True Colours Festival presents performances from talented artistes with disabilities

True Colours Festival, presenting talented performing artistes with disabilities in the Asia Pacific region, will take place from 22-25 March 2018 in Singapore.

Up to 20 performing artistes/troupes from Japan, China, India, Korea, Malaysia, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore, plus guest artistes from the UK and Canada, will perform at a multimedia concert experience at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and at the accompanying True Colours Festival Village, a short walk from the concert venue.

True Colours Festival also includes the Arts and Disabilities International Conference 2018, a one-and-a-half day event for professionals and practitioners in the field.

More details including a confirmed lineup of the artistes will be announced in early January 2018.

True Colours is presented by UNESCO and The Nippon Foundation, and produced by Very Special Arts Singapore. 

Details:

Tickets are priced at S$30 with concessions and discounts. An inclusive seating arrangement will be introduced to allow wheelchair users to enjoy the concert experience seated together with their family members and friends.

Tickets cost S$30 each and will go on sale from 11 January 2018.

Zepp sites first concert hall outside of Japan in Singapore

Signage on the facade of Big Box megamall.

Zepp@BIGBOX Singapore live hall, the first Zepp-branded concert hall outside of Japan, has launched at Big Box megamall in Singapore. BIG BOX is in the heart of Jurong East district, a vibrant retail hub slated as Singapore's next central business district (CBD), and within walking distance from a mass rapid transit station.

Operated by Zepp@BIGBOX, a joint venture formed between Singapore-based Big Box Investment and Japan-based Zepp Hall Network, Zepp@BIGBOX Singapore is a mid-sized concert hall which
brings the best of sound and lighting for live music enthusiasts to listen to their favourite bands playing on stage. The space doubles up as an event venue.

The audience is meant to stand to watch performances.

Teo Wee Kiang, Executive VP, Zepp@BIGBOX, said that the venue is envisioned as a hub for local and international music artistes."We are committed to building Zepp@BIGBOX as a place where all music lovers can spend time," he said, noting that the venue is unusual as the first standing concert hall in Singapore. "The usual concert hall is (one where you) sit down and watch the performance and then you go off; but for this you get the live experience, that's why it's called the live hall. You can grab your drinks and come in and enjoy the performance," he said.

From left: Zepp's interpreter, Satoshi Seno, President, Zepp Hall Network and Director of the board and Corporate Executive VP, SMEJ, and Sng Sze Hiang, MD, Zepp@BIGBOX answer questiosns at the media Q&A.

Satoshi Seno, President, Zepp Hall Network and Director of the board and Corporate Executive VP, Sony Music Entertainment Japan (SMEJ), said Zepp halls are ideal for pop and rock performances. Pre-equipped with the same stage machinery, lighting and sound systems standardised for all Zepp concert halls throughout Japan, Zepp intends to make it easier for artistes both locally and internationally to stage concerts more easily, efficiently and affordably. Going on tour from one Zepp hall to another literally means entering and playing, as the audio and lighting conditions are handled by the crew for the hall, and would be the same across the board.

According to Zepp Hall Network company representatives, local musicians are typically limited to playing in a club environment. Zepp Hall represents a viable opportunity for them to get into the live performance business and acquire new fans. The space has a capacity of 2,333 persons, and if required, can be expanded to accommodate up to 4,032 persons by using the adjacent hall. Given that clubs may accommodate up to 300 people while other concert venues can take up to 10,000 people, Zepp@BIGBOX offers an in-between option.

"Compared with a stadium this live hall has a cosier feel," said Seno. "The performer can feel as one with the audience."

Big Box Investment is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SGX-listed TT International and manages the Big Box mega warehouse retail mall in Jurong East. Big Box is an eight-storey one-stop complex housing a hypermarket, food and beverage outlets, electronic and furniture stores, and a children's play park. It contains ample parking facilities.

Zepp Hall Network is a SMEJ company. It currently manages six Zepp concert halls in the Japanese cities of Sapporo and Nagoya, and two each in the cities of Tokyo and Osaka. The company is opening new halls in Fukuoka and Yokohama in Japan, and expects to open halls of similar capacity in New Taipei City, Taiwan and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia all in or by the year 2020.

"Our mission is to foster the Singapore music market. Singapore is a hub of Southeast Asia. If we put a Zepp hall in here, Malaysia and Taiwan, it'll be a big Zepp hall network," said Shinichiro Honda, Hall Director, Zepp@BIGBOX; VP, Hall Ops, Zepp Hall Work, and VP, Asia Business Development, SMEJ.

"Our hope is that in the near future (this) will be one of the most famous venues in Singapore," Honda said, adding that the venue can be used to host receptions and corporate events as well. "We're open for you."

Teo added that Zepp@BIGBOX will look for new local talent and offer them a preferred rate. One possibility is to dedicate one weekday to local talent, for example.

Teo further said that a number of shows have already been booked for the venue pre-launch. Three shows were booked for May, with another three confirmed for June. "We are trying to fill up the calendar of this year. It is a very encouraging scenario, that before we start we have already got gigs," he said.

