RACHEL CHEUNG PIANO RECITAL @ STEINWAY GALLERY

RACHEL CHEUNG Piano Recital

Steinway Gallery Singapore

Sunday (27 July 2025), 2.30 pm

The perennial questions why Hong Kong pianists achieve where Singaporean pianists fear to tread resurfaced when Rachel Cheung returned to Singapore for a piano recital and masterclasses. The 34-year-old Hongkonger was the first pianist from the former British crown colony to reach both the grand finals of the Leeds (2009) and Van Cliburn (2017) International Piano Competitions. In Fort Worth, TX, she was also awarded the Audience Prize, which was emulated by fellow Hongkonger Aristo Sham, 1st Prizewinner at this year's Van Cliburn. 

Young pianists from Hong Kong
have conquered the world:
Aristo Sham, Tiffany Poon,
Colleen Lee and KaJeng Wong.

Is it the water in the SAR which brings about such other pianistic talents like YouTube sensation Tiffany Poon, Warsaw Chopin finalist Colleen Lee and KaJeng Wong, who has already made three recital albums? No, it's probably a combination of good teaching, artistic environment (HK is still miles ahead of SG) and a "can do" spirit which make them world-beaters while we tend to take it easy and rest on our laurels. Even humble Malaysia has Tengku Irfan, Magdalene Ho and Vincent Ong (participant in Warsaw this year) to make us look over our shoulders. 

What did Rachel perform at the Steinway Gallery? She began not with selected movements but the complete Schumann Fantasiestucke Op.12, eight movements displaying an enormous range in her playing. How she found a seamless lyricism in the opening Des Abends was admirable, contrasted with the soaring ecstasy of Aufschwung and the quizzical musings of Warum?. 

If there were an ultimate test to the Steinway D's sonority and resonance, the smouldering In der Nacht fully captured that and a bit more. The spirits of Schumann's alter egos Florestan and Eusebius were realised in that virtuosic number, later kicking in for Fabel and Traumes Wirren which had playfulness and fantasy to equal degree. The valedictory Ende vom Lied provided a satisfying close to the set.

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel's birth, Rachel performed Jeux d'eau and Pavane pour une infante defunte. The impressionist splashy water-play with Lisztian flourishes found a perfect foil in the Belle Epoque and austere charm of the latter. This certainly was not a dead pavane, to quote the Frenchman's own witty words.

Closing the recital proper was Liszt's Waltzes from Gounod's Faust, a series of virtuosic dances combining the whimsical, romantic and ultimately fantastic impulses from the opera. The filigree of its cadenzas was well done, and Rachel certainly had the physical heft to surmount its big hitting climaxes. There was a mad rush with spilt notes towards to end but she brought out louds cheer from the salon audience in attendance. Now one longs to hear her Mephisto Waltzes or Don Juan Fantasy sometime.

There was time for an encore, Erik Satie's Gymnopedie No.1 to mark the 100th anniversary of the eccentric Frenchman's death. The playing was simplicity and elegance personified.

Someday, Singapore's Toby Tan may
emulate Rachel Cheung's multiple successes.
Practise, practise, practise!

Rachel Cheung was presented by 

Pianology and Steinway Gallery Singapore.

9TH SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL GRAND PRIX CONCERT & AWARD CEREMONY / Review

 

9TH SINGAPORE 

INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL

GRAND PRIX CONCERT 

& AWARD CEREMONY

Esplanade Concert Hall

Sunday (27 July 2025)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 29 July 2025 with the title "Singapore International Choral Festival Grand Prix concert showcases choral excellence".

The culmination of the 9th Singapore International Choral Festival organised by One Choral Company and Rave Group International was its Grand Prix concert. Eight best choirs selected from field of 74 from eleven nations spread over eleven choral categories vied for the top prize. The two-hour concert was a showcase of choral excellence and diversity in harmony.

