The Singapore International Festival of Music (SIFOM), Singapore’s first classical music festival, returns for its second year. Centered around the theme “Myths and Legends,” the festival showcases classical music inspired by folklore and fairy tales. From October 13th to 30th, the festival offers free public programs, masterclasses, and ticketed events including orchestral performances, musical theater, and vocal concerts.
The 2016 SIFOM lineup features the festival’s own SIFOM Orchestra and Ensemble, Ding Yi Music Company (showcasing Singapore’s finest young musicians), and internationally-renowned guests from the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE), a distinguished chamber orchestra.
Collaborating with the Arts House and OperaViva, SIFOM seeks to establish Singapore as a global classical music destination and attract new audiences. “Singapore has an undeniably international brand. By positioning Singapore as the region’s classical music hub, SIFOM aims to further solidify Singapore’s global standing as a major cultural center,” remarked Grammy-nominated Singaporean conductor Darrell Ang, SIFOM’s Artistic Director.
The festival commences with a symphonic concert featuring the resident SIFOM Orchestra alongside members of the COE, led by Maestro Ang. COE will also present a performance based on French composer Maurice Ravel’s orchestration of tales from Mother Goose, including Sleeping Beauty, Tom Thumb, The Princess of the Pagodas, Beauty and the Beast, and The Fairy Garden.
Two rising opera stars from the Musical Olympus Foundation will take the stage on October 13th and 15th, performing a selection of their favorite pieces. Chinese bass-baritone Li Ao, winner of Placido Domingo’s Operalia competition, will portray the devil Mephistopheles in a renowned aria from Gounod’s opera Faust, where he advises a woman to remain chaste until marriage. Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, from Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre, will perform Cinderella’s concluding aria from Rossini’s opera based on the fairytale, in which the now-married Cinderella seeks forgiveness for her mistreatment by her wicked stepfamily.
Aleksey Semenenko, an exceptional violinist who recently earned the silver medal at the Queen Elisabeth Competition, promises an electrifying performance featuring music from Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy. His evening concert on October 13th will commence with a pre-concert recital showcasing music inspired by legends, followed by Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s symphonic adaptation of the adventures of Sindbad the Sailor and the 1001 Arabian Nights.
Inspired by a traditional Malay poem called Syair Bidasari, the story of Ikan Girl highlights the victory of good over evil. The performance blends elements of Malay dance, Indian bharatanatyam, and contemporary dance styles with original music composed by Syafiqah Adha Sallehin, Artist-in-Residence at SIFOM 2016. Renowned percussionist Ramu Thiruyanam will make a special appearance during the live performance by classical and traditional musicians.
Singaporean Chinese chamber music ensemble Ding Yi Music Company and Song Hong Chamber Music of Vietnam will present 五 + 5 = ? On October 13th, the Hamburg baroque orchestra Elbipolis will lead an experimental concert series, featuring the music of Tim Exile and Brezel Göring, fusing elements of a traditional concert with a club atmosphere.
On October 19th, enjoy a performance entitled “New Music in a Mythic Landscape,” showcasing original compositions by SIFOM Young Composers, inspired by the scenery and landmarks of Singapore.
“Classical music shouldn’t be confined to concert halls. By bringing it to local communities, we hope to make classical music accessible to everyone and cultivate a new generation of enthusiasts,” said Ang.
As part of its Outreach Programs, SIFOM musicians will perform excerpts from the main programs, such as Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite, in a variety of community spaces including parks, malls, libraries, schools, and heartland areas.
Additionally, SIFOM will collaborate with Sentire Singapore on a program for children with special needs. Designed to encourage self-expression and artistic development, the program will culminate in a live performance by some of the students at The Arts House on October 19th.
Interested?
SIFOM runs from October 13th to 30th.
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
Danseuses de Delphes : Lent et grave
Voiles : Modéré
Le vent dans la plaine : Animé
Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’air du soir: Modéré
Les collines d’Anacapri : Très modérée
Des pas sur la neige : Triste et lent
Ce qu’a vu le vent d’ouest : Animé et tumultueux
La fille aux cheveux de lin: Très calme et doucement expressif
La sérénade interrompue : Modérément animé
La cathédrale engloutie : Profondément calme
La danse de Puck : Capricieux et léger
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 - É_tude 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.
For ticketed events after October 23rd, please browse here. Explore community events, scheduled from October 24th to 27th at various educational institutions, here.
For fringe events taking place from October 13th to 16th at the Arts House, National Gallery, and Victoria Concert Hall, please browse here.
Programmes and information are accurate as of August 15th, 2016, and are subject to change.