SYMPHONY BEYOND TIME / TARANTELLA - DANCE IN SYMPHONY / Music For People Festival Orchestra & NTU Symphony Orchestra / Review

SYMPHONY BEYOND TIME

Music For People Festival Orchestra

Esplanade Concert Hall

Wednesday (3 June 2026)

TARANTELLA – DANCE IN SYMPHONY

NTU Symphony Orchestra

SOTA Concert Hall

Friday (5 June 2026)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 8 June 2026 with the title "Music For People Festival Orchestra delivers an all-Beethoven spectacle".

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s season is officially over, but large-scale orchestral music continues unabated. Just last week, the Orchestra of the Music Makers performed Mahler’s Seventh Symphony, and this week’s blockbuster was Beethoven’s Choral Symphony, delivered by the not-for-profit Music For People Festival Orchestra led by young Sarawak-born conductor Audrey Chung.

The all-Beethoven evening opened with the Triple Concerto in C major (Op.56), with Elite Artists Trio from Taiwan as soloists, comprising violinist Qin-Yun Du, cellist Limu Ya and pianist Sherry Chen. This unusual work casts the cello in the lead, and Ya’s song-like solos held up, well-balanced by her partners with the trio functioning like a united team all through its three tuneful movements.

The orchestra supported the enterprise well, and it should be no surprise as the majority of its professional players are stalwarts of the Singapore Symphony, re:mix, re:Sound, Concordia Quartet and Red Dot Baroque. Thus, Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 in D minor (Op.125) felt like a breeze in its fairly swift 65 minutes, led from memory by Chung. There were no extremes in tempi in the first two fast movements, while the Adagio unfolded magisterially with much aural beauty.

Who was not waiting for the famous choral finale? Notwithstanding inappropriate applause in between movements, the faux pas inexcusably repeated while the Ode To Joy was well underway, this epic sing out was still a spectacle. The excellent quartet of soloists, well-known for appearances with the Singapore Lyric Opera, comprised soprano Jessica Chen, mezzo-soprano Anna Koor, tenor Lee Jae-wook and bass William Lim.

The 220-member choir (Nicholas Tham, chorusmaster), the largest assembled for such a work in recent years, created the biggest sound possible, ensuring this was a truly memorable event. Proceeds of ticket sales went to palliative care organisations and music education programmes for underprivileged communities.

On Friday, it was the turn of the students from the Nanyang Technological University Symphony Orchestra (NTUSO), directed by Chan Wei Shing, to strut their stuff. Central to the dance-themed programme were Singapore premieres of two 20th century cello concertos performed by Loke Hoe Kit, a specialist in performing unusual repertoire.

Photo: Loke Chee Meng

Frenchman Darius Milhaud’s Cello Concerto No.1 (1934) has its serious and light-hearted sides. A darkly elegiac slow movement was starkly contrasted by the opening’s nonchalant lilt, like an insouciant stroll along the Seine, and the finale’s carnival atmosphere in the form of a tarantella. The fast Italian dance in 12/8 rhythm gave the concert its title.

Virtuosity on the cello continued into Austrian composer Erich Korngold’s single-movement Cello Concerto (1946), reliving the opulence of Hollywood as it was an expansion of music from the movie Deception (1946) starring Bette Davis. Reveling in lyrical gifts and contrapuntal novelties, both soloist and orchestra provided a memorable first outing for this underrated mini-masterpiece.

The concert began with Mexican composer Arturo Marquez’s very popular Danzon No.2, generating a terrific crescendo and momentum from its quietly sedate opening pages. The main work was Bohemian composer Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No.8 in G major, which provided the young musicians with their toughest technical and musical challenges.

Listening beyond the rough edges, it was a performance of much commitment and enthusiasm. Although beginning tentatively, the ensemble grew in confidence with each phrase. With the dance and folk-inspired third and fourth movements finally clicking into motion for a spirited finish, one senses much more will be heard from this outfit in time to come.

PUCCINI'S WOMEN / Singapore Lyric Opera / Review

 

PUCCINI’S WOMEN 

Singapore Lyric Opera 

Victoria Concert Hall 

Saturday (19 October 2024)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 22 October 2024 with the title "Singapore Lyric Opera gala presented beginner's guide to Puccini".