Poster for Sugizo vs Inoran presents Best Bout 2017, a concert by Japanese guitarists. The concert will be held at Zepp@BIGBOX on June 24. 

RedWimps played at Zepp@BIGBOX the day before.

Went for RADWIMPS concert held there last night! Sound system was very well balanced and didn't leave me with ringing ears

— Hong Yi (@asuna88) June 5, 2017

Highlights of the backstage tour included:

A look at the audio equipment, which is standard across Zepp halls. If a performance works well in one hall it will work well in all the other halls.

A store for spares and alternative equipment

A permanent stage.

Dedicated media room and dressing rooms

A loading bay outside the venue large enough to unloading heavy equipment

Interested?

Venue: Zepp@BIGBOX Singapore live hall
Address: BIG BOX Singapore, Level 3, 1 Venture Avenue, Singapore 608521
Area: 3,500 sq m
Capacity: 2,333 (4,032 when combined with adjacent Event Hall B)
Nearest MRT: Jurong East station
Rents for the venue begin at S$16,800 for an event held on Mondays to Thursdays. Bookings may be made up to a year in advance.

Watch the Instavideos for the main hall and the loading bay

posted from Bloggeroid

Singapore International Festival of Music all set for October performances

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.

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 Discounts & promotions applicable.
14 October	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 Grieg: Präludium from Holberg Suite Vivaldi: Spring from The Four Seasons Piazzolla: Verano Porteño Grieg: Gavotte from Holberg Suite Vivaldi: Summer from The Four Seasons Piazzolla: Otoño Porteño Grieg: Sarabande from Holberg Suite Vivaldi: Autumn from The Four Seasons Piazzolla: Invierno Porteño Grieg: Air from Holberg Suite Vivaldi: Winter from The Four Seasons Piazzolla: Primavera Porteña Grieg: Rigaudon from Holberg Suite	$72, $52, $32 excluding SISTIC charges	Concert Series Discounts & promotions applicable.
	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 Discounts & promotions applicable.
15 October	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 Discounts & promotions applicable.
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 Discounts & promotions applicable.
	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 Discounts & promotions applicable.
	7pm / The Arts House Chamber		… And there was N0th1ng Tze & TO Ensemble	$36 excluding SISTIC charges	Chamber Series Discounts & promotions applicable.
18 October	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 Discounts & promotions applicable.
19 October	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 Discounts & promotions applicable.
20 October	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 Discounts & promotions applicable.
21 October	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 Discounts & promotions applicable.
23 October	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 Discounts & promotions applicable.

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.

RINGS.TV to livestream two NParks performances

RINGS.TV will be livestreaming NParks Concert Series in the Park: Rockestra and open mic performance Live Out Loud on the last weekend of June. With over 50,000 downloads to date, RINGS.TV is a next-generation mobile app that allows viewers to watch and interact with live performances on the go. Users can also broadcast live videos through the app.

Source: NParks website.

Rockestra

The second instalment of NParks Concert Series in the Park: Rockestra will be held at Empress Place (Empress Lawn). Held in conjunction with Satay Night Live, this concert promises nostalgia and satay with golden hits from the 50s to the 90s performed by Jive Talkin’, Sebastian Tan aka Broadway Beng, Jack & Rai, Ciao Turtle, ShiLi & Adi, The Pinholes, Alia and Dee Dee. 

25 June, 2016 6.30pm Singapore time

Watch it live on RINGS.TV

Live Out Loud
Enjoy 15 minutes of fame* at Live Out Loud – NParks’ open mic performances – at Esplanade Park. Performances can include singing, dancing, even playing an instrument. To request a performance spot, livestream your performance with the official title (LiveOutLoud) via the Rings Interactive Broadcast Platform. 

Source: NParks website.

Date: 26 June, 10am to 12pm

Watch it live on RINGS.TV

Interested?

The RINGS.TV app is free to download via Google Play for Android and the App Store for iOS

*Shortlisted performers only

Hilton customers to benefit from Live Nation experiences

Hilton Worldwide's new five-year marketing partnership with Live Nation, a live entertainment provider, will see members of Hilton HHonors, Hilton’s 42-million-member-strong guest loyalty programme, guests and team members across over 4,250 hotels worldwide to enjoy unique experiences such as artist connections and concerts. 

Source: Hilton Worldwide. Hilton
is setting out to inspire a new,
healthier mindset - encouraging
 people to seek out the unfamiliar,
to appreciate a different point of
view and to learn from every day
experiences and travel moments.

Hilton at Play, a global campaign to connect people with enriching and playful experiences, will be anchored by Live Nation, while Hilton will become Live Nation's Official Hotel Partner. The two companies are scheduling play dates with award-winning artists at Hilton locations throughout the world. In addition, Hilton HHonors members will be invited to redeem HHonors points and bid on exclusive play experiences such as sound checks and ’meet & greets’ with popular artists.

“Around the world, people simply are not taking time off from work to play... Hilton at Play is our response: it’s a cultural catalyst for change and a reminder of the power of travel,” said Jeff Diskin, Executive VP, commercial services, Hilton Worldwide.