A TRIBUTE TO JIRI HEGER, MASTER VIOLIST (1946-2023)

MEMORIES OF JIRI HEGER

Master Violist & 

Singapore’s Original Bohemian

 

We are saddened by the passing on 11 November 2023 of Czech violist JIRI HEGER, who was for 26 years the Principal Violist of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. He served Singapore’s burgeoning classical music scene for over 32 years, including being the main viola teacher at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.

 

Jiri (pronounced Yee-Zhee) joined the SSO in 1980, at a time when experienced musicians from Eastern Europe were employed to develop the orchestra. One is also reminded of the contributions of former concertmaster Pavel Prantl (Czechia), violist George Man (Hungary), bassist Vladimir Pushkarev (Slovakia), percussionist Grzegorz Markiewicz (Poland), and several Romanians who were all pioneers of the SSO. Previously, he played in the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, but the Islamic revolution put an end to that. Drawn to Singapore, Jiri came, settled and never left, later taking on Singapore citizenship.

Jiri with his students,
the young T'ang Quartet, late-1980s

 

One of Jiri’s greatest legacies was being for many years the numero uno teacher of violists in Singapore. Anybody and everybody connected to that “unfashionable” instrument had been his student. He made playing the viola cool, and mentored the likes of violist Lionel Tan and the string players who would later become the T’ang Quartet, Singapore’s first professional chamber group.

 

Imagine his pride when Lionel won the Diners Club String Player of the Year Competition in 1988 playing Gyula David’s Viola Concerto (Leslie Tan and Ng Yu Ying were the other finalists) and when T’ang Quartet made its first two CD revordings. The Art Of War showcased the works of Erwin Schulhoff and Pavel Haas (Czech composers murdered in the Nazi Holocaust) while Made In America featured Dvorak’s String Quartet and String Quintet (Op.96 and 97). Jiri’s imprimatur was indelible in both these landmark recordings, capped off by him  playing the second viola part in the quintet.

 

Jiri made several CD recordings of his own including a rare recital for the quinton, an antique brybrid instrument from the viol family. He was the only quinton player in Singapore, and his recording of sonatas by Cesar Franck and Edvard Grieg truly stands the test of time. He also made a disc of Czech lollipops with French pianist Etienne Chenevier which was also a true delight.

Jiri greeting British pianist Stephen Hough
after a SSO concert in 2019. 
Photo: Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Even after he retired from professional playing and teaching, Jiri was a regular presence at local concerts, toting his huge camera and lending support to his colleagues. He was always full of praise for musicians and performances, never uttering a harsh word or expressing any kind of bitterness. He was a true lover and friend of classical music, and the likes of Singapore’s original Bohemian will never the be seen again.

 

The following are some photographs and tributes from people who have known Jiri well:

Jiri with star pupil Lionel Tan

 

LIONEL TAN,

Founding violist of T’ang Quartet writes:

I was his first student in Singapore.

An everlasting relationship - a true father who always gave. Not just musically but even more. The music cassettes that he regularly sent to me when I was studying in London was always such a joy.

 

Beyond lessons, the times I spent with him when I was in SSO after my studies were always lessons in life, observing him, absorbing his thoughts…

 

His legacy will live on.

 

Jiri with the Low sisters,
Shao Ying (L) and Shao Suan (R)
in April 2023

 

LOW SHAO YING & SHAO SUAN,

Duo pianists write:

 

Three weeks ago on 11th November, late at night, we received the sad and shocking news of the passing of Jiri Heger, a longtime dear friend and former colleague. We were in disbelief as the last time we met him for lunch was some months ago in April. He still looked very healthy then. And only three months ago, he wished us a Happy Birthday via a few of his friends, which now as we come to think about it, seemed strange as every other year, he would personally call us or text us on our birthdays.

 

We have known Jiri since 1995 when we first performed with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. He was already a very lovely, kind, encouraging and funny guy. We got to know him better when we joined Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music as piano accompanists, and Shao Ying was the appointed pianist for his viola studio. His dedication, passion, love and encouragement for his students and Shao Ying gained him their respect, devotion, admiration and love in return. 

