ERIC LU & KAHCHUN WONG / CHOPIN PIANO CONCERTO NO.1 / Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Review

 

ERIC LU & KAHCHUN WONG

CHOPIN PIANO CONCERTO NO.1

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Victoria Concert Hall

Friday (1 May 2026)

This review was first published in Bachtrack.com on 5 May 2026 with the title "Eric Lu brings scintillating Chopin to Singapore".

In two short weeks with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Kahchun Wong conducted more works by Asian composers than entire seasons in the past. Last week, his own orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition scored with traditional Asian and Chinese instruments and Cambodian composer Chinary Ung’s Water Rings: Overture were given local premieres. This concert saw the world premiere of young Singaporean composer Wang Chenwei’s Rwa Bhineda.

The title comes from Balinese philosophy where opposing forces – good and evil, joy and sorrow – exist to maintain balance in the cosmos. Within ten intense minutes, a soft-loud-sound / slow-fast-slow arch-like edifice was constructed to relive the perfect symmetry of a candi bentar gate found in Balinese architecture. String harmonics and low bass notes are heard in tandem, and both slendro and peleg scales of gamelan music were employed, anterograde and retrograde. All this led to central kinetic episode recalling the busyness of Colin McPhee’s Tabuh Tabuhan before gently receding into ultimate solace.

The sold-out concert’s main draw was American pianist Eric Lu, winner of the 2025 International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, performing Chopin’s First Piano Concerto in E minor (Op.11). The opening Allegro maestoso was expansive, established by the orchestral ritornello and his entry stolid and imposing. Playing with the safety net of a tablet, any fears were dispelled as he fluently negotiated awkward turns and the scintillating development section. 

Mastery of cantabile was never in doubt, and full fruition came in the Romance with the luminous seamless beauty of his phrasing and touch. The Rondo finale’s Krakowiak was breathlessly exciting, bringing the concerto to a triumphant close. This is one work where applause begins even before the last orchestral chord is sounded. Lu’s encores were contrasting, Schumann’s Träumerei from Kinderszenen and because the audience would not let him leave, Chopin’s vertiginous Waltz in A flat major (Op.42).

After a first half that lasted well over an hour, the audience had thinned out somewhat, a pity that some had missed a rare outing for Bartók’ Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta. Personally considered his best work, strings were symmetrically split into exact halves, placed on either side of Wong, each playing different parts and creating an antiphonal effect. Leading without a baton, he got as much as he could from players challenged by this kind of “chamber music”. Bare violas opened with a spare fugal subject, with Bartok’s patented night music atmosphere conjured in the opening and third movements later becoming synonymous with horror movie music.

All thanks to Stanley Kubrick’s canny use in his 1980 movie The Shining, this pop culture reference to the Adagio is unlikely to fade anytime soon. Jonathan Fox’s repeated xylophone ticks and glissandi on Christian Schiøler’s timpanis have that skin-crawling quality, and further slides on the strings, Beatrice Lin’s piano, Aya Sakou’s celesta and Gulnara Mashurova’s harp created a nightmare dreamscape now indelibly associated with deserted carpeted hallways, icy garden mazes and blood gushing from lifts. 

The fast movements could have done with an extra helping of abandonment, particularly in the second movement’s treacherous runs of string pizzicatos with rapidly shifting metres, which was taken more gingerly than with swashbuckling verve. Nevertheless, the overall outcome was a still a positive one. Virtuoso orchestras and their audiences could always do with shocks to the system once in a while.

Star Rating: ****

The original review on Bachtrack.com can be read here:

Eric Lu brings scintillating Chopin to Singapore | Bachtrack

AKIKO SUWANAI & KAHCHUN WONG - DVORAK & ELGAR / Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Review

 

AKIKO SUWANAI 

AND KAHCHUN WONG - 

DVORAK AND ELGAR 

Singapore Symphony Orchestra 

Victoria Concert Hall 

Friday (4 April 2025)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 7 April 2025 with the title "Wong Kah Chun pairs Dvorak and Elgar in astute programme for SSO".

For the second pair of concerts with homegrown conductor Kahchun Wong leading the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, one initially wondered what British composer Malcolm Arnold’s Four Scottish Dances had to do with Czech composer Antonin Dvorak’s Violin Concerto. On paper, it appeared strange but in reality, the principal conductor of the Halle Orchestra in Manchester and chief conductor of the Japan Philharmonic had devised a very astute bit of programming. 

Kahchun holds aloft the score of
Malcolm Arnold's Scottish Dances.

Both works were based on folk music, the Scottish Dances opening with syncopated swagger in the key in A minor, then going through traditional jigs and reels associated with the highland country. The slow third movement’s modal melody even resembled those heard in Chinese music, while the closing dance featured frenetic fiddling in A major. 

