Singapore Symphony Orchestra Report 2012/13 Singapore Symphony Orchestra Contents Message from the...
Transcript of Singapore Symphony Orchestra Report 2012/13 Singapore Symphony Orchestra Contents Message from the...
Contents
Message from the Chairman 02
Message from the Music Director 04
SSO Musicians 05
Governance 06
The Year in Review 08
Community 22
Victoria Concert Hall 32
Sponsors, Donors & Musician’s Chair 35
Symphony Society 44
Financial Highlights 49
“A top-flight, richly enjoyable performance.”The Telegraph, 7 April 2012
Chairman’s MessageAt 34, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra has consolidated its reputation as one of Asia’s finest orchestras. Recent recordings have won sterling reviews, and the feedback from visiting artists has continued to be very encouraging. Perhaps the best measure of this is the number of famous artists who have agreed to return to perform in Singapore after making their debuts.
The SSO progressed steadily through its 2012/13 financial year. Average attendance for ticketed subscription and gala concerts was satisfactory at 81.6%, though this was less than the 82.4% set in the previous year partly because of a more challenging series of programmes. Internationally-famous artists making their Singapore debuts this year included violinist Alina Ibragimova and Nicola Benedetti, pianists Helene Grimaud and Krystian
Zimerman, and cellist-conductor Han-Na Chang. We also continued our association with pianist Yevgeny Sudbin in concert, and with a recording of Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto that has since won rave reviews. Among the highlights for the year were our sold-out choral concerts featuring Orff’s Carmina Burana and Handel’s Messiah.
Outside of the Esplanade Concert Hall, we continued to deepen our community engagement through many free concerts on school campuses, the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore Racecourse at Kranji. We continued to draw large audiences for our Concerts for Children, the perennially-popular SSO Babies’ Proms and the SSO Christmas Concerts. These and other outreach events account for over a third of the SSO’s performing calendar.
The SSO’s historic home, the Victoria Concert Hall, will reopen in the second half of 2014 after an extensive 3-year renovation with its seating capacity reduced to 678 to improve its acoustics. Following this, the SSO will divide its time between the Esplanade Concert Hall and the Victoria Concert Hall, performing different repertoire in two splendid but very different world-class concert halls.
The SSO’s ticket prices remain within the reach of all Singaporeans. The cheapest standard ticket costs $15, and there are substantial discounts available to students and senior citizens. The Swire-SSO Ticketing Scheme, launched in 2013, benefits local schools and allows students to enjoy SSO concerts for as little as $10 per ticket. We also conduct free music appreciation talks for schools with every group booking.
A large part of the SSO’s funding comes from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, the Totalisator Board and the Singapore Turf Club. Contributions from sponsors and donors are essential to sustain our operations. For FY12/13, total expenditure amounted to $17.7 million, a relatively small sum in the context of international orchestras, and we ended the year with a slight surplus of $93,425. Management has been careful in expenditure without compromising the quest for artistic excellence.
The SSO’s Endowment Fund has increased to $32.6 million, largely on investment gains totalling $2.2 million. We will need to grow the Endowment Fund further in the years ahead to create a more sustainable investment income stream for the SSO.
Goh Yew Lin Chairman
I am very grateful that we have so many partners and friends who have helped us from our earliest days. The SSO’s Board of Directors has been critical in mapping out the SSO’s vision and strategies, and in this it is now strongly supported by the SSO Council, which met for the first time in April 2013. We are encouraged in our efforts by the number of donors, large and small, who remind us of the breadth of interest that exists for Singapore’s national orchestra.
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Music – the universal language – speaks volumes where words sometimes fail. With the power to uplift, inspire, entertain and educate, the true power of music lies in its ability to create experiences which are unique yet unifying, personal yet communal. The SSO is proud to play its part in shaping these experiences for Singapore and Singaporeans.
Our 2012/13 season has been another exciting journey filled with many highlights: we have seen spectacular SSO debuts by acclaimed artists such as Krystian Zimerman and Hélène Grimaud, return visits by old friends like Neeme Järvi, Sarah Chang and Wang Jian, as well as most memorable performances of Orff’s Carmina Burana and Handel’s ever-popular Messiah. Our recording project of orchestral works by Rachmaninov is well under way – with the CD of the First Piano Concerto and First Symphony just recently released.
Touching new audiences through music remains a key facet of the SSO’s mission. Outside the concert hall, we continued to extend a welcoming hand to the thousands of music-lovers in the community – many newly-initiated – who joined us at school and campus concerts across Singapore in the last year, and at outdoor performances and Children’s Concerts.