There were two children’s choirs, both from People’s Republic of China. Opening the evening was the Shenyang Radio and Television Children’s Choir (Chorusmaster: Liu Jiaqi) with 34 singers in bright olive-green outfits. They impressed with clarity and homogeneity in Xingzimin Pan’s New Qingping Music Village Residence sung in Mandarin, and various vocal sound effects with hand-clapping and foot-stomping in Cao Guanyu’s Dolly Budgie.

More than double its size with 71 singers was the Liwan Children’s Choir (Li Huikun) in bright red and maroon which closed the concert. Singing in Mandarin, Wu Zhuoxian’s Lightyear highlighted lyricism and sentimentality while Guan Yu’s Banks of the Densely Forested Red River was a vigourous highland song in local Yunnan dialect, accompanied by a traditional folk singer and percussion instruments.

Hong Kong’s contribution was the Ying Wa College Choir (Ernest Hui), an all-men’s ensemble smartly-attired in black blazers and resembling a university glee club. Its excellent deportment carried into Hong Kong composer Yip Ho-Kwen’s Camping Insights, the sung language easily recognisable as Cantonese with excellent pronunciation and diction. Just as idiomatic was its English in The Drop by Latvian composer Andris Dzenitis, based on Urdu poetry by Mirza Ghalib.

There were three choirs from Indonesia. First to perform was Libels Voice Youth Choir (Achmad Yarziq Mubarak) from Surabaya. When ladies mostly wearing hijabs sing “I believe in God” in Kim Arnesen’s Even When He Is Silent with such beauty and sincerity, one’s faith is affirmed. In contrast, Katerina Gimon’s Fire from Elements, nonsense syllables and percussive beats emphasised the raw and raucous.

Easily the most colourful outfits were worn by Gita Maizan Choir (Odhi Pratama Maizan) from Yogyakarta, complete with tribal headgear, face-paint and bare feet. Sung in Latvian, Perkontevs (Father Thunder) by Laura Jekabsone simulated falling raindrops and wind, building up to a full-blown storm. Jungle animal sounds, resonant tribal singing and rhythmic movement made West Papuan folksong E Mambo Simbo-2 a gripping experience.

The visual and aural spectacle continued with Puellae Orantes Choir (Wladislaw Pachota) from Poland, resplendent with traditional costumes, floral headbands and ribboned braids. Johannes Brahms’ motet Regina Coeli was founded on purity and innocence, while the mazurka rhythm of Frederic Chopin’s Zyczenie (A Maiden’s Wish), sung in Polish, was enhanced by pretty and dainty folk-dancing.

The third Indonesian choir, Harmony Project (Haryono Sumerah) from North Sulawesi turned its two songs into a full-blown gospel service with Sumerah’s groovy arrangements of a mash-up of the hymns Glory and Nearer My God To Thee, and Kirk Franklin’s Love Theory. With such soulful solos, spirited rapping and exuberant voices, one has to wonder whether one has wandered into Harlem, New York City.

The sole Singapore representative was Choralimus (Chong Wai Lun), winner of the Popular and Jazz category with The Four Tops’ Baby, I Need Your Lovin’ and John Lennon / Paul McCartney’s In My Life. Both had excellent solos backed by very tight close harmony, sung with verve and spirit. So let it no longer be said that Singapore choirs lack soul or jive.

Anxiously awaiting the results,
there was friendly rivalry between the 
contingents from Taiwan and China.

Has anyone noticed that both
Indonesia and Poland have very similar flags?

Four levels of fandom.

Odhi Pratama Maizan, founder of
the Gita Maizan Choir gets the Grand Prix
on behalf of his singers.

This year’s Grand Prix, determined by an international jury of 12, was awarded to the wonderfully vibrant Gita Maizan Choir, which goes on to compete in next year’s Asian Grand Prix held in South Korea.

This year's Grand Prix winners:
Gita Maizan Choir
Photo: Aloysius Lim

Photo: Tan Zexun

Future winners?

Shenyang RTV Children's Choir.

