first choral singing experience at the Esplanade.

Other than singing, what are your other interests?

Shubhra: I do an Indian Classical Dance called Bharatanatyam and I sing Indian Classical Music also known as carnatic vocal music. In school, I love to play lots of sports such as soccer and basketball. I am on my school teams for both. I am learning to play the saxophone in school, which is something I really enjoy. I love to go to school and learn, and I am interested in most of the things I learn at school.

Soumya: I have been learning Bharatanatyam for 9 years now, and that has also become my passion. I also love higher-level maths and Aikido.

What do you enjoy most about SSCC?

Shubhra: The thing I enjoy most about SSCC is that I get to sing many songs with my friends. I love to learn new ways to sing and proper ways to learn songs. I enjoy performing, too. I love the whole process of learning the melody, practicing and fine tuning, and finally performing.

Soumya: I enjoy everything about being a part of the SSCC. We learn classical songs as well as more modern pieces. I like the variety and I also love getting to know people from different schools.

SINGAPORE SYMPHONY CHILDREN’S CHOIR5TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERTSun, 5 June 20115pmConservatory Concert Hall

In celebration of their 5th Anniversary, the Singapore Symphony Children’s Chorus presents a selection of choral delights from various periods – from Renaissance to Classical to contemporary. Featuring Asian traditionals, familiar hit songs from popular musicals, as well as works by Eric Whitacre, Rheinberger and Poulenc. Tickets available from SISTIC from April 15.

To find out more about the next round of SSCC auditions, please contact choral@sso.org.sg, or call 6602 4215.

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Midori’s world

She made her concert debut in Osaka, Japan when she was six and played at the Aspen Music Festival two years later, where her performance of Bartók moved violin virtuoso Pinchas Zukerman to tears. At 11 she performed at the New York Philharmonic New Year’s Eve Concert under the legendary maestro Zubin Mehta.

Despite her incredible rise to stardom at a young age, violinist Midori, who turns 40 this year, tells you she is still learning every single day: “To be an artist is to continue to learn for life, and I always enjoy learning new music and forming new collaborations. And I learn all the time about my inadequacies. I seek to become as selfless as I can. I contemplate what it means to be a good person, and strive to answer that question with how I live my life.”

Nineteen years ago, the violinist made individual personal visits to public schools in New York City, which has since grown into a multi-tiered 26-week course for school children. To date, Midori & Friends has reached out to some 180,000 children in underserved public schools.

Born in Osaka, Midori began studying the violin with her mother Setsu Goto at a very early age. She plays on the 1734 Guarnerius del Gesu “ex-Huberman”, which is on lifetime loan to her from the Hayashibara Foundation. “When I first saw the instrument, everything clicked, and I knew very quickly that this was the one.” Now in her seventh year as Jascha Heifetz Chair at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music and her fourth year as Chair of its strings department, she says her students are never far from her mind.

“I love to read, from plays and children’s literature to non-fiction subjects such as sociology, psychology and philosophy. Research and writing fill a lot of my hours that aren’t spent playing the violin or teaching. When I lived in New York, Broadway shows and the theatre were frequent destinations for culture and entertainment.”

“I don’t have a TV, but I can always try to lose myself in a good novel or enjoy a dinner out with friends, but then, my thoughts constantly wander away to my students. More recently, my

Midori will play Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major with the SSO at the

Esplanade Concert Hall on April 23. Also featuring Rachmaninov’s Symphony

No. 3 in A minor. Lan Shui conducts.

studio (and its extension) and I go on outings or community investigations together; these excursions never fail to be interesting and enjoyable for me!”

What many people do not know is that the multi-faceted artist also holds a degree in psychology and gender studies. “Going to college was something I had always wanted to do. I did not intend on studying psychology when I enrolled at the Gallatin School at New York University.”