He was also very generous with his time during lessons as he wanted to make sure his students understood every lesson before it ended. His lessons were very inspiring, enjoyable and interesting, and he loved to share his vast musical knowledge and personal experiences. Whenever a student made a mistake and seemed affected by it, Jiri would famously say, “We are all humans. Humans make mistakes. Even machines will breakdown.” We have been using this very wise saying on our students ever since.

 

After Jiri’s retirement from SSO and the conservatory, we still met once or twice a year to catch up, especially around his birthday. We would also text (or email when he was away) at times to see how each other was doing. Whenever we had any concerts, he would do his best to attend to show his unwavering support. Besides music, Jiri was also an avid photographer. Wherever he went, he never failed to capture special moments with his trusted camera, be it during his holiday trips or during our meet-ups. We still have with us the many physical and digital photographs that Jiri so kindly gave us, which will now sadly, be our only momentoes of him.

 

To have met and known Jiri was an honour and privilege for us. We will always remember his kindness, his love, his generosity, his encouragement, his strong yet warm voice and his infectious hearty laughter. “May you rest in peace, dear Jiri. Thank you for your love and friendship and for being part of our lives. You will forever be very fondly remembered by every lucky soul that have met and known you. Farewell and till we meet again.”

 

With love, Shao Ying and Shao Suan

 

 

Although Donald Law did not play the viola,
Jiri took him under his wing and introduced
him to Czech pianist Ivan Klansky,
who tutored Donald pro bono.

Donald Law, Pianist writes:

 

Goodbye to my dear old friend. As much as everyone says that you’re in a better place (which I’m sure you are), reuniting with your beloved mother, the fact remains that I’ll fondly miss the times we shared for the past 13 years.

 

All those hours worth of conversations we had at the Bishan Park Canopy cafe, talking about anything and everything under the sky, mainly revolving around music. Though we don’t play the same instruments, but I’m so glad that we share the same vision, taste, passion and beliefs about music. No words can describe the sense of loss I’m going through now, thank you for everything and especially for always believing in me from the beginning, when almost no one did at that point, not even myself! 

You saw me grow as a student till now as a father, watching me went through my ups and downs, but never once have your support and confidence in me waned. Thank you for turning up at every single performance, regardless big or small, exam recitals or public recitals, you were always there at the audience, giving one of the loudest applause. Your support and encouragement never failed to inspire me.

 

You were like a grandfather to me, you will always hold a special place in my heart. See you at the other side next time, my dear old friend!

After Donald's concert at
Esplanade Recital Studio, January 2023.

Update: I have dedicated my review of the Pavel Haas Quartet's concert in Victoria Concert Hall on 19 May 2024 to the memory of Jiri Heger, SSO's first and original Bohemian. You can find the review on Bachtrack.com here:

Pavel Haas Quartet’s triumphant, all-Bohemian Singapore debut | Bachtrack

IN MEMORIAM: A TRIBUTE TO ADRIAN TAN / Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra / Review

IN MEMORIAM:

A TRIBUTE TO ADRIAN TAN

Braddell Heights 

Symphony Orchestra

Esplanade Concert Hall

Sunday (11 September 2022)

 

A year and a bit has passed since the tragic and premature passing on 12 July 2021 of Singaporean conductor Adrian Tan, music director of the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra (BHSO). A successor has yet to be appointed. This well-conceived memorial concert led by Taiwanese conductor Apo Hsu was a moving memorial to one truly passionate about music, and a timely reminder of our massive loss.

The Maestro Adrian Tan
all of us remember.

 

Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony was an appropriate opener as it was Fate that took Adrian away. Beethoven’s fist-shaking defiance, expressed so dramatically in C minor, was what identified most with Adrian’s “can do” spirit. A naval officer with an arts degree in theatre studies who wanted so badly to be a conductor that he gave up a stable career to study music from scratch deserved our time and attention. His pot of gold at the end of the rainbow was the BHSO, which he whole-heartedly and single-mindedly honed into a fine ensemble capable of very convincing performances.

