Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra
180px Logo of Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Founded	1979
Location	Singapore
Concert hall	Esplanade Concert Hall
Website	www.sso.org.sg

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a 96-member professional symphony orchestra. Its main performing venue is the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore, and it has also toured widely in Asia, Europe and the United States. The orchestra was formed in 1979 under the patronage of Dr. Goh Keng Swee, with Choo Hoey its Director and Resident Conductor. The current Musical Director is Lan Shui.

The orchestra records under the BIS label and has released a number of well-received recordings.

History

Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, home of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra since 1980

There were a number of orchestras formed in Singapore in the colonial period and after independence. One of these, also called Singapore Symphony Orchestra, was formed in 1945 by the Scottish composer Erik Chisholm in his capacity as ENSA Music Director for South East Asia. Some of its members were from the British army or air force bands, and though it was short-lived it gave over fifty concerts and played with some notable soloists such as the violinist Szymon Goldberg. After that, until 1979, all orchestras in Singapore were composed largely of amateur musicians. Orchestras of the early periods included the orchestras of Singapore Musical Society, Singapore Chamber Ensemble, Singapore Youth Orchestra, as well as the short-lived Singapore National Orchestra formed by National Theatre Trust in the 1970s.

In 1973, at the opening ceremony of the Japanese Garden in Jurong, the then defence minister Dr. Goh Keng Swee described the absence of a professional symphony orchestra in Singapore as "a minor scandal". An initial proposal to establish a national symphony orchestra however was not accepted as it did not plan for the inclusion of Singaporean musicians. In 1977, a largely amateur Singapore Philharmonic Orchestra was formed under the leadership of Yoshinao Osawa, and its success spurred further interest in the idea of a national symphony orchestra. Goh Keng Swee then made arrangements for the establishment of the professional orchestra that would be supported by public fund, and one that can serve as a flagship arts company for the enrichment of the local culture scene.

Esplanade, main performance venue for SSO since 2003

In 1979, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) was instituted, and its first Director and Resident Conductor was Choo Hoey. The orchestra had 41 members, 14 of whom were Singaporean, and it gave its first performance at the Singapore Conference Hall on 24 January 1979. The program for its inaugural concert ranged from Rossini's Overture to The Barber of Seville, Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 (soloist Ong Lip Tat), to the Chinese orchestral piece Dance of the Yao People. The Singapore Symphony Chorus was also formed in 1980 so that choral work may be performed with the orchestra. For its inaugural concert, the chorus performed Brahms' A German Requiem in English. In 1980, the Victoria Memorial Hall became home to the orchestra. In 2003, the orchestra moved to its current performance venue the Esplanade. The orchestra and chorus had performed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on the venue's official opening in 2002. The SSO expanded to its target of about 90 musicians by the early 1990s, and now has 96 members in the orchestra.

Choo Hoey stepped down as Musical Director in July 1996, and now holds the position of the SSO's Conductor Emeritus. Choo was succeeded by Lan Shui who remains the current Musical Director.

Concerts and repertoire

SSO Concert at the Singapore Botanic Gardens

The orchestra has developed an extensive repertoire of Western classical music ranging from early baroque to contemporary classical music. The orchestra also performs Chinese works composed or arranged for a Western orchestra.

The main performing venue for the orchestra is the Esplanade Concert Hall, but concerts are also held regularly at the Victoria Concert Hall. It also gives the occasional free performances, for example at the Botanic Gardens and Gardens by the Bay. The orchestra has toured extensively around the world. Notable concerts include performances at the Berlin Philharmonie, New York's Avery Fisher Hall, Beijing's Poly Theatre, and The Proms in London.

The orchestra often features renowned soloists, conductors and choral groups from around the world. Among the soloists who have performed with the orchestra are Stephen Hough, Yo-Yo Ma, Emmanuel Ax, Sarah Chang, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Kiri Te Kanawa, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and José Carreras. Guest conductors included Lorin Maazel.

Recordings

The SSO has made many recordings with BIS Records and other labels. Its 2007 recordings of Claude Debussy's La Mer was described by BBC Music Magazine as "an unequivocally world-class performance of Debussy's masterpiece" and was awarded the maximum five stars. In 2008 they released the first recording of the complete cycle of Alexander Tcherepnin's six piano concertos and four symphonies. Other notable releases include recordings of works by Rachmaninov released in 2012 and 2013 with Yevgeny Sudbin.

External links

• - Official website
• Singapore Symphony Chorus
• SSO Performances at the Singapore Botanic Gardens