“I enrolled in an introductory psychology course to fulfil the liberal arts core requirement, and then took more advanced courses in the subject, which continued to interest me. In retrospect, it makes perfect sense that I would have enjoyed psychology, as I have always been intrigued by the way in which other people’s minds work.”

by Cindy Lim

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bravissimo! 09

Conrad Centennial Singapore offers a choice of exciting wining and dining

venues. Dine on contemporary Cantonese cuisine and innovative dim sum creations

by top Hong Kong chefs at award - winning Golden Peony. Oscar’s offers

delicious buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a delectable Amazing Graze Sunday brunch with free flow

champagne, wine and beer. Oscar’s is open 24 hours. Or savour delightful afternoon

tea and Executive lunch at Lobby Lounge.

ViViaNE HaGNEr

From Bach to Chaplin

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Since making her international debut at the age of 12, Munich-born violinist Viviane Hagner has earned praise for her moving musicality and artistry. Offstage she nurses a keen passion for classic films.

“I adore Charlie Chaplin’s art,” she exclaims. “Limelight and The Great Dictator are films I can watch many times and I discover new details every time. Ingmar Bergman’s films are also my all-time favourites. Whenever there is a new film made by the Coen Brothers, I can’t wait to watch it.”

Playing the violin from a young age meant that she was not allowed certain activities such as skiing. “This is something I have been discouraged to do by my parents and violin teachers. And to this day, I haven’t learnt how to ski,” she muses. “When I now travel to beautiful snowy mountains, I sometimes wish I had learned it as a child.”

Born to a German father and Korean mother, the 34-year-old musician now makes her base in Berlin where she is also teaching at the University of Arts. “It is close to impossible to try to decide whether I feel more German or Korean. In a way I would have to say that I feel more German, since I grew up in Germany, and I think and dream in German most of the time. At the same time, I do know the Korean language (although I am far from being fluent), I also feel relatively familiar with Korean culture, and I do see my relatives.”

The Hyperion label released her recording of the Vieuxtemps Violin Concerti 4 & 5 in 2010 and Analekta has recently released her recording of Unsuk Chin’s Violin Concerto with Kent Nagano and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. Her first recital recording on the Altara label features solo works by Bartók, Hartmann and Bach.

She plays the 1717 Sasserno Stradivarius. “When I played with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra led by Claudio Abbado for the first time, I was playing on another borrowed instrument which I was about to have to return. So he turned to the Nippon Music Foundation and asked whether they would have an instrument for me to play on.”

The avid reader is currently reading a selection of letters between Mozart and his father, as well as a biography of French filmmaker Claude Lanzmann. Of the Berg concerto she will play here on May 6, she says: “It is one of the most fascinating and also touching concertos written in the 20th century. The complex 12-tone-technique in which this concerto is composed never comes to the fore or distracts from the melodies and tunes which are elegantly woven into the piece.”

By Cindy Lim

Viviane Hagner will play Berg’s Violin Concerto with the SSO under Okko Kamu at the Esplanade Concert Hall on May 6. Also featuring Strauss’ tone poem Death and Transfiguration and Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 in C minor.

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SSO 32nd anniversary Concert

The SSO marked its 32nd birthday with over 1500 supporters at the Esplanade on Jan 14 in a concert showcasing celebrated pianist Fou Ts’ong and Singaporean violinists Chan Yoong-Han and Foo Say Ming. The orchestra rose to the occasion under the baton of Music Director Lan Shui, earning rapturous applause from its audience. Guests and concertgoers were surprised to receive a specially-packaged pound cake after the concert, courtesy of the Conrad Centennial Singapore. !

Mr Bobby Chin, Mrs Charlotte Goh, Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr George Yeo & Mr Goh Yew Lin

A standing ovation for Fou Ts’ong

Mr Wong Nang Jang, Mr Bobby Chin, Mr & Mrs Chew Keng Juea

bravissimo! 11

Violinists Chan Yoong-Han and Foo Say Ming team up for Martinu’s Concerto No. 2 for Two Violins

Mr Heinrich Grafe, Ms Ingrid Hanson, Mrs Kwan Lui & Mr Leon Lui

Mr Eduardo Ramos-Gomez & Mr Michael Silverman Mr Harold Foo, Mrs Theresa Foo & Mr Anthony Brice

Ms Carolyn Seah & Mr Timothy Chia

Take a bow

Mr E T Wong, Ms Song Li Wei & Lucia & Michael Cheok

12 bravissimo!

