The Singapore International Festival of Music (SIFOM). Singapore’s first-ever classical music festival, is back for a second year. Themed Myths and Legends, the festival seeks to explore classical music inspired by folklore and fairy tales. The event will kick off with free public outreach programmes, masterclasses, and ticketed orchestral, musical theatre and vocal concerts from 13 October to 30 October.
SIFOM 2016 will include the festival’s own orchestra, SIFOM Orchestra, the SIFOM Ensemble and Ding Yi Music Company – representing the country’s best young musicians, alongside internationally-acclaimed guests from the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE), a leading chamber orchestra.
SIFOM, in collaboration with the Arts House and OperaViva, aims to place Singapore on the world map of classical music capitals and bring new audiences to concert halls. “The Singaporean brand is undoubtedly an international one. By establishing Singapore as the centre of classical music in the region, SIFOM hopes to further cement Singapore’s global reputation as a major cultural hub,” said Grammy-nominated Singaporean conductor Darrell Ang, SIFOM’s Artistic Director.
The festival will open with a symphonic concert featuring the resident SIFOM Orchestra side-by-side with members of the COE, under the baton of Maestro Ang. At SIFOM, COE will present a story told through French composer Maurice Ravel's orchestration of tales from Mother Goose: Sleeping Beauty, Tom Thumb, the Princess of the Pagodas, Beauty and the Beast, and The Fairy Garden.
Two young opera stars from the Musical Olympus Foundation will take centrestage on 13 and 15 October with their favourite showpieces. Chinese bass-baritone Li Ao, who won Placido Domingo's Operalia competition, plays the devil Mephistopheles in a famous aria from Gounod's opera Faust, in which he advises a woman to remain chaste until marriage. Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, from Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, will sing Cinderella's closing aria from Rossini's opera on the fairytale: now married to the Prince, Cinderella seeks pardon for her evil relatives who have done her wrong.
Maverick violinist Aleksey Semenenko, who bagged the silver medal at the recent Queen Elisabeth Competition, promises to set the stage on fire with music from Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy. Semenenko will also start his evening concert on 13 October with a pre-concert recital featuring music inspired by legends, followed by Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's symphonic retelling of the adventures of Sindbad the Sailor and the 1001 Arabian Nights.
A story of good triumphing over evil, the story of Ikan Girl reminds one of patience and kindness and the perils of engaging in evil deeds, especially mistreating a fellow being. Inspired by a Malay ancient poem known as the Syair Bidasari, this story is a multidisciplinary performance that incorporates movement vocabulary from Malay dance, Indian bharatanatyam and contemporary dance genres, plus original music composed by Syafiqah Adha Sallehin, Artist-in-Residence at SIFOM 2016. The music will be performed ‘live’ by classical and traditional musicians. Percussionist extraordinaire Ramu Thiruyanam will also make a special appearance.
Chinese chamber music ensemble Ding Yi Music Company from Singapore and Song Hong Chamber Music of Vietnam will perform 五 + 5 = ?.
On 13 October, Hamburg baroque orchestra Elbipolis presides over an experimental concert series, with Tim Exile’s and Brezel Göring’s music synthesised in a style that blurs the lines between a formal concert setting and a club atmosphere.
On 19 October, listen to works from SIFOM Young Composers, who have created their own musical pieces in a performance called New Music in a Mythic Landscape, inspired by Singapore’s scenery and features.
“Classical music should not limit itself to the confines of a concert hall. By bringing it to the heartlands, we hope to promote classical music as an accessible art-form, and to nurture a new generation of listeners to classical music today,” said Ang.
Through its Outreach Programmes, SIFOM musicians will bring excerpts of the main programmes – such as Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite to various community venues in the heartlands, in parks and malls, at libraries and schools.
SIFOM will also collaborate with Sentire Singapore on a programme for special-needs children. The interaction is designed to help the children to express themselves and develop their artistic capabilities. Some of the students will be given the opportunity to experience their music performed ‘live’ at The Arts House on 19 October.