It is to you – our audience – that the music is always dedicated. Thank you for your support and company on yet another stretch of our journey. As the music speaks, it is heartening to know that you are listening.
Music Director’s Message
Choo Hoey Conductor Emeritus
Okko Kamu
Principal Guest Conductor
Lim Yau Choral Director
Lan Shui Music Director
FIRST VIOLIN
LEADER
Igor Yuzefovich
CO-LEADER
Lynnette Seah ASSISTANT LEADER
Kong Zhao Hui
FIXED CHAIR
Chan Yoong-Han
Cao CanChen Da WeiDuan Yu LingFoo Say MingGu Wen LiJin LiCindy LeeSeow Jin ChongAlexander SouptelSui Jing JingKaren TanWilliam TanWei Zhe
SECOND VIOLIN
PRINCIPAL
Zhang Zhen Shan
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Michael Loh
FIXED CHAIR
Hai-Won Kwok
Nikolai KovalPriscilla NeoMargit SaurShao Tao Tao
Lillian Wang Wu Man YunXu Jue YiYe LinYeo Teow MengYin Shu ZhanZhang Si Jing
VIOLA
PRINCIPAL
Zhang Manchin
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Guan Qi
FIXED CHAIR
Jiang Han Song
Gu Bing JieMarietta Ku Liu Hao YuLuo BiaoShui BingTan Wee Hsin Tong Yi PingYang Shi Li
CELLO
PRINCIPAL
Ng Pei-Sian
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Yu Jing
FIXED CHAIR
Guo Hao
Chan Wei ShingDing Xiao FengLi ChengSong Woon Teng
Wang YanWu Dai DaiZhao Yu Er
DOUBLE BASS
PRINCIPAL
Guennadi Mouzyka
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Yang Zheng Yi
FIXED CHAIR
Karen Yeo
Olga AlexandrovaMa Li Ming Jacek MiruckiWang XuYang Xun
FLUTE
PRINCIPAL
Jin Ta
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Evgueni Brokmiller
Roberto Alvarez
PICCOLO
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Roberto Alvarez
OBOE
PRINCIPAL
Rachel Walker
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Pan Yun
Carolyn HollierElaine Yeo
COR ANGLAIS
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Elaine Yeo
CLARINET
PRINCIPAL
Ma Yue
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Li Xin
Liu YokoTang Xiao Ping
BASS CLARINET
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Tang Xiao Ping
BASSOON
PRINCIPAL
Zhang Jin Min
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Liu Chang
Christoph WichertZhao Ying Xue
CONTRA BASSOON
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Zhao Ying Xue
HORN
PRINCIPAL
Han Chang Chou
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Gao JianJamie HerschMarc-Antoine Robillard
Wang Min
TRUMPET
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
David Smith
Ikebe Jun
TROMBONE
PRINCIPAL
Allen Meek
Damian Patti
BASS TROMBONE
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Shannon Pittaway
TUBA
PRINCIPAL
Hidehiro Fujita
TIMPANI
PRINCIPAL
Jonathan Fox
Grzegorz Markiewicz
PERCUSSION
PRINCIPAL
Jonathan Fox
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Mark Suter
Mark De Souza Lim Meng Keh Grzegorz Markiewicz
HARP
PRINCIPAL
Gulnara Mashurova
This list is correct as at 1 October 2013.
SSO Musicians
Lan Shui Music Director
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jason laiAssociate Conductor
joshua tanAssociate Conductor
The Singapore Symphonia Company Limited is a registered charity governed by its Board of Directors which is appointed by the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth.
The Board is made up of a group of civic, business, cultural and philanthropic leaders, who together with the Music Director, the General Manager of the SSCL and the General Manager of the SSO, direct and carry out the artistic mission of the SSO. The Board is supported by various committees such as: Nominating & Executive Committee, Audit Committee, Endowment Fund Committee, Artistic Advisory Committee and Musicians’ Committee; as well as the SSO Ladies’ League.
On 1 April 2013, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra Council was formed comprising a group of distinguished people. The SSO Council generously give their experience and expertise at the request of the Orchestra and are consulted by members of the Management and Board in an advisory role.
