A SPECIAL PRE-COMPETITION PIANO RECITAL BY TOBY TAN

 

TOBY TAN Piano Recital

Yong Siew Toh Conservatory 

Ensemble Room 2

Wednesday (29 July 2026)

The Ettlingen International Piano Competition in Baden-Wurttemburg, Germany is one of the most prestigious concours for young pianists, many of whom go on to win major honours in senior competitions and have important concert careers. Lang Lang, Li Yundi and Yuja Wang have all won prizes here in the very beginning of their journeys as piano superstars.

Eighteen-year-old Singaporean pianist Toby Tan will take part in Category B during the first week of August, and I had the rare opportunity to preview his two concert programmes for the competition. The first recital of under 20 minutes opened with J.S.Bach’s Prelude & Fugue in F major from Well-Tempered Clavier Book 2. Evenness and legato lines defined the Prelude, contrasted by the skittish little dance of the Fugue, both brought out with much clarity. In a similar vein, there was humour in the first movement from Haydn’s Sonata in C major Hob.XVI:50 (the so-called “English” sonata), again contrasted with passages of smoothness which made this a fascinating listen all round.

Then the gloves came off for Liszt’s Transcendental Etude No.2 in A minor, which sometimes carries the nickname of Fusées or rockets. Whatever its moniker, Toby unleashed its torrents of shock waves and chordal outbursts, reminding one why Liszt was called the “Paganini of the piano”, a pianist’s vision of violin pyrotechnics. Closing the first recital were two contrasting movements from 20th century Armenian composer Arno Babadjanian’s Six Pictures, displaying a flexibility of form and tempo in the near-atonal opening Improvisation, and the biting ostinatos and Bartokian violence in the Toccatina.

The second recital requires playing of 40 minutes, including a full sonata from the classical era. For this, Toby picked Beethoven’s Sonata in E flat major (Op.27 No.1), the first of the two Sonata quasi una fantasia (the second being the Moonlight Sonata). This was a very astute choice juxtaposing contrasting moods and textures, combining lyricism and requisite razor-fast reflexes for rapid playing. He handled these transitions very well, upholding Beethoven’s idea of “fantasy” (its four movements are unconventional and unusually sequenced) and wry humour. A return of the third movement’s chorale theme – well-realised in Toby’s reading - represented a déjà vu which Beethoven would observe in his late sonatas.

There were two Chopin works, the Mazurka in G sharp minor (Op.33 No.1), which revealed an instinctive feel of the Polish folk rhythm and that paradigm of Romantic lyricism that is the Barcarolle (Op.60), building up to a heady climax before unwinding with a series of elaborated filigreed passages to close. The full recital closed with Prokofiev’s Four Etudes (Op.2), early works which revelled in relentless mechanistic rhythms and technical facility. 

Toby was able to tease out hidden melodies amid the pummelling, and find poetry in the gossamer lightness of the second study. A “no prisoners” approach was applied to the motoric running thirds of the third number (finding notoriety by Kissin in his Carnegie Hall recital), and riding high on the boogie woogie rhythm of the finale, which closed the recital on an exalted and musical high. To all this, one could only exclaim "bravissimo"!

I can only wish Toby Tan all the best success in this competition before he returns to serve his national service. Another Singaporean pianist, Casey Li, is also competing in this age category. I am certain both Toby and Casey will do Singapore proud.

HANS GRAF FAREWELL SERIES: MOZART AND SALIERI / Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Review

 

HANS GRAF FAREWELL SERIES:

MOZART AND SALIERI

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Victoria Concert Hall

Thursday (21 May 2026)

This review was first published in Bachtrack.com on 26 May 2026 with the title "Mozart and Salieri under the spotlight in Hans Graf’s Singapore farewell".

Let’s first get this out of the way. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was a musical genius while Antonio Salieri (1750-1825) a skilled journeyman. The premise of Hans Graf’s final concert in his six-year tenure (2020-2026) at the helm of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra was not just to compare achievements of both composers, but to ponder the gulf between hard work and divine inspiration, and how we live with both.