Dr Geh Min, Mrs Jennifer Yeo, Mr Goh Yew Lin & Dr M C Tong

Mrs Celeste Basapa, Ms Ingrid Hanson & Mrs Heike Meyer

Ms Fock Bee Lian & Ms Fock Siew Wah

Prof & Mrs Bernard Tan

Mr & Mrs Serge Forti & Mr Pierre Emmanuel Jacob

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lim Meng Keh: Scandinavian dreams

Singaporean percussionist Lim Meng Keh has played many concerts in his 30 years with the SSO. But he will always remember fondly the standing ovations SSO received on its first major tour to the Scandinavian region in 1985.

“We flew to Copenhagen, before travelling by boat across to Sweden. We then travelled by bus to cities in Sweden including Stockholm, Göteborg, Karlstad, Jönköping, Malmö and we went as far north to Asker, Oslo. It was snowing and very cold. All the concerts were very well-received and it was my first time seeing a standing ovation. It felt great!”

From playing the fife in his primary school band, Meng Keh progressed to playing the percussion in secondary school. To feed his love and passion for percussion he joined the Singapore Polytechnic band as well as a community band.

While freelancing with the SSO in the early 1980s, he successfully auditioned for a SSO-PSC (Public Service Commission) scholarship to pursue his musical studies in Melbourne’s Victorian College of Arts. “My family was not very supportive as the music scene in Singapore was not as exciting as it is now.”

Married with two teenage daughters, Meng Keh made his solo debut with the SSO in 1984, playing Darius Milhaud’s Percussion Concerto. “Concerts were mostly held in Victoria Concert Hall and sometimes in the former World Trade Centre.”

When he is not rehearsing or performing, Meng Keh plays computer games and listens to pop and jazz music to relax. His favourite dishes include Teochew bak chor mee and Korean bibimbap.

His daughters Jessica, 17, and Rebecca, 16 also share his love of music. “Jessica plays the flute and Rebecca plays the clarinet. Both are sporty and they have the same passion for softball.”

by Cindy Lim

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Meng Keh receives his 30-year long service award from SSO Chairman Goh Yew Lin

Meng Keh’s daughters, Jessica and Rebecca

Congratulations to Orchestra Manager adrian Chiang and his wife Khai ling on the birth of their daughter arecia on January 2.

We share in the joy of assistant Development & Sponsorship Manager anthony Chng and his wife Joan on the birth of their daughter rui Jie on February 22.

We also congratulate Jun ikebe on the arrival of his son on February 14.

lim Shue Churn: Veteran violinist leaves SSO after 31 years

In October last year, violinist Lim Shue Churn bid a fond farewell to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in Dresden – its final stop on a sensational 6-city tour of Germany and London. Music Director Lan Shui paid a fitting tribute to the long-serving SSO musician at the end of the concert by walking to her seat in the first violin section and surprising her with a bouquet of flowers.

Just 13 when she joined the first batch of SSO musicians as a trainee musician in 1978, Shue Churn became a full-time musician three years later. In 1980 she travelled with the SSO to Malaysia for its first concert tour. At the point of her last concert, she had served some 31 years b

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Shue Churn with her dancer friends in TorontoSSO rehearsing in the early days

A young Shue Churn gets Zubin Mehta’s autograph as Choo Hoey looks on

with the orchestra. Today she counts the SSO’s 2005 New York debut in Lincoln Center as the highlight of her three-decade career.

“Actually I did not feel that this was my last tour and concert with SSO until Lan presented the bouquet to me. That meant a lot to me, more so than any award or medal,” says the veteran musician. “My friends in the orchestra are still my friends, and Singapore remains my home. That makes parting with the SSO much easier.”

The long hours of practising came easily to the young Shue Churn, who started learning the violin with her father Lim Tiap Guan at a very early age. A student of

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Shue Churn with her pet parrot

Charles Treger from the United States, she also participated in many masterclasses with various visiting SSO soloists.

For the teenager, the biggest challenge in the first few years was getting accustomed to working with people from different cultures and nationalities in the orchestra. “SSO had musicians from different countries, with their own habits, personalities and idiosyncrasies. It was not easy for me then.”