Chairman
Prof Cham Tao Soon
Members
Mr Frank Benjamin Mr Alan Chan Ms Chew Gek Khim Mr David ConnerDr Geh Min Mr Goh Geok KhimMr Khoo Boon HuiProf Tommy KohMr JY Pillay
Dr Stephen Riady Ms Priscylla Shaw Dr Gralf Sieghold Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao Dr Tan Chin Nam Ms Tan Choo Leng Mr Tan Soo NanMr Wee Ee Cheong
Governance SSO Council
PatronPresident Tony Tan Keng Yam
Company SecretarySamas Management Pte Ltd
Registered Office4 Battery Road #20-01Bank of China BuildingSingapore 049908
Auditors Ernst & Young LLP
BankersUnited Overseas Bank LtdDBS Bank LtdOCBC Bank Ltd
Board of DirectorsCHAIRMAN Mr Goh Yew Lin
DIRECTORSMr Ang Chek Meng (appointed on 26 September 2013) Mrs Odile BenjaminMr Chng Hak-PengMr Lionel ChoiProf Arnoud De Meyer (appointed on 26 September 2013)
Ms Carol Fong (retired on 25 September 2013)
Mr Heinrich GrafeMr Kwee Liong SeenMs Lim MeiProf Lim Seh ChunMs Tan Choo LengMs Yvonne ThamMr Wong Nang JangMr Yee Chen Fah (appointed on 26 September 2013)
Ms Yong Ying-I
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The Year in Review
Conductor Neeme Järvi
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s events were attended by 70,000 people in FY12/13. We performed 36 ticketed subscription and gala concerts, and numerous free outreach events and activities. The average attendance at subscription and gala concerts was a satisfactory 81.6%, while its children’s programmes, which included the 10th Anniversary edition of the ever-popular Babies’ Proms, continued to fare very well at the box office, reaching out to over 10,000 children. More than 32,000 people attended our outreach concerts.
The SSO LiveThe SSO’s choral concerts were among the highlights of a star-filled year. Tickets were sold out for Orff’s Carmina Burana, conducted by Lim Yau, and Handel’s Messiah, conducted by John Nelson.
Piano fans were treated to back-to-back weeks featuring the Singapore debuts of Krystian Zimerman and Hélène Grimaud, performing Lutoslawski and Brahms piano concertos respectively under the baton of Music Director Lan Shui. The year also witnessed the SSO debuts of Alina Ibragimova, Nicola Benedetti and Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. Han-Na Chang impressed both as cellist in Haydn’s Concerto and as conductor in Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony.
Legendary conductors Neeme Järvi and Gennady Rozhdestvensky returned for memorable concerts, and violinist Sarah Chang returned to play and conduct in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Other great concerts featured cellists Steven Isserlis and Wang
“The Singapore Symphony accompanies perfectly, adding considerably to the colour and atmosphere of the work.”BBC Music Magazine, May 2012
Jian, violinist Renaud Capuçon and pianist Yevgeny Sudbin, the latter returning to record Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto with Lan Shui. The resulting BIS CD has since won rave reviews from many critics.
In collaboration with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, the SSO gave a sold-out performance of The Blue Planet Live! in June 2012, with conductor Joshua Tan and a combined chorus in music by award-winning composer George Fenton for the BBC’s acclaimed nature film.
The SSO also performed in the Esplanade 10th Anniversary Concert: Constellation in October 2012, joining a stellar cast of musicians who have contributed to Singapore’s musical heritage including conductors Lan Shui and Joshua Tan, pianists Dennis Lee, Toh Chee Hung and Lim Yan, and violinists Kam Ning and Gabriel Ng. The evening also saw the SSO partner combined choral forces for Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy.
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The Blue Planet Live! with the SSO
Violinist Alina Ibragimova
A Musical LegacyOutside of SSO rehearsals and performances, a number of our SSO musicians are also respected faculty members and teachers at various arts institutions including the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, School of the Arts Singapore and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Many of Singapore’s best school orchestras are also trained and conducted by SSO musicians, some of whom also help to train the musicians of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra.
81.6%
37,337Average attendance
Total audience
36Subscription and gala concerts
SSO in FY12/13
Master cellist Wang Jian
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Several SSO musicians also serve as mentors in the Orchestra of the Music Makers, inspiring the young musicians in their playing and performance. The SSO encourages these activities to help strengthen the broader classical music eco-system, and to encourage and cultivate the next generation of Singapore’s musicians.
“To say that this performance of Carl Orff ’s Carmina Burana (1937), the first-ever at the Esplanade, simply rocked from start to finish, is an understatement.” The Straits Times Life!
(from left to right) Carmina Burana: Markus Eiche, John Zuckerman, Son Jihye & Lim Yau
The SSO encourages its musicians to perform in chamber music concerts, whether in the SSO’s own chamber music series, or under different auspices. SSO musicians have also spearheaded the formation of highly successful chamber groups including re:mix and Take5, who regularly perform to sold-out houses.
Pianist Behzod Abduraimov
Cellist