People Watching at the SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION

A large queue at the ballot boxes. The audience was
allowed to vote for their favourite finalist.

The inaugural Singapore International Violin Competition reached a climax with its Grand Final held on Wednesday 21 January 2015 at Esplanade Concert Hall, with three finalists performing concertos with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. There was a large audience turnout to cheer on their favourites and the response was overwhelming to say the least. Here are some photos (Singapore Tatler style) of some luminaries (no politicians or bureaucrats!) who attended.

Loh Jun Hong, Singapore's top placed violinist,
with violinists and pedagogues Vivien Goh and
Takako Nishizaki, whose Butterfly Lovers Concerto
has sold in the millions.

Singapore Chinese Orchestra General Manager Terence Ho
with Prof Wang Ya-Hui, former conductor of the
Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra.
She is especially chuffed by the prospect of
three Taiwanese violinists in the Grand Final.

Chia Sin Teck and Julie Tan
of the Singapore Music Teachers Association.

Top cellists  Qin Li-Wei and Leslie Tan with
Professor Chan Tze Law of YST Conservatory.

Japanese violinist Chisa Kitagawa and her mother.
Thanks to the competition and the Rin Collection,
she now gets to play on an Amati violin.

Top local violin pedagogues
Chin Chee Mee and Lynette Lim.

Straits Times music critic Mervin Beng and
Dr Wilson Goh, collector of rare string instruments.

Toh Xue Qian and Christopher Cheong of the
Orchestra of Music Makers.

Pianists Albert Tiu, sporting a clean cut
sans goatee for the first time this Millennium,
and his wife Susan Lai.