 

Under Hsu’s baton-less direction, a tautly gripping performance was the just result. The ensemble played their hearts out for her (and Adrian), often as if their lives depended on it. The opening Allegro con brio had vim and vigour, displaying an admirable cohesiveness. The slow movement sang unabated, the few rough spots from woodwinds doing little to derail the effort.  Time seemed to fly and spirits never flagged leading into the valedictory finale, culminating in glorious C major. From the stress of uncertainty to ultimate triumph was the path taken in this symphony and Adrian’s life, and he would have been immensely proud of it.

 

After the intermission, Singapore-based Filipino pianist Albert Tiu, regular collaborator with Adrian, was soloist in the slow third movement of Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto. Last year, he had crafted a solo piano transcription dedicated to Adrian, and here was the full monty with orchestra. It would have been great if Noella Yan (daughter of BHSO founder Yan Ying Wing and close family friend) had performed the cello obbligato part, but BHSO principal cellist Peh Xiang Hong was no slouch. Her solo was poignantly felt, the perfect introduction to Tiu’s impassioned reading which scaled the emotional heights yet found peace and resolution at its serene conclusion.

 

Twin composers Low Shao Ying 
and Shao Suan remember Adrian fondly.

Coinciding with the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II, Nimrod from Elgar’s Enigma Variations was also a fortuitous choice. There can be no music more moving than this, a regal nobilmente which aligned publisher A.J.Jaeger’s (Nimrod was his nickname) championship of Elgar’s music with Adrian’s keen support of Singaporean composers. The performance was a particularly rapturous one, which Song For Adrian by twin sisters Low Shao Ying and Shao Suan became the most logical follow-up. Scored for just strings, this was an elegy but one which channeled sadness into hope and optimism. Cast in C major, its musical idiom may be said to be a cross between Elgar and Sibelius.  

Singapore Symphony Orchestra's
fourth chair first violinist Chan Yoong Han was
an uncredited performer in this tribute concert.

Sama-sama maju ke hadapan
pandai cari pelajaran...

 

A familiar note (particularly for those growing up in the 60s and 70s) was struck with BHSO Arranger-in-Residence Mohd Rasull’s Fantasy on Zubir Said’s Semoga Bahagia (May You Achieve Happiness). Known popularly as the “Sama-sama Song", its melody brought back lots of primary school memories. It was sung in unison gusto by The Joy Chorale (Khor Ai Ming, Choirmaster) and some members of the audience (with whatever childhood memories of those bygone day). This work, which included a fugue among its variations, pulled out the stops in the best way possible.   

Handphones were not
prohibited in this concert!

A magical atmosphere
for Dick Lee's Home
Photo: Muhd Firdauz Bin Sapii

 

The evening concluded with Dick Lee’s Home as transcribed by Kelly Teng. A popular favourite, it had to be encored, this time accompanied by swaying lights emanating from hundreds of handphones within the audience. It was a spontaneous act that captured the spirit of the event, providing magical moments for all who attended. The Last Night of the Proms might have been cancelled in London, but nobody was to deny Adrian Tan his spot in our collective memories. His passion, zeal and courage will never be forgotten.

This is how Adrian Tan will be
remembered by all who knew him well.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT / Ensemble de la Belle Musique / Review

CHRISTMAS CONCERT 2019

Ensemble de la Belle Musique

Esplanade Recital Studio

Sunday (1 December 2019)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 4 December 2019 with the title "Ensemble de la Belle Musique's lively festive works".

Which group devoted to new music in Singapore consistently sells out for its concerts? That would be Ensemble de la Belle Musique (EBM), a chamber outfit devoted to discovering and performing new compositions that are tonal and tuneful.

Serialism and atonality are passé, and it takes talent to write a good melody. That was the take-home message of EBM’s third Christmas concert in three years. This evening, the 19-member ensemble conducted by Leonard Tan showcased ten world premieres of works built around the festive theme.

Opening the concert was This Way, Santa! by young Hong Kong composer William So. Like many of the other works, the seasonal feeling of happy anticipation was created by smartly using vibraphone chimes with woodwind and brass chorales. With the piano also playing a prominent part, a warm and fuzzy sensation of wellness was soon established.