In lieu of a fully-staged opera production this year, Singapore Lyric Opera (SLO) presented a gala commemorating Italian composer Giacomo Puccini’s 100th death anniversary. No opera composer quite matches his popularity, and it must have been daunting to fit excerpts from all his twelve operas within just 100 minutes. 

“A Beginners’ Guide To Puccini” might have been the title for this concert accompanied by the SLO Orchestra under Joshua Tan. This primer was greatly assisted by narrator Mik Rossi playing the composer with wry wit and humour, complete with Italian-accented English and a suitably bushy moustache to match Puccini’s own. 

The operatic highlights were performed in chronological order, from little-known Le Villi (1884) to monumental Turandot (1924). Casting was reliant on veterans of the local opera scene, including sopranos Nancy Yuen (SLO’s artistic director) and Jessica Chen, Korean tenor Lee Jae Wook and local bass-baritone William Lim. Making her SLO debut was Australian soprano Daniela Leska. 

Puccini’s rarities were heard alongside his popular numbers, and that was no bad thing. Who would otherwise have heard Se com voi piccini io fossa (If I Were Tiny Like You) from Le Villi, or Questo amor, vergogna amor (This Love, My Shame) from Edgar (1889), sung with tenderness and feeling by Chen and Lim respectively? This presented the best opportunity for such an airing. 

The highlights became more familiar, like Lee’s entry with Donna non vidi mai (I Never Saw A Woman Like Her) from Manon Lescaut (1893). With La Boheme (1896), the concert entered into “greatest hits” territory, and SLO’s most celebrated duet of Yuen and Lee was united for O soave fanciulla (O Lovely Girl), spine-tingling in its ardour and intensity. 

Joined by Lim and Leska, the quartet accounted for Addio dolce svegliare alla mattina (Farewell, Sweet Wakings In The Morning) from Act Three, which had two couples breaking up for vastly different reasons. 

Puccini’s most popular arias, Vissi d’arte (I Lived For Art) and E lucevan le stelle (And The Stars Were Shining) from Tosca (1900) and Un bel di (One Fine Day) from Madama Butterfly (1904), were lovingly rendered by Yuen, Lee and Chen respectively. The SLO Adult Chorus (Chorusmaster: Terrence Toh) finally made its appearance in Te Deum from Tosca accompanying Lim’s villainous Baron Scarpia and the wordless Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly. 

Space does not permit a listing of all excerpts, but the operas La fanciulla del West (Girl of the Golden West, 1910), La Rondine (The Swallow, 1917) and the trilogy of Il Trittico (1918) were all represented. Who sang the beloved O mio babbino caro (O My Beloved Father) from Gianni Schicchi? That honour went to Leska, who did not disappoint. 

From Turandot came the ubiquitous Nessun dorma (None Shall Sleep) from Lee, but the last words had to go to Puccini’s quintessential woman bar none, the vulnerable and self-sacrificial heroine Liu, with Yuen’s touching delivery of the aria Tu, che di gel sei cinta (You, Who Are Bound In Ice). Just memorable.

A PEARL CELEBRATION FOR SOPRANO NANCY YUEN / Singapore Lyric Opera / Review

A PEARL CELEBRATION

FOR SOPRANO NANCY YUEN

Singapore Lyric Opera

Esplanade Concert Hall

Friday (9 November 2018)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 13 November 2018 with the title "Admirable show from opera veteran".

Who has been the dominant figure of Western opera in Singapore over the last twenty years? That has to be Hong Kong-born soprano Nancy Yuen. Being Artistic Director of the Singapore Lyric Opera and married to SLO Chairman Toh Weng Cheong certainly helped, but that diminishes the feat of keeping herself fit and in good voice since her 1988 debut with the Welsh National Opera in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

Her recent casting as Aida in June was a coup of enviable longevity. Her most famous roles have been of teenaged girls in trouble (Cio Cio San, Violetta, Mimi and Liu, just to name a few) and her true age remains an industry secret. While rumoured that she is well into her sixth decade, nobody that age has the right to perform the way she does.   