That sumptuous wallow played a perfect prelude to the Dvorak, also in A minor, which was rooted in Bohemian folk music. Its emphatic syncopated opening saw Japanese violinist Akiko Suwanai in imperious form. Coaxing a glorious tone from her Guarneri Del Gesu, her solos rose well above the orchestral throng, and there could not have been a more lyrical and emotional response in the slow movement which tugged on the heart-strings. 

This violin concerto lies in the shadow of Dvorak’s more epic Cello Concerto, but Suwanai clearly showed why that should not be. The finale, a furiant dance in A major, alternated between drama and light-heartedness, making for a free-wheeling and sizzling close. Her encore, the Gigue from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Violin Partita No.3, showcased more of her staggering sonority. 

What could possibly top the near-perfect synergy and symmetry of the first half? Edward Elgar’s Variations on an Original Theme, better known as Enigma Variations, received a very personal reading under Wong’s charge. The theme itself, an enigma since nobody has ever figured out Elgar’s inspiration for it, was taken at such a measured pace that was almost quizzical in countenance. 

The 14 variations, each a musical portrait of personalities in Elgar’s life (including his wife Caroline Alice and himself), were so sharply characterised that several came close to caricature. One might even describe some as mannered, but it made for totally absorbing listening as there was never a dull moment. 

Solos stood out including Zhang Manchin’s viola and Hyung Suk Bae’s cello, representing Elgar’s friends who played those instruments. The woodwinds’ chattering in imitation of peculiar speech patterns and braying brass portraying gruff and buff characters, including a bulldog, made for memorable moments. 

The 9th and most famous variation, Nimrod, was played without exaggeration or idiosyncrasy, with Wong allowing the music to gradually build up to the monumental edifice that it purports to be. 

The other big variation, the 14th and final (E.D.U., name after himself) was steeped in self-declared grandiosity, but one wished to have heard more of the hall’s Klais Organ bursting through the bluster with Joanna Paul pulling the stops. Little matter, it still made for a fine evening of music.

GERHARD OPPITZ & KAHCHUN WONG - BRAHMS & SHOSTAKOVICH / Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Review

GERHARD OPPITZ 

AND KAHCHUN WONG -

BRAHMS AND SHOSTAKOVICH

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Esplanade Concert Hall 

Friday (28 March 2025) 

This review was published in Bachtrack.com on 31 March 2025 with the title "Kahchun Wong inspires Singapore Symphony in Shostakovich and Brahms".

There are two Singaporean musicians who might justly be referred to as musical celebrities. One is former child prodigy violinist Chloe Chua while the other is Kahchun Wong, Principal Conductor of the Hallé and Chief Conductor of the Japan Philharmonic. Wong will become the first Singapore-born Music Director of the Singapore Symphony someday, but that will be something for the future. 

Presently, a two-week residency at his hometown orchestra has borne fruit. Tickets to both evenings of his first programme at Esplanade Concert Hall had been sold-out in advance. And what is there to object in a tandem of Brahms and Shostakovich? Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto is what the great Artur Schnabel might have described as “music better than could be performed”. 

And so it proved with septuagenarian German pianist Gerhard Oppitz, whose view was to regard his role as an integral part of the orchestra, in a four-movement symphony with piano obbligato. His monumental solo, thus, did not stand out like a hero battling orchestral forces but rather one sublimated within. The sonics were mostly in soft focus, even with the opening cadenza-like solo. And when the orchestra joined in, being swamped became a real possibility. This was most apparent in the opening movement, where the orchestra dominated and became the main focus. 

Things improved in the “little wisp of a Scherzo” (Brahms’ own words) where lightness and levity ruled, with Oppitz’s nimble fingers fully up to task. The best came in the slow movement with principal cellist Ng Pei-Sian’s sublime solo, where interplay between pianist and orchestra approached the grace and intimacy of chamber music. The finale’s fleetness seemed like an antidote to the heavy-lifting of earlier movements and Brahms’ send-up to the Viennese waltz was a refreshing way to close. Despite vociferous applause and encouragement, Oppitz was content to leave the stage without offering an encore. 

Photo: Jack Yam

The evening’s main event was undoubtedly Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony conducted wholly from memory by Wong. He certainly has definite ideas about the music, despite its ambivalence and seemingly open-ended message. The opening page, essentially a tone row, with its slashing brute force, could not have been more clearly enunciated. The juggernaut of a march that ensued after the exposition was all about oppression and utter dominance, evident in its broad sweep and arrogant swagger. 