Similarly, Snow Song by Dexter Yeo (Australia) also had the feel of wondrous film music, blending strings and winds harmoniously. Scored for wind quintet, Snowflake Waltz by Dmitry Stepanov (Russia) playfully depicted swirls of falling snow in his homeland, known for its short winter daylight hours.

Still on the subject of precipitation, Snowfall by Lynn Blake John (USA) was a most friendly impression of a blizzard thought possible. While brass heralded inclement weather ahead, strings created a frisson of chill that did not last too long. In contrast, Through Pines & Snow by Dave Dexter (UK) exhibited darker shades, coloured with a sobriety and melancholy that did not seem out of place.

Despite its rather formal title, Concerto for Viola and String Quintet by Darren Wirth (USA) was more like a scherzo movement from a larger work. Violist Jonathan Lee mastered its tricky solo part with the aplomb and energy that reflected the music’s joy and excitement. Also highly animated was Christmas Mischief With The Nisse by Kari Cruver Medina (USA), with the bassoon leading an impish dance of a Scandinavian elf that resembles a mini Santa Claus.

What about the three Singaporean composers represented in this concert? Low Shao Suan’s Sonatina Festivo was a three-movement work for flute and piano, with Andy Koh helming the virtuoso solo part that include lively dances and a slow movement reminiscent of Harry Potter movie music. A Christmas Lullaby by Yvonne Teo was an enchanting look at Christmas night after the celebrations have ended and champagne bottles emptied. Only a choir was missing in this wistful fantasy.   

The work this pair of ears most liked to hear again was by the youngest composer of the ten, Lim Han Quan. His Christmas Prayer for just strings unfolded like some adagio movement from a Mahler or Bruckner symphony. Simply put, his was a sound world that was ethereal and otherworldly, imbued with a spiritual heft to move mountains.  

A TALE OF TWO CITIES / By Candlelight Series / Review

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

Roberto Alvarez (Flute) with

Kseniia Vokhmianina (Piano) 

& Katryna Tan (Harp)

Living Room @ The Arts House

Friday (25 May 2018)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 28 May 2018 with the title "A musical tale of two countries".

Despite its catchy Dickensian title, this concert, part of The Arts House's By Candlelight chamber music series, was more a “tale of two countries”, namely Singapore and Spain. Commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations between the nations, the music of three Singaporean composers and five Spanish composers were celebrated by three musicians who could justly be described as our brightest foreign talents.

The first half featured works for flute and piano, opening with Low Shao Suan's By the Fireplace (left). A warm glow emanated from Spanish flautist Alvarez's instrument in this totally melodious work which included such influences as Debussy and the Disney musical Beauty and the Beast. Her twin sister Shao Ying's Dance of Spring (right) was a jolly and easy-going waltz with a Parisian air about it. Both would pass as classy mood music for a romantic movie.

These served as bookends for two Spanish works. Federico Moreno Torroba is better known for his guitar works, and his Dedicatoria similarly inhabited the world of dance and song, alternating between rhythmic and lyrical before closing with a brilliant flourish.

The big work was Salvador Brotons' Flute Sonata (1979) in two continuous movements where the use of tone rows and dissonance, de rigeuer in atonal music, was merely a means to an end. These devices and a phenomenal flute technique contrived to make this a demanding but most attractive work. It began quietly, and following a virtuosic cadenza, blazed into a mercurial and playful finale that had both Alvarez and Ukrainian pianist Kseniia Vokhmianina stretched to their limits.

Malaysia-born harpist Katryna Tan joined Alvarez for the second half, which saw Chen Zhangyi's aurally luscious Five Constellations (left) as the first piece. More astrologically than astronomically inclined, these were short fantasies which conjure phantasmagorical imagery through a skilful play of colour and timbre. Premiered and recorded on compact disc by the duo in 2011, they practically own the work. 

  

Jesus Guridi's Tirana was dance-inspired and a homage to the Spanish violin virtuoso Pablo Sarasate, hence its elegant and yet showy turns balanced by a graceful lilt. There was one further Singaporean connection, specifically in Fernando Agüeria's Moonlight, which attempted to depict our tropical night scene, buzzing frenetically with activity and an underlying unease.