Watch the Grand Prix Concert 

& Award Ceremony here:

9TH SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL OPENING NIGHT + 4TH ASIA CHORAL GRAND PRIX / Review

 

9TH SINGAPORE 

INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL

OPENING CONCERT

Victoria Concert Hall

Wednesday (23 July 2025)

4TH ASIA CHORAL GRAND PRIX

Victoria Concert Hall

Thursday (24 July 2025), 7 pm

This review was published in The Straits Times on 26 July 2025 with the title "Stellar singing at the Singapore International Choral festival".

The Singapore International Choral Festival (SICF), now in its ninth edition, opened with an hour-long concert presented by the 40 singers of ONE Chamber Choir led by director Lim Ai Hooi and five-member yIN Harmony, an ensemble of Asian traditional instruments helmed by bansuri virtuoso and Cultural Medallion recipient Ghanavenothan Retnam. Hundreds of foreign singers and delegates in attendance were treated to an all-Singapore musical experience.

Photo: Yeo Kaiwen

Photo: Tan Zexun

Popular National Day Parade staples like Singapura, Sunny Island and Singapore Town were aired, as were songs in the four official national languages – Malay (Dayong Sampan), Tamil (Munnaeru Valibaa), Chinese (Rose, Rose, I Love You) and English. In addition, there were solos and dances by singers dressed in saris, cheongsums and kopi-tiam attire. The strong and abiding message is diversity and cultural appreciation being encouraged here.

Photo: Tan Zexun

The Asia Choral Grand Prix that took place the following evening pitted five choirs, winners of five international choral competitions held in Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore last year in search for the creme de la creme. Each choir was to showcase its vocal prowess and range within a span of 20 minutes.

Concentrating on music from the homeland, such as the University of Mindanao Chorale (Philippines, led by Timothy Paul Atencio) in songs by Eudenice Palaruan (Gapas) and Ian Gabriel Corpuz (Di Man Mawari, Mawari) played to its strengths. Shining with clarity of consonants and warmth of sound, it also hit plangent climaxes in works by Hungarians Magor Bucz and Gyongyosi Levente.

The cuteness of little ones in the Cheorwon Boys and Girls Choir (South Korea, Chang Hae Won) dressed in traditional hanbok was matched by its singing, which came naturally and with unspoilt purity. Sticking mostly with songs by Korean composers, their mimicry of birdsong in Bird Taryeong and choreography with fans in Kook Hyun’s Yalli Yalli Yalla Syeong was simply charming.

Range was the strong suit of the Vocalista Harmonic Choir ISI Yogyakarta (Indonesia, Athiya Monica). It sang in Haya (a language invented by Swedish composer Karin Rehnqvist), Italian (Giaches de Wert), German (Hugo Wolf) and Latin (Joszef Karai), before closing with Indonesian composer Nicholas Rio’s Hanacaraka, which had drones, drum-beats and nifty dance movements.

The 16 young women in the Korea Choir (South Korea, Hyun Hangwon) are probably all professional singers, judging by their poise and demeanour. The brevity of its programme was made up by quality, singing in Latin for Josu Elberdin’s Salve Regina and Lee Hyun Chul’s Cantate Domino, the latter featuring an excellent soprano solo. Upping the tempo considerably, Jim Papoulis’ Panta Rhei and Kirby Shaw’s Something Latin were rhythmically exciting.

The last choir to appear was Sola Gratia Chorale (Philippines, Cyril Punay), already familiar with local audiences having been last year’s Grand Prix winner at Singapore International Choral Festival. If anything, this choir has actually progressed.

Francisco Feliciano’s Pamugun – highly impressive with its rapid polysyllables – was reprised, unsurprisingly. Its addition of Sinn Sisamouth’s sentimental Champa Battambang sung in Cambodian, Giovanni Gabrielli’s Jubilate Deo with antiphonal effects, Stephen Chatman’s Warm Summer Sun with clarinet solo, and the sheer warmth of the Afro-American spiritual He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands all provided goosebump-raising moments.

Photo: Chen Chen

Photo: Chan Chen

It did not take long for the nine-member international jury to name Sola Gratia Chorale as the winner of the 4th Asia Choral Grand Prix, deservedly so for its overall excellence and heart-warming range. Do not miss the festival finale on Sunday where the new Grand Prix winner of the 9th SICF will be crowned.