“Classical music should not limit itself to the confines of a concert hall. By bringing it to the heartlands, we hope to promote classical music as an accessible art-form, and to nurture a new generation of listeners to classical music today,” said Ang.
Through its Outreach Programmes, SIFOM musicians will bring excerpts of the main programmes – such as Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite to various community venues in the heartlands, in parks and malls, at libraries and schools.
SIFOM will also collaborate with Sentire Singapore on a programme for special-needs children. The interaction is designed to help the children to express themselves and develop their artistic capabilities. Some of the students will be given the opportunity to experience their music performed ‘live’ at The Arts House on 19 October.
Interested?
SIFOM begins 13 October and runs till 30 October.
| DATE | TIME/VENUE | CONCERT/ REPERTOIRE | TICKET PRICES (S$) | REMARKS | |
OPENING
OF FESTIVAL
|
|||||
13 October
|
6.30pm
/ Victoria Concert Hall
8pm
/
Victoria
Concert Hall
|
Myths
& Legends: Mother Goose and the Tales of 1,001 Nights
Alexei
Semenenko, violin
Kerim
Vergazov, piano
Grieg:
Sonata no. 1
Ysaye:
Ballade no. 3
Paganini:
I Palpiti
Members
of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe & The Singapore
International Festival of Music Orchestra / Darrell Ang
Ravel:
Mother Goose Suite
Rossini:
Nacqui all´affanno e al pianto… (from La Cenerentola) (Vasilisa
Berzhanskaya, soprano)
Gounod:
Vous qui faites l’endormie (from Faust) (Li
Ao, bass-baritone)
Sarasate:
Carmen Fantasy (Alexey Semeneko, violin)
Rimsky-Korsakov:
Scheherazade
|
$72, $52, $32 excluding SISTIC charges |
Concert
Series
|
|
6.30pm
/
Victoria
Concert Hall
8pm
/
Victoria
Concert Hall
|
The
Seasons
Nancy
Yuen, soprano & SIFOM Orchestra / Alvin Arumugam
Overture
and Senta’s Ballad from Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer
1B1
...
featuring Basil Ong Tze Wee, Kaelyn Yunci Soh, Yuri
Tanaka, Mathea Goh on violins
Grieg:
Holberg Suite / Vivaldi: The Four Seasons / Piazzolla: The Four
Seasons of Buenos Aires
|
$72, $52, $32 excluding SISTIC charges |
Concert
Series
|
||
| 11pm / Barbershop by Timbre (Arts House) |
Barock
Lounge Outer Space
by
Elbipolis Barockorchester Hamburg, presented
by Goethe-Institut Singapore
|
$36 excluding SISTIC charges |
Chamber
Series
|
||
7.30pm
/
The
Arts House Chamber
|
MUSICAL
OLYMPUS FOUNDATION presents TODAY’S STARS, TOMORROW’S
LEGENDS
Vocal
Recital by Li Ao (bass-baritone) and Vasilisa Berzhanskaya
(soprano)
Pianist:
Beatrice Lin
Songs
and Arias by Rossini, Mozart, Rachmaninov, Bellini, Massenet,
Bizet, Tchaikovsky, Handel, Schubert, Moore, Gounod
Mozart:
Aria of Dorabella from Cosi fan tutte / Ah scostati/Smanie
implacabili.
Mozart:
Aria of Ramiro from La Finta Giardiniera / Va pure ad altri.
Mozart:
Aria of Cerubino from Le nozze di Figaro / Voi Che sapete.
Gounod:
Aria of Stephano from Romeo and Juliet / Depuis hier/ Que fais tu
Massenet:
Aria of Charlotte from Werter / Werter, Werter.
Bellini:
Aria and cabaletta of Romeo from I Capuleti e i Montecchi /
Ascolta. Se Romeo/ La tremenda
Rossini:
Aria of Rosina from Il barbiere di Siviglia/ Una voce poco fa.