Her two-hour long concert of operatic bleeding chunks with the SLO Orchestra conducted by Jason Lai provided the clues. She limited the programme to just six roles and was canny not to over-extend herself. One would have loved to hear her Vissi d’Arte (Tosca) and Ritorna vincitor (Aida) but such omissions had to be made.

She began with two arias from Mozart’s The Marriage Of Figaro, Countess Almaviva’s  Porgi amor and Dove sono, and these were sung with a seamless legato line, the epitome of rococo refinement. Superb control was also exhibited in the short Signore ascolta, slavegirl Liu’s most famous aria from Puccini’s Turandot.

Then she let it rip with coloratura aplomb in Sempre libera, Violetta’s defiant rant from Verdi’s La Traviata. Her mastery of fast running notes in the highest registers without going astray or skipping a beat was to be simply admired, regardless of age or experience.

The longest segment was devoted to highlights from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, which included  a purely orchestral intermezzo, the Humming Chorus (with the SLO Choir), a duet and two arias. It was the pure emotional heft displayed in the second aria Un bel di (One Fine Day) that truly tugged on heartstrings.

For a prima donna assoluta’s evening, there was to be no other female singer on stage, Yuen’s limelight was shared only by Korean tenor Lee Jae Wook. One of her most trusted stage partners, he was careful not to steal the show in duets like Parle-moi de ma mere (Bizet’s Carmen), Vogliatemi bene (Madama Butterfly) and O soave fanciulla (Puccini’s La Boheme). Together their blended voices sounded close to perfect.

It was curious to hear the aria Si, mi chiamano Mimi (La Boheme) sung long after the duet it preceded, but that was meant to be an encore, as was the ubiquitous Drinking Song (Brindisi) from La Traviata where the audience was invited to join in. Another curious fact: Nancy Yuen had one costume change less than the jolly master-of-ceremony Marc Rochester, who enlivened the show with a keen sense of humour that kept an otherwise serious evening light and cheery.

SINGAPORE LYRIC OPERA 25TH ANNIVERSARY GALA CONCERT / Review

SINGAPORE LYRIC OPERA

25TH ANNIVERSARY GALA CONCERT

Esplanade Concert Hall

Friday (13 November 2015)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 16 November 2015 with the title "A rousing celebration of opera".

For a national opera company that had humble beginnings as mere opera enthusiasts from the National University of Singapore Society, the Singapore Lyric Opera has achieved amazing results over its 25 years. The major impediment to further untold successes has been a chronic lack of funds for what is often considered as a niche artform.

Its 25^th anniversary gala concert was a fond retrospective of past repertoire, cramming excerpts from 20 operas into almost three hours. A minute's silence was observed in memory of founding chairman Leow Siak Fah, Singapore's Mr Opera - tenor-director-impresario rolled into one – who passed away in April.  

Conducted by Joshua Kangming Tan, whom the company had groomed from his student days, the Singapore Lyric Opera Orchestra played sensitive and sympathetic accompanist to the arias, duets and ensembles. The Overtures to Mozart's The Magic Flute and Johann Strauss Jr's Die Fledermaus opened each half, and it was left for the glory of the voice to take over.

There were five singers on show, led by ageless veteran soprano Nancy Yuen whose rendition of Sempre libera from Verdi's La Traviata still sends tingles down the spine for seemingly effortless coloratura and over-reaching high notes. Opposite her was the Korean Lee Jae Wook who sang the heroic tenor roles which Leow specialised in including Rodolfo (Puccini's La Boheme) and Cavaradossi (Puccini's Tosca). He also had the audience in his palm nailing Calaf's aria Nessun dorma (Puccini's Turandot) with fearless gusto.

Together, the starry couple's love duets from La Boheme and Madama Butterfly were high points of the evening. Korean baritone Song Kee Chang helmed the “fun” roles, taunting the bull in Escamillo's Toreador Song (Bizet's Carmen) and hamming Figaro perfectly for Largo al factotum (Rossini's The Barber of Seville), bringing out much cheers.