The moment you know
you have won!

Photo: Tan Zexun

Proud winner of the
4th Asia Choral Grand Prix:
Sola Gratia Chorale & Cyril Punay.
Photo: Tan Zexun

Watch Sola Gratia Chorale's 

Asian Choral Grand Prix Concert here:

ANDREAS SCHOLL WITH SARAH TRAUBEL AND RED DOT BAROQUE / Review

 

ANDREAS SCHOLL 

WITH SARAH TRAUBEL

AND RED DOT BAROQUE

Esplanade Concert Hall

Sunday (20 July 2025)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 22 July 2025 with the title "Red Dot Baroque's sublime collaboration with Andreas Scholl and Sarah Traubel".

A proper and sustained pursuit of baroque music-making in Singapore may be said to have begun with Red Dot Baroque (RDB) in 2018, led by founding artistic director, violinist and Young Artist Award recipient Alan Choo. An ongoing series of landmark performances and artistic triumphs continued in this collaboration with world-renowned German countertenor Andreas Scholl and soprano Sarah Traubel.

RDB’s recently concluded grand tour of Italy carried into this Esplanade Classics presentation of the Italian baroque. Antonio Vivaldi’s three-movement Sinfonia from the opera L’Olimpiade opened with infectious vigour, setting the stage for a gripping evening of music-making.

Photo: AlvieAlive

The subjects of love and death began with soprano Traubel in commanding form for Da rio funesto turbine from Giovanni Pergolesi’s opera Il Flaminio. Her perfect diction and intonation, allied with expressive power, made this aria describing a whirlwind of emotions totally memorable.

Photo: AlvieAlive

Loud applause greeted Scholl, who last sang here 25 years ago, when he emerged for Nicola Porpora’s Per pieta, turba feroce (For Pity’s Sake, O Fierce Crowd) from the oratorio Il Trionfo della divina giustizia ne tormente e morte di Gesu Cristo (The Triumph of Divine Justice in the Torments and Death of Jesus Christ).

Despite nursing a cold, Scholl shrugged off any hint of bother or strain, his recognisable head voice radiant as fondly remembered. In this impassioned plea from Mary for compassion at the cross of Jesus, his delivery enthralled with nimbleness, athleticism and heartfelt sincerity.

Photo: AlvieAlive

Closing the half was George Frideric Handel’s secular cantata Amarilli Vezzosa (Charming Amaryllis or The Amorous Duel), where Scholl and Traubel took turns in teasing, taunting and then threatening. Listeners knowing Italian is essential, but the singing, body language and to-and-fro dramatics between the duo all pointed to a romance gone awry. Their very short and abrupt duet at the end said it all, “never the twain shall meet”.

Photo: AlvieAlive

The second half saw a rare performance here of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, the Latin liturgy on the sorrow of Mary at the foot of Jesus’ crucifixion. Written in 1736 at the end of his very short life, its twelve movements – with nine set in the minor key – reflected gravitas and urgency.

The 14-member RDB perfectly captured the opening Stabat mater dolorosa’s solemn mood, before Scholl and Traubel’s anguished entries. Alternating between duets and arias, this classic’s sequence of verses could just make a believer out of anyone.

Photo: AlvieAlive

Quis est homo (duet), Vidit suum dulcem datum (soprano aria) and Eja mater fons amoris (alto aria) were particularly affecting. The duet Fac ut ardeat cor mortum, delivered with fast and furious intensity, clearly moved the audience, drawing immediate and spontaneous applause.

The final third was no less moving, with the duet Inflammatus et accensus in B flat major providing a momentary uplift of spirits. The final duet Quando corpus morietur was a return to earlier dolour, drawing a veil of tears before a brief fugal Amen to close on a high.

A reading as sublime as this is the very reason why the experience of live performances with great artists – greeted with a standing ovation on the evening – will always trump the best of studio recordings.

A rare standing ovation
at the Esplanade.