Of the years under Choo Hoey (1979-1996), she remembers performing alongside mega star artists such as Ruggiero Ricci (1980), Oscar Shumsky (1986) and Salvatore Accardo (1986). “Under the direction of Lan Shui, the standard of the orchestra became higher, we widened our repertoire, and performed Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 in 2004. I wish I could perform this particular work again!”

For now, there’s much to look forward to, including more chamber music performances and more time for travelling, tennis, gym workouts and playing with her parrot. “Life is not only about music. I always wanted to do so many things and did not want to wait till I am 60. Now I am living my dream… so many places to travel to and so much to learn.”

by Cindy Lim

the Autograph collector

This issue, BraviSSimO! takes a look at the autographs of concert pianists. Piano concertos feature frequently on Singapore Symphony Orchestra programmes, which means that many pianists get to come to Singapore, including winners of prestigious piano competitions as well as some legends of the piano.

FOU TS’ONGIn my humble opinion, the venerable Shanghai-born pianist Fou Ts’ong, now 77 years of age, has the most distinguished and beautiful autograph in all of classical music. Drawn in a single seamless stroke, the poetic interpretation of his name resembles a work of Chinese calligraphy. He has performed in Singapore on many occasions, and his autograph has always remained the same – ornate yet magnanimous.

If you have interesting autographs to contribute, please send a high resolution scan and accompanying texts to: cindy@sso.org.sg

Happy autograph hunting for 2011!

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Please send your answers and particulars to:BraviSSimO! Kinokuniya Book QuizKinokuniya Bookstores of Singapore 391B Orchard Road #13-06Ngee Ann City Tower B, Singapore 238874Or e-mail: Corp_Affair@kinokuniya.co.jp

Closing date: 31 May 2011The first correct entry to be drawn will be notified accordingly.

WiN a $30 KiNOKUNiYa BOOK VOUCHEr by answering the following questions:

1. What was Dvorák’s father’s occupation? A. Lawyer/Magistrate B. Doctor/Surgeon C. Composer/Kapellmeister D. Innkeeper/Butcher E. Farmer/Landowner

2. Who is the only Bohemian in the Singapore Symphony Orchestra? (Clue: Violist)

The correct answers to last issue’s quiz:1. The President of the Singapore Mahler Society is Tan Chan Boon.

2. E. Sixth Symphony. It’s the symphony without a happy ending.

The winner was Lee Gek Ping.CONGRATULATIONS!

Veteran music reviewer David Hurwitz makes a very strong and persuasive case for Antonín Dvorák (1841-1904), the Bohemia-born Czech nationalist composer, whom he regards to be the equal of giants like Brahms and Wagner. Dvorák was, after all, the most wide-ranging and prolific of the three; he wrote symphonies, operas, much chamber, instrumental, choral and vocal music. Yet his legacy is misunderstood and often underrated. For example, his first three symphonies are as obscure as his last three symphonies are celebrated.

The coverage is exhaustive without being belaboured with didactics and dry facts. For a small volume (just 180 pages), practically all the works are mentioned within its short chapters. Even the much-maligned Piano Concerto in G minor gets due credit, which makes one want to hear it urgently. More importantly, Hurwitz’s style of writing is unstuffy and always engaging.

Two accompanying CDs of Dvorák excerpts from the Czech label Supraphon adds to the value of this publication. This is possibly the best introduction to a great composer who deserves to be more often performed and heard.

romantic Music’s Most Versatile GeniusBy David HurwitzPublished by Amadeus Press $38.80 at Books Kinokuniya

YEVGENY SUDBiNThe rising young Russian pianist, now residing in UK, is getting used to signing lots of autographs. His discography grows by the month, every one well-received by the critics and listeners alike. Like many other Russian artists, he chooses to sign in Romanised lettering rather than in Cyrillic. His is a simple and understated one.

DaNG THai SONThe greatest pianist Vietnam has ever produced, Dang was the first Asian winner of the Chopin International Piano Competition in 1980. He even has his own line of CDs, released in Ho Chi Minh City and with notes in Vietnamese. Each carries his autograph in print, but it is always better to get him to sign it in person!