The evening opened with Salieri’s Piano Concerto in C major (1773), from a rising 23-year-old who still had 52 years to live. The opening Allegro maestoso was a martial ritornello that exuded the same vibe as Mozart’s K.503, also in the same key. Big chords paved the way for young pianist Adrian Tang’s clean and accomplished delivery, which lacked nothing in polish and purpose. 

The problem was how Salieri worked his musical ideas and themes. While Mozart delighted in variety and nuance, Salieri resorted to what virtuosi of the day did best, note-spinning and striving for effect. The development and cadenza had lots of that, and one soon tired of listening. The slow movement in A minor had an opening solo resembling the corresponding movement of Mozart’s K.488, but fell short of his combo of gravitas and elegance. The finale’s Rondo saw delicate and nimble fingerwork on display with passages of Sturm und Drang by way of contrast. While pleasant and euphonious to the ear, it proved ultimately unmemorable.

Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.14 in E flat major (K.449) was premiered when he was 28, right at the cusp of greatness. What a big difference it made with the workmanlike Salieri. Young soloist Toby Tan did the honours, giving a dream performance of fluency and care for detail. He truly got into the spirit of Mozart, imbuing the score with a singing quality and en point articulation. 

The slow movement was a lyrical gift that kept on giving, milked for all its worth, while the finale’s theme and variations sparkled, going full buffo in a comedic coda for a final flourish. Both pianists, students of Albert Tiu, joined hands for a delightful encore, the finale from the Sonata for four hands in D major by ... Mozart (K.381), thank goodness.

Photo: Chris P.Lim

Toby Tan and Adrian Tang
with their teacher Albert Tiu

Rimsky-Korsakov’s one-act opera Mozart and Salieri (1897), based on Pushkin’s little tragedy from 1830 and sung in Russian (with English surtitles), received its Singapore premiere. This piece of speculatory fiction had spawned an industry built on the scurrilous rumour that Salieri murdered Mozart. He did nothing of the sort, but judging by Russian bass Mikhail Svetlov’s self-pitying monologue as the industrious but pedantic Salieri, might as well have done so. By poisoning the god-given genius of an irreverent and flippant Mozart, played by the much younger-looking Russian tenor Boris Stepanov, he was preserving hoards who bore the badge of mediocrity.

This was not so much a lyrical opera in the traditional sense but a psychological melodrama that pitted earth-bound against celestial talent. Rimsky-Korsakov was also comparing himself with the cultural giants that were Pushkin and Mussorgsky. 

Photo: Chris P.Lim

A chamber-sized orchestra accompanied the action, and there were cameos by Matthias Oestringer as the blind street violinist and Adrian Tang in the pastiche piano part. Members of the Singapore Symphony Chorus (Eudenice Palaruan, choral director), placed high in the balcony sang the opening page from Mozart’s Requiem, as the musical rivals memorably walked into the pages of infamy. Graf’s final act as music director of the SSO could not have been more poignant.

Rating ****

Posterity has shown
who's got the last laugh.

The original review on Bachtrack.com:

Mozart and Salieri under the spotlight in Graf’s Singapore farewell | Bachtrack

MAESTOSO INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL 3rd Evening / Review

MAESTOSO INTERNATIONAL 

MUSIC FESTIVAL / 3rd Evening

Zarith Sophia Opera House, Johor Bahru

Sunday (23 July 2023)

 

The Maestoso International Music Festival was a three-day event jointly co-organised by parties from Malaysia and Vietnam, culminating in three evenings of concerts by young musicians from around the region and held at Johor Bahru’s new Zarith Sophia Opera House. Its resident ensemble was the Maestoso Chamber Orchestra led by young Vietnamese conductor Nguyen Phu Son, comprising string students and four wind players from ASEAN nations including Vietnam (mostly), Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar.

 

The festival's final evening opened with Vivaldi’s Concerto for Strings in G minor (RV.157) in three short movements.  Despite the hall’s slightly dry acoustics, the string ensemble gave a good account of itself, cohesive for most part and keeping the textures light but not astringent. That served as an apt prelude to the main course, two early Mozart piano concertos - both in C major - performed by pupils of renowned Armenian pianist Armen Babakhanian, prizewinner at the Leeds and Van Cliburn International Piano Competitions, who is presently based in Kuala Lumpur.  

