PHOTOGRAPHS FROM MAVERICK PIANIST VICTOR KHOR'S BIRTHDAY CONCERT

MAVERICK PIANIST VICTOR KHOR'S 

BIRTHDAY CONCERT

Friday (26 July 2024)

Christopher Guy

There aren't that many pianists who belong to Singapore's Majulah Generation (born 1960-1970), and they may in fact be counted on one hand. Victor Khor, who celebrates his 58th birthday this month, is one of them. 

I have known Victor since 1989, when by chance I heard a church pianist at the Manchester Chinese Christian fellowship play some Scriabin just before a Sunday service. Piqued and curious, I asked him whether he happened to be a concert pianist, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that he was also from Singapore. It is curious how friendships start. 

Since then, I have heard him in multiple piano recitals in various venues, and he has the penchant of surprising his audiences with off-beat repertoire. One recital had Alban Berg's Sonata, Schumann's Sonata No.1, Debussy's Estampes, Borodin's Petite Suite and Liapunov's Lezghinka, capped by an encore of Liszt's Transcendantal Etude No.10. He was also the first Singaporean pianist to perform J.S.Bach's Goldberg Variations in recital.

Unusual performing locations included NUS Lecture Hall 13, Zouk, Singapore Management University, Yamaha Hall in Marina Square and Plaza Singapura. Later he included works by Radiohead, Joe Hisaishi and Ryuichi Sakamoto in his programme, alongside those of Erkki-Sven Tuur, Jean Philippe Collard-Neven and Zhang Chi. His curiosity knows no bounds, and his thirst for the arcane and unusual translates into his quirky but interesting programmes.

His birthday recital programme at Christopher Guy (268 Orchard Road) was a total mystery for all who attended. It was serendipity and spur of the moment that guided his choice of works, which included a baroque piece, Debussy's Arabesque No.1, Schubert's Impromptu in G flat major, Ravel's Pavane pour une infante defunte, works by Hania Rani, Jay Chou, Soloviev-Sedoy (Moscow Nights), Dante Marchetti (Fascination), before closing with Chopin's Ballade No.3.

His students were also given a chance to perform on the Steinway C, before he closed with an encore reminding one and all of his days of study at the Moscow Conservatory, Scriabin's Etude in C# minor (Op.42 No.5). For Victor's 58th birthday, we quote an Abba song by saying, "Thank you for the music!"

Former student Zhang Chi, now resident
in Penang, gave arguably the best performance
of the evening, Scriabin's Waltz Op.38.