Photo: Jack Yam

The Scherzo’s ironic waltz delivered a similar message, with solo entreaties from concertmaster Erik Heide’s violin, Evgueni Brokmiller’s flute and others being met with derision and ridicule, and the final closing chord deliberately held for longer than usual. SSO’s fabled strings led the Largo, setting the stage for its pall of catharsis. If there were a single movement not laden with vitriol, this was it, making for a truly moving plaint. 

The finale’s procession of triumphal bluster and its succession of repeated A’s have been well-debated, interpreted as forced rejoicing under severe duress. Wong’s reading, with the French horn section upturning their bells to dramatic effect in one passage, nailed this theory on its head. The prolonged applause that greeted its close may not have replicated that of its 1937 Leningrad premiere, but was an affirmation not of “a Soviet artist’s reply to just criticism” (Shostakovich’s own words), but rather a stiff middle finger to Soviet totalitarianism. 

Star Rating: ****

The review as published in Bachtrack.com:

https://bachtrack.com/review-kahchun-wong-oppitz-brahms-shostakovich-singapore-symphony-march-2025

BANGKOK'S BEST KEPT SECRET: THE THAILAND PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

 

BANGKOK’S BEST KEPT SECRET: 

THE THAILAND 

PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA 

It is no secret that I have been visiting Bangkok regularly over the past few years. No, its not for the shopping, culinary or carnal delights, but for music. Since 2016, Bangkok has been a destination of mine for classical music. Should that even be a surprise? 

It was my friend Howard “Buzz” Singer, retired American attorney, who first planted the idea of visiting Thailand for musical reasons. August 2016 was my first time, and it was to see brilliant young Thai pianist Poom Prommachart perform Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra (TPO). It was an eye and ear-opening experience, not to mention the 35 kilometers one has to travel from Sukhumvit to Salaya, almost an hour by car and even longer via public transport. These days one can easily get to Bang Wa via MRT and then catch the Salaya Express bus (30 bahts one way) to Mahidol University where TPO is based. 

TPO performs at the magnificent Prince Mahidol Hall, which seats 2000 (bigger than Esplanade!) and has near-perfect acoustics and sightlines. Over the years, I have caught the London Symphony and BBC Symphony at this venue (with ticket prices far less than in Singapore) besides the TPO’s excellent programmes. From the TPO under its Music Director Alfonso Scarano and various guest conductors, I have heard Mahler’s Third Symphony, Schoenberg’s Pelleas und Melisande, Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony, Rachmaninov’s Third Symphony and Sibelius Second Symphony, all displaying the orchestra’s considerable prowess. Formed in 2005, TPO is not at the level of the Singapore Symphony yet, but its progress and ambition over the years has been most impressive. 

The foyer of Prince Mahidol Hall
simply glitters.

This latest concert on 10 August 2024 had me scrambling to make flight and hotel bookings for the National Day long weekend as TPO’s programme was not one readily available at home. One will not get to hear jazz legend Chick Corea’s Trombone Concerto, performed by no less than New York Philharmonic principal Joseph Alessi, or Mahler’s elusive Seventh Symphony conducted by young Singaporean hotshot Kahchun Wong, now the chief conductor of Manchester’s Halle Orchestra. Now, whoever thought even that was possible? With a concert ticket at 700 bahts (S$28) for very decent stall seats, this was just a steal. 

TPO pre-concert talk, with
tenor horn and mandolin players in attendance.

Never had I also encountered so many young people toting trombone cases and secondary school students at the single concert. They far outnumbered the middle-aged farang male and or upper middle-class families on a Saturday outing, usually the most common demographic. They were impeccably behaved and respectful, and totally enthusiastic in response to the performers and the music played. There was almost a carnival-like atmosphere in the hall’s starlight illuminated foyer where an interactive pre-concert talk was taking place. 

What of the music? De rigeuer is a performance of the King’s Anthem for which everybody stood up for (lese majeste rules apply in case one did not comply). The Corea work was mostly easy listening, with the ace in Alessi playing extended solos as if he were improvising, while the orchestra being most discreet in its partnership. A breathtaking virtuoso show was the least to be expected, which extended to a substantial jazzy encore accompanied by the TPO’s pianist. 

The Mahler symphony was why we came, and we were not disappointed. The opening tenor horn solo was excellent, setting the mood for the march-like first movement which was kept on tight leash under conductor Wong’s control. The pace was not allowed to lag. The two Nachtmusik movements provided moments of respite, and these were coloured by the gentle clangour of cowbells and the mandolin’s ear-catching tinkle. These were nicely phrased, but best of all was the central Scherzo which was vehemence personified. Was it meant to be vitriolic, demonic or a motley combination of most sinister traits? 