 

Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.8 in C major (K.246), also called the Lutzow Concerto, is not often heard except in complete concerto collections on disc. It received a refreshing airing with the opening movement performed by young Christabel Liew, who sparkled in a bright yellow gown. Although the orchestral accompaniment was scrappy-sounding in parts, it still supported the soloist adequately by not overwhelming her. For her part, she was fluent, with grace and clarity being strong points, and also the short cadenza well covered.

There was the usual inappropriate applause between movements but in this case it was justified, as Christabel had completed her task and received the rightful plaudits. The slow movement and finale were undertaken by Berry Wong (no spelling error, and surely named after the late Austrian baritone Walter Berry), a more mature performer. Despite his burly stature and hulking demeanour, he displayed both nimbleness and agility in his touch. The contrasts were well brought out, a singing tone in the Andante followed by the dance-like (Tempo di Menuetto) moves to close the concerto on a high. 

 

 

Surely the highlight of the concert was the second half, a performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.13 in C major (K.415) by Toby Tan. Here is one of the stars of tomorrow, having recently awarded First Prize (Junior category) at the Aarhus International Piano Competition in Denmark. He clearly has a feeling for Mozart’s idiom, his silky and “flowing like oil” smoothness and rococo sensibilities. Nowhere does the music feel forced in his hands, and even the supposedly virtuoso cadenza is made to feel like part of the overall musical fabric.

 

Time stood still in the Andante, where cantabile qualities truly stood out. Toby’s shaping of phrases is admirable and if there were moments where tears may be shed, this was it. Even the orchestra, held in abeyance by such musicality, seemed to adjust their playing accordingly. The concluding Rondeau had a playful and buoyant charm, punctuated by interludes of graceful slow dance music. Its episodic nature saw some premature clapping but it was that initial theme which returned time and again (hence the concept of round dance or rondo), sounding better with each repeat before the final romp.

 

After receiving the loudest and longest applause on the evening, Toby’s riproaring encore of Scarlatti’s Sonata in D major (K.29), capturing its feathery light harpsichord textures with astonishing aplomb, capped off a fine evening of music. Although all the performers on stage (including the orchestra) were young and inexperienced, their passion and willingness to serve the music was clearly palpable. This experience will stand their future musical careers in good stead for years to come.

The obligatory end-of-Festival
corporate photoshoot

They say it takes a village
to raise a pianist.
Toby Tan with his teachers: Rena Phua,
Armen Babakhanian and Albert Tiu.
Missing Poom Prommachart,
Rosemery Halim and Winnie Tay today.

PHOTOS FROM MUSIC SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL PIANO & VIOLIN COMPETITION / PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY & CONCERT

 

Every once in a while, I get invited to attend finals and prize-giving ceremonies of music festivals and competitions. These are usually long-drawn and boring affairs with multitudes of well-groomed children dressed in their nines collecting awards and photo opportunities that will proudly adorn show cabinets at home. However, the event may be graced by musical luminaries and talented young musicians who actually perform, and a worthwhile concert situation arises.

That was the case of Music Singapore's annual International Piano & Violin Competition gala, held on Sunday 19 March 2023, which had some truly substantial musical offerings. When often does one get to listen to Singapore's premier string quartet, Singapore's brightest piano talent and Thailand's finest pianist in one sitting? Here it was, and here are the photos!

T'ang Quartet was invited to perform
the first two movements of Ravel's String Quartet.

This young lady performed something
virtuosic by Isaak Berkovich.

This young man performed Chopin's Waltz in A minor, 
and he also won a top prize for the violin.

This young man made light work of
a Scarlatti Sonata in G major.

Kylie performed the first movement of
Beethoven's Sonata in A major (Op.2 No.2)

Lim Yan, Director of the Singapore International
Piano Festival, was a jury member and was on hand
to give away some prizes.

Toby Tan, fresh from winning 1st prize
at the Aarhus International Piano Competition
performed Liszt's La Campanella.

A confident showing with the finale of
Korngold's Violin Concerto.

The highest violin category winner played
Amy Beach's Romance.

Celebrated Thai pianst Poom Prommachart
was invited from Kuala Lumpur to grace the event.

Poom Prommachart performed
Medtner's Sonata Tragica with stunning aplomb.