Rossini:
Aria of Cenerentola from Cenerentola / Nacqui all'affanno.
Mozart:
Duo of Guglielmo and Dorabella from Cosi fan tutte / il core vi
dono
Mozart:
Duo of Zerlina and Don Giovanni from Don Giovanni / La ci darem la
mano
A.
Scarlatti: Le violette
Pergolesi:
Nina
Pyotr
Tchaikovsky. Reconciliation, Op. 25, No. 1
Georges
Bizet: Quand la flamme de l’amour from La jolie fille de
Perth
Gounod: Vous
qui faites l'endormie from Faust
Schubert:
Der Erlkonig
Schubert:
Die Forelle
Sergei
Rachmaninov - Aleko’s cavatina All the gypsy camp is asleep from Aleko
Two
Chinese songs: Rainbow sister and Legend of the
dragon
|
$36 excluding SISTIC charges |
Chamber
Series
|
||
Sunday
16 October |
3pm
/
The
Arts House Gallery II
|
THE
SUNKEN CATHEDRAL AND OTHER STORIES…
Piano
Recital by Kseniia Vokhmianina
Claude-Achille
Debussy (1862 - 1918)
Préludes,
Book 1
1.
Danseuses de Delphes : Lent et grave
2.
Voiles : Modéré
3.
Le vent dans la plaine : Animé
4. Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir:
Modéré
5.
Les collines d'Anacapri : Très modérée
6.
Des pas sur la neige : Triste et lent
7.
Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest : Animé et tumultueux
8. La fille aux cheveux de lin: Très calme et doucement
expressif
9.
La sérénade interrompue : Modérément animé
10.
La cathédrale engloutie : Profondément calme
11.
La danse de Puck : Capricieux et léger
12.
Minstrels : Modéré
Kelly
Tang (b.1961)
Elegy
(Solo Piano Edition 2015)
Alexander
Scriabin (1872-1915)
Piano
Sonata no.5, Op. 53
|
$36 excluding SISTIC charges |
Chamber
Series
|
|
5pm
/
Victoria
Concert Hall |
五
+
5 = ?
Ding
Yi Music Company
in
collaboration with Song Hong Chamber Music (Vietnam)
Song
Hong Chamber Music: Pham Truong Son (Violin), Pham Mai Anh
(Violin), Khuc Van Khoa (Viola), Dao Tuyet Trinh (Cello),
Pham Quynh Trang (Piano)
Ding Yi Music Company:
Chin Yen Chong (Erhu), Chua Yew Kok (Pipa), Kenny Chan
(Zhongruan), Toh Kai Siang Eugene (Percussion), Yvonne Tay
(Guzheng)
鼎艺团 Ding Yi Music Company Chinese Quintet
Commissioned
Works:
Composed by Phang Kok Jun
二胡与红河弦乐五重奏
Erhu
with Song Hong Chamber Music
华彦钧
曲、冯国峻
改编
二泉映月 (Reflection
of the Moon on Er Quan Spring; composed by Hua Yan Jun and
rearranged by Phang Kok Jun)
琵琶与大提琴二重奏
Pipa
with Cello Duet
野风舞 (Native
Dance; composed by Bright Sheng)
中提琴与打击乐二重奏
Viola
and Percussion Duet
Scene Parts
II and III ; composed by John Patitucci
阮、古筝与双小提琴四重奏
Ruan,
Guzheng and two Violins Quartet;
arranged
by Phang Kok Jun
Interval/休息
(15min)
Trong
Com scherzo
(7’): composed by Dang Hong Anh
Commissioned
Works:
Composed by
Darrell
Ang, Liong Kit Yeng, Wang A-Mao |
$72, $52, $32 excluding SISTIC charges |
Concert
Series
|
||
| 7pm / The Arts House Chamber |
… And
there was N0th1ng
|
$36 excluding SISTIC charges |