This strangest of Mahler movements was perfectly judged, and one cannot have hoped for a more trenchant reading. The blustery finale was probably the most problematic of five movements, sounding overlong with a confusion of ideas. However, Wong still managed to keep a lid on things that would otherwise boil over, making for a somewhat conflicted but generally happy end. The audience response was vociferous, with each soloist in the orchestra (especially the brass) recognised with the loudest of cheers. 

This listener was more than satisfied with the outcome, and the concert well worth the effort of a long trek. As for my long-time friend Buzz, I could only thank him for his “introduction” to the TPO and say, “we wish you were here with us in BKK”! Simply put, Thailand Philharmonic concerts are Bangkok’s best kept secret, but soon it should no longer be. 

Do check-out the orchestra’s website for its concert season and further details: Home Page - Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra 

Post concert saw a meet-and-greet with Alessi and the man Kahchun himself, who was genuinely pleased to see Singaporeans come all this way for music. We were not the only ones. We missed the last bus ride back to Bang Wa but that was a small glitch in the grand scheme of things. So it was a Grab ride (480 bahts) to Siam Square for a well-deserved dinner. Patting oneself on the back is what people do when they go on vacation and get to tell the whole world about it, and this was little different.

Singaporeans in BKK:
with bass trombonist Jasper Tan
& bassoonist Emerald Chee.

Have music, will travel

KAHCHUN WONG AND DANIEL LOVAKOVICH / Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Review

KAHCHUN WONG AND 

DANIEL LOZAKOVICH

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Esplanade Concert Hall

Saturday (25 March 2023)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 27 March 2023 with the title "Kahchun Wong, Syafiqah 'Adha Sallehin shine in SSO concert".

 

A short twelve years ago, Kahchun Wong and Syafiqah ‘Adha Sallehin were fellow composition students at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory. Together, they were pioneering members of the Asian Contemporary Ensemble (ACE). Founded by Wong, who was also its conductor, the visionary ensemble championed modern works and music by young Asian composers. All that changed when Wong was awarded first prize at the Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition in 2016.

 

ACE was disbanded while the ace became Chief Conductor of the Nuremberg Philharmonic. In September this year, Wong will assume the helm of the Japan Philharmonic. Syafiqah, the first Singaporean Malay music graduate from the Conservatory, composes music which fuse Malay and Western classical idioms, besides being an accomplished accordion player.

 

The two were united again in the world premiere of Syafiqah’s Aeriq’s Lullaby, a 9-minute programmatic work inspired by motherhood and the birth of her son. There were no ethnic influences here, instead its idiom was closer to Disney film music, being very easy on the ear.

Kahchun Wong holds up the score
of Syafiqah's Aeriq's Dream.

 

There were some dissonances in the central section Through Sleepless Nights, with woodwind glissandi and brassy wails depicting night terrors and a baby’s distress. Guest concertmaster Wang Jing’s violin solo provided reassurance and the closing A Mother’s Prayer was bathed in the warm embrace of C major. All’s well that ends well in this child’s world.     

 

Equally agreeable was Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor with Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich in the solo role. His modestly-scaled tone suggested intimacy, more like chamber music than a commanding show of virtuoso prowess. Coming into his own in the first movement cadenza, the slow movement that followed was pure lyricism belied by underlying tension. The finale’s elfin dance, prodigious in his control, pulled out all the stops.

 

Lozakovich’s two solo encores were also excellent. Nathan Milstein’s Paganiniana brought a collective gasp of surprise from the audience as it recognised Paganini’s Caprice No.24 as the main subject, while Tchaikovsky’s Valse Sentimentale, a salon piece, sounded even better when unaccompanied.

 

For the concert’s second half, conductor Wong emerged with a change of outfit to conduct Brahms’s Symphony No.4 in E minor from memory. And what a memorable performance it was. The opening Allegro non troppo was taken at a measured tempo, allowing much orchestral detail to be savoured and the climax to be sufficiently shattering. Similarly, the second movement’s procession exhibited restraint before blooming into expansiveness on the crest of a wave.

 

The rousing Scherzo's adrenaline rush saw the audience applauding prematurely, and Wong used this to acknowledge Mark Suter's few minutes of tingling frisson on the triangle. The closing Passacaglia was the symphony’s crowning glory, its series of short variations on a ground bass tautly held together with an inner urgency.

 

Marshalling orchestral forces at full tilt and bringing both symphony and concert to a grandstanding conclusion, Kahchun Wong showed exactly why he has become Singapore’s most sought-after maestro on the international concert circuit today. 

Post concert: Syafiqah meets
with fans and signs autographs.

Syafiqah and her composition teacher
Prof. Ho Chee Kong.

Another version of this review was published on Bachtrack on 27 March 2023, and can be viewed here:

Kahchun Wong’s return to hometown Singapore garners a warm reception | Bachtrack