It was left for two Singaporean singers to fill in mezzo-soprano and baritone parts. Anna Koor was excellent in Faites–lui mes aveux from Gounod's Faust, while Martin Ng made a good case for Tonio's opening aria Si puo from Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci. The late Leong Yoon Pin's Bunga Mawar made the list, with the duet Can I Believe The Sentiment Of Song sung by Ng and Yuen.

The SLO Chorus, augmented by children and choirs from National & Pioneer Junior Colleges and Evokx, stood  150-strong, the biggest ever assembled for such a concert. They impressed with their enthusiasm in Les Voici (Carmen), Mascagni's Easter Hymn (Cavalleria Rusticana) and Verdi's Anvil Chorus (Il Trovatore).

The concert closed passionately with the Quartet from Verdi's Rigoletto (Yuen, Koor, Lee and Song) and the entire cast toasted the proceedings with the Brindisi (Drinking Song) from La Traviata. The latter was encored, now sung with greater volume, which ensured nothing less than a standing ovation.  

LEONCAVALLO'S I PAGLIACCI & PUCCINI'S GIANNI SCHICCHI / Singapore Lyric Opera / Review

LEONCAVALLO'S PAGLIACCI &

PUCCINI'S GIANNI SCHICCHI

Singapore Lyric Opera

Esplanade Theatre

Friday (11 September 2015)

This review was published by The Straits Times on 14 September 2015 with the title "Delightful tales of a jealous clown and a witty rogue".

There is a popular title in operatic parlance known as Cav-Pag, which refers to the double bill of verismo operas, the tandem of Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Ruggiero Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci. Singapore Lyric Opera's latest recent double bill dropped the Cav component, opting instead for Puccini's single-act comic opera Gianni Schicchi, part of his trilogy known as Il Trittico.

This switch made for a lighter and less depressing evening, where not every lead character gets killed. Director Tom Hawkes cleverly linked the two operas with the common setting of a disused Italian theatre in the post-Second World War period for Pagliacci and then moving backwards in time for Schicchi.

It was a quite seamless transition which worked well because of an excellent cast which had some members singing in both operas. Central to these was Korean tenor Lee Jae Wook, a SLO regular, who gave a gripping portrayal of the homicidally jealous clown Canio in Pagliacci, and then helming the smaller role of young suitor Rinuccio in Schicchi.

Opposite him was Japanese soprano Sachiko Ito who was a sympathetic and free-spirited Nedda (Canio's actress wife), who gets offed by the opera's end, and then reappearing as the conniving Nella in Schicchi. The tightly cast Pagliacci also featured Singaporean baritones William Lim and Martin Ng, who acquitted themselves well as the vengeful hunchback Tonio and Nedda's ill-fated lover Silvio.

Schicchi was dominated by British baritone Adrian Clarke (above) in the title role, a worldly-wise rogue who cons a fussy Florentine family of its inheritance with a classic bait-and-switch. A combination of wit and smarminess made him likeable, gaining the audience to his side with every twist and turn in his scheming.

The SLO Chorus and Children's Chorus were well-trained for the crowd scenes of Pagliacci, adding much colour to the production. The SLO Orchestra conducted by Joshua Kangming Tan supported the music well. It was a revelation to hear both opera's “hit single” arias, often heard in isolation at opera galas, within their original contexts.

Canio's highly anguished Vesti La Giubba, sung as the lead clown dons his make-up and attire, was arresting in Lee's scene-stealing account. Similarly, Lauretta's O Mio Babbino Caro (O My Beloved Father) in Schicchi, sung as a daughter pleads for her father's intervention in the matters of love was beautifully delivered by young New Zealander soprano Marlena Devoe (below).

The set design by Christopher Chua with draped columns and pillars was simple and effective, as were Moe Kassim's costumes even though the GI uniforms in Pagliacci's looked like those of boy scouts. Despite SLO's constrained budget limitations, which allows the company only one major production a year, it offered very good value for its efforts.

That has been a given through the years. However judging from the smallish audience spread through three evenings, notwithstanding General Election weekend, is this a bad omen for the future of opera performance in Singapore?

All photographs by courtesy of Singapore Lyric Opera.