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SCHUBERT Sonata in A major, Op. 120 D664SZYMANOWSKI Etude, Op. 4 No. 3SZYMANOWSKI L’Isle des Syrenes from the Suite “Metopes”CHOPIN Waltz, Op. 34 No. 1CHOPIN Nocturne in B major, Op. 62 No. 1CHOPIN Scherzo No. 1 in B minorLISZT Soirée de Vienne No. 6LISZT Bénédiction de Dieu dans la SolitudeCHOPIN/LISZT Three Polish SongsGOUNOD/LISZT Waltzes from the Opera ‘Faust’

Embraced by connoisseurs for decades for her tonal refinement and exquisite musical taste, the Montreal-born Janina Fialkowska opens with Schubert’s Sonata in A, with its delightful, chimelike melody, and also features Chopin’s B minor Scherzo. From the deeply meditative to the wildly virtuosic, the works and transcriptions of Liszt, whose birth bicentenary the world celebrates this year, round off this thrilling Festival curtain-raiser.

HANDEL Suite in B-flat HWV434KNUSSEN Variations, Op. 24BRAHMS Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Handel, Op. 24BEETHOVEN Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 34BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 (“Appassionata”)

Israel-born Shai Wosner is a recipient of both an Avery Fisher Career Grant and a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award. Hailed by the New York Times as “a superb pianist”, he is known for his exceptional artistry, musical integrity and creative insight. Brahms’ Handel Variations is one of the most popular of all variation works for piano. Wosner will also perform a selection of great variation works by Oliver Knussen and Beethoven, before ending with the mighty and dramatic Appassionata Sonata.

RAMEAU Gavotte et 6 doubles (variations)CLEMENTI Sonata in F-sharp minor, Op. 25 No. 5SCHUMANN Humoreske in B-flat major, Op. 20LISZT Ballade No. 2 in B minorRACHMANINOV Etudes Tableaux, Op. 33

22-year-old young Armenian virtuoso Nareh Arghamanyan is the winner of the 2008 Montreal International Music Competition and has gained great acclaim from her latest album of piano sonatas by Liszt and Rachmaninov. In this concert, she will play Liszt’s militaristic and brilliant Ballade No. 2 in B minor and Rachmaninov’s Etudes Tableaux, a work originally written to comprise nine etudes.

BACH-BUSONI Chaconne in D minor (from Partita No. 2, BWV 1004) NEPOMUCENO Air (from Suite Antiga, Op. 11)GNATTALI Valsa No. 7LEVY Valsa Lenta No. 4 BRAGA Corrupio (Valse Capriccio) NAZARETH OdeonNAZARETH Apanhei-te, Cavaquinho CHOPIN The Four Scherzi

Arnaldo Cohen opens the concert with Ferruccio Busoni’s 1893 transcription of Bach’s Chaconne in D minor from the Partita No. 2 and will also perform Chopin’s Four Scherzi – with dazzling textures and deeply moving melodies. He contrasts these familiar favourites with a rare and dazzling array of pieces from his native Brazil, works which reflect a rich and exotic cultural diversity and a Latino warmth and generosity, promising gems and surprises in abundance.

Transformation18TH SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL PIANO FESTIVAL 201116-19 JUNE | 8PM, CONSERVATORY CONCERT HALL

Transformation demonstrates how life and art are intertwined, how life’s constant change finds musical and pianistic rationale in the art of the theme and variations, transcriptions and making seemingly simple musical ideas metamorphose into large poetic forms. This year’s Piano Festival showcases four pianists, each bringing his own life-changing experiences and personal virtuoso style to his unique programme, to take you on a transcendental journey over four magical evenings.

Priority ticket sales for PianoFest subscribers and Friends of SSO from April 1. Public sales from April 12. Tickets available from SISTIC.

arNalDO COHEN

Sun, 19 Jun 11

Janina FialkowskaThu, 16 Jun 11

SHai WOSNErFri, 17 Jun 11

NarEH arGHaMaNYaN

Sat, 18 Jun 11

www.pianofestival.com.sg