The 90-minute concert closed with two varied but familiar Spanish works from Isaac Albeniz's Suite Española. Granada was gentle and melancholic, while Asturias was busy and vigorous, pulsing with an energised flamenco beat.

A Spanish encore united all the three performers. According to Alvarez, Suspiros de Espana (Sighs of Spain) by Antonio Alvarez Alonso (no relation) is a pasodoble or bull-fighting dance beloved of all Spaniards. His cheerful and upbeat arrangement for flute, harp and piano ensured that it was also enjoyed by Singaporeans as well.

Composers and performers (L to R):
Low Shao Suan, Low Shao Ying, Chen Zhangyi,
Roberto Alvarez, Katryna Tan
& Kseniia Vokhmianina.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT 2017 / Ensemble de la Belle Musique / Review

CHRISTMAS CONCERT 2017

Ensemble de la Belle Musique

Esplanade Recital Studio

Monday (18 December 2017)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 20 December 2017 with the title "Ensemble's debut is a sugar plum fairy party".

Imagine going to a buffet and heading straight for the desserts to face an array of pastries, cakes, puddings, jellies, ice-creams and a chocolate fountain. Ensemble de la Belle Musique's (EBM) inaugural concert was the musical equivalent of a sugar plum fairy orgy, made more apparent by its Christmas theme.

The philosophy of EBM – founded by twin-pianists/composers Low Shao Ying and Shao Suan and Emmy-nominated composer Joseph Curiale - was to promote and perform only tonal and aurally beautiful compositions. Consciously rejecting atonalism, serialism, avant-gardeism, the idea was to present music players love to perform and audiences want to hear.

There was none of the bland soppiness associated with André Rieu, Richard Clayderman and their ilk. There was also no need for listeners to swallow an entire cheesecake whole as the pieces were short and palatable, each lasting from three to eight minutes. The ensemble comprising 22 musicians led by conductor Leonard Tan premiered 11 works by 11 composers from Singapore, Australia, United States of America, Denmark and Spain.  

There were two commissioned works, Dane Martin Åkerwall's The Snow Queen and Spaniard Ricardo Molla's Dulcinea. The former conjured a soundscape redolent of fairy-tale film music in two movements, while the latter played up contrasts in Chua Lik Wuk's violin and Eddie Sim's cello, its title highlighting the knight Don Quixote's unattainable dream.

The Australian Daxter Yeo had two works performed, Belle Reveries being a slow waltz for piano and strings while La Vie Est Belle unfolded sumptuously like a Mahlerian slow movement, a crescendo building up to a big climax before receding to quietness. Here is a composer who deserves to be heard again.

Fellow Australian Paul Kopetz's Island Christmas Dawn had Jonathan Lim's soprano saxophone rising to accompanying strings like a nascent sun, while American Michael Winstanley's The Ice Palace Waltz was an upbeat number more in common with waltzes from Shostakovich's Jazz Suites than Johann Strauss. American Kari Medina's Christmas Reveries shifted from moody minor to cheery major keys, closing with an effusive expression of warmth and happiness.

What about the five Singaporean composers represented? Yvonne Teo's Christmas Waltz opened with a “Once upon a time” introduction before a wistful and casually-paced three-quarter rhythm ensued. Germaine Goh's Christmas in June generated a feeling of mystique, but instead of snow there was sunshine, unleashed by the brass – Dixie De Souza's French horn, Kenneth Lun's trumpet and David Wong's trombone - for a big melody at its close.

Twin sisters Evelyn and Frances Goh's Please Think Of Me This Christmas (arranged by Jason Shahul) resonated like a K-Pop ballad before ending in totally agreeable C major. One suspects the final work, Around The World In One Night by Jon Tho, will be played the most. This was a jazzy big band romp alluding to popular Christmas songs in a most irrepressible of Santa sleigh-rides. There can be no better call to bring out the bubbly.

The star-studded ensemble included former SSO violinists
Yew Shan and Chua Lik Wuk, and the
twin sister-act of Low Shao Ying & Shao Suan.

Young composer Jon Tho speaks while
the Goh sisters look on.