Chamber
Series
|
||
| 7.30pm / The Arts House Gallery II |
THIEF
IN THE NIGHT AND OTHER BIZARRE TALES…
Piano
Recital by Thomas Ang
Ravel
- Gaspard de la nuit
Chopin
- 3rd Ballade in A flat major, op. 47
Chopin
- Étude in E major, op. 10 no. 3
Chopin
- Étude in C sharp minor, op. 10 no. 4
Chopin
- Étude in G flat “Black Keys”, op. 10 no. 5
Chopin/Hamelin
- Étude X “pour les idées noires” after Chopin’s Black
Keys
Chopin/Godowsky
- Étude no. 10 “Capriccio” in A major after Chopin’s Black
Keys
Bach
- Prelude and Fugue in F sharp minor from Book 2
Feinberg/Ang
- The Dream
Feinberg
- 2nd Sonata, op. 2
Tchaikovsky
- Daydream and Lark-song from Children’s Album, op. 39
Tchaikovsky/Rachmaninoff
- Lullaby, op. 16 no. 1
Tchaikovsky/Ang
- When the day dawns
|
$36 excluding SISTIC charges |
Chamber
Series
|
||
7.30pm
/
The
Arts House Chamber |
NEW
MUSIC IN A MYTHIC LANDSCAPE
SIFOM
Ensemble / Marlon Chen
Ho
Chee Kong: Echoes of Fall
John
Sharpley: Singapore Dreams
Chen
Zhangyi: Sandcastles
Tan
Yu Ting: Chinatown
Bertram
Wee: love songs
Koh
Cheng Jin: Ecstasy
Ding
Jian Han: Slow Jogging on a Not-so-silent Night
Mick
Lim: (Commissioned Work)
|
$36 excluding SISTIC charges |
Chamber
Series
|
||
7.30pm
/
The
Arts House Gallery II |
VICTORIA’S
GREATEST HITS
Vocal
Recital by Victoria Songwei Li
Piano:
Thomas Ang
Caro
nome - Verdi (Rigoletto)
Gretchen
am Spinnrade - Schubert
Be
kind and Courteous - Britten (A Midsummer Night's Dream)
Love
went a-riding - F. Bridge
Chiedi
all'aura lusinghiera - Donizetti (L'elisir d'amore)
Prendi
per me se libero... - Donizetti (L'elisir d'amore)
Ange
adorable - Gounod (Romeo et Juliette)
No
word from Tom - Stravinsky (The Rake's Progress)
Zdes'
horosho - Rachmaninov
Ne
poy, krasavitsa, primne - Rachmaninov
Je
veux vivre - Gounod (Romeo et Juliette) |
$36 excluding SISTIC charges |
Chamber
Series
|
||
7.30pm
/
The
Arts House Chamber |
PORTRAIT
OF A COMPOSER & IKAN GIRL
SIFOM
Ensemble / Marlon Chen
Portrait
of a Composer: Syafiqah ‘Adha Sallehin
-
interval -
Ikan
Girl: Syafiqah ‘Adha Sallehin featuring Bhumi Collective
|
$36 excluding SISTIC charges |
Chamber
Series
|
||
7.30pm
/
The
Arts House Chamber |
PORTRAIT
OF A VIRTUOSO & IKAN GIRL
Syafiqah
‘Adha Sallehin & Nabillah Jalal
Accordion
& Piano Recital
-
interval -
Ikan
Girl: Syafiqah ‘Adha Sallehin featuring Bhumi Collective
|
$36 excluding SISTIC charges |
Chamber
Series
|
||
Browse the ticketed events occurring after 23 October, and explore the community events, which are slated for educational institutions from 24 to 27 October.
Browse the fringe events, which run from 13 to 16 October at the Arts House, National Gallery, and Victoria Concert Hall
Programmes and information are accurate up to 15 August 2016. Subject to change.
