Romantic Masterpieces: Tchaikovsky, Brahms & Koh
Internationally acclaimed Singapore Symphony Orchestra, joined by teenage violin sensation Chloe Chua, make their highly anticipated Australian debut in February 2025.
Conducted by visionary Music Director Hans Graf and also featuring Australian-born principal cellist Ng Pei-Sian, the Singapore Symphony will perform a spectacular afternoon of Romantic favourites in QPAC’s Concert Hall.
In Brahms’ final orchestral work, the 1887 Double Concerto, violin and cello are a match made in heaven as they interweave in intricate harmony.
Tchaikovsky’s towering fifth symphony embodies the exhilarating richness of Russian Romanticism. Anguished passionate melody and luscious orchestration feature in this most intoxicating of symphonies.
Luciola singapura, a shimmering new work by award-winning Singaporean composer Koh Cheng Jin, celebrates the discovery of a new species of luminous firefly found deep in Singapore’s Nee Soon Forest. With the addition of the Yang Qin (Chinese dulcimer), it is a vivid evocation of the Singapore Firefly’s golden appearance and mysterious allure.
Bridging musical traditions of East and West, Romantic Masterpieces represents the heartland of the Singapore Symphony experience.
PROGRAM
Koh Cheng Jin Luciola singapura
Brahms Concerto for Violin & Cello in A minor, Op. 102
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
Dazzling audiences since its founding in 1979, Singapore’s flagship orchestra has earned an international reputation for its musical virtuosity. Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has garnered sterling reviews for its overseas tours and over 50 recordings, culminating in its 3rd place win in the prestigious Gramophone Orchestra of the Year Award 2021. In 2022, the BBC named the SSO as one of the best orchestras in the world.
Grammy Award-winning Austrian conductor and SSO Music Director, Hans Graf, is an artistic visionary renowned for his spirit of musical curiosity, creative programming and commanding stage presence. Graf has served as Music Director of the Houston Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Basque National Orchestra and Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, and is a recipient of the Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Légion d'Honneur (France) and the Grand Decoration of Honour (Austria).
One of the world’s most gifted young musicians, teenage violin prodigy Chloe Chua has captured the hearts of audiences around the globe since winning the prestigious Menuhin Competition in 2018 – when she was just 11. Chua has been the Artist in Residence with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra since 2022, the youngest ever appointed to this role. Her 2023 debut album, a recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Locatelli’s Harmonic Labyrinth, has drawn more than 1.6 million streams on Spotify.
Sydney-born musician Ng Pei-Sian is the star cellist of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. He was named Commonwealth Musician of the Year in 2007, won the Gold Medal and First Prize at the 55th Royal Overseas League Music Competition, and has performed concertos with orchestras across Australia, Asia and Europe. Ng has performed with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, Cho-Liang Lin, Renaud Capuçon and Oscar winner Tan Dun.
Multi-award-winning Singaporean composer and Yangqin performer Koh Cheng Jin creates eclectic, spiritual music that transcends cultural boundaries and revels in imaginative storytelling. Her work has been commissioned by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. Named for a rediscovered species of firefly, her ingenious composition Luciola singapura is a vivid musical portrayal of bioluminescence.
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