All the prize winners with jury members
and the competition founder Vivien Gao.

A RATHER SPECIAL RECITAL @ EXTRAORDINARY STUDIO

A RATHER SPECIAL RECITAL

@ EXTRAORDINARY STUDIO

 

Singapore is indeed teeming with child prodigy musicians and it is always a pleasure to witness and hear how young minds work, and what aspects of professional musicians they have learnt and assimilated in performances. One is also curious to see which of these might progress to serious careers in music, and who would fall by the wayside (to study medicine and law instead).

 

A rare opportunity was afforded me to see 14-year-old pianist Toby Tan Kai Rong perform two short recital programmes prepared for the Aarhus International Piano Competition for Young Pianists (Denmark) which takes place in early March. The recital took place in Extraordinary Studio at Ubi Avenue 1, his family-owned piano base, where he is at his most comfortable practising and performing on Steinways, no less.

 

The first programme opened with one of the competition’s set pieces, Carl Nielsen’s Five Pieces Op.3. These brief character pieces by the 25-year-old Dane (before his famous symphonic output) share similarities with Grieg’s Lyric Pieces, centering on folk music and traditions, and include several dances. Toby performed these with simplicity and sympathy, the inherent salon charm which cannot be underestimated.

 

Virtuosity would flex its muscles in Liszt’s La Campanella, a more mercurial and intense reading than Toby’s last performance at the Singapore International Piano Competition (where caution was the catchword). Now it even sounds easy in his hands. Following this was Chopin’s Andante Spianato & Grande Polonaise Brillante (Op.22), where the nocturne-like opening had genuine cantabile over a smooth legato, gilded with fine ornamental filigree. The closing dance had rhythmic vigour and inexorable drive, bringing the first segment to a brilliant conclusion.   

 

After a brief break, the first movement of Haydn’s Sonata No.52 in E flat major opened with blustery chords, moments when the Austrian sounded most like his student Beethoven. Toby was unafraid to let rip but even this was nuanced as the intervening passages were played with much sensitivity and understanding of the music’s shifting dynamics.

 

In Ravel’s water-inspired piece Jeux d’eau, Toby’s deft use of the una corda pedal enabled a wider range of sonorities to come forth. The music’s glimmering textures and fluid sweeps with glissandi were very well brought out, and one wonders how he will handle Ondine from Gaspard de la nuit in the near future. Closing the recital was a work from left of field, Schumann’s Faschingsschwank aus Wien (Carnival Jest in Vienna, Op.26) a five-movement work which could easily lapse into caricature, repetitiveness and tediousness.

 

But no, as Toby has the imagination to shape the varied dances within its extended and frankly over-long opening movement, and make things interesting. Its gentle ribbing of Beethoven and La Marseillaise was not self-counscious and the humour not overdone. The Romanze had a desolate and heartrending quality, the Scherzino beguiling, while the Intermezzo filled with yearning nostalgia. The irrepressible Finale was a romp with all gloves off, bringing the recital to a glorious close. I cannot imagine another teenager in Singapore perform this elusive work with such innate musicianship and authority.

 

All this stands Toby Tan in very good stead for the competition to come. Success is never guaranteed, but musical values are more than priceless. His teachers, who have included Winnie Tay, Rosemery, Rena Phua, Poom Prommachart and Armen Babakhanian, will be proud of his progress and artistic successes ahead.  

The Steinway's gilded interior
has the autographs of concert pianists
who have practised on it.
Can you recognise their names?

Toby's impressive collection
of performing hats!

Update (12 March 2023):

Toby Tan was awarded the unanimous 1st Prize in Category A of the Aarhus International Piano Competition as well as the Carl Nielsen prize for the best performance of a work by the Danish composer. 

He is the first Singaporean to win 1st prize in this prestigious competition for young pianists under the age of 17. Singapore's only previous prizewinner was Churen Li, who was awarded third prize in the same category in 2011. Heartiest congratulations!

Toby Tan with fellow finalists of the
Aarhus International Piano Competition
Yuri Yasui and Yuhe Jin. 

You can watch Toby's second round performance here:

(1) Kai Rong Toby Tan - AIPC 2023 - category A - 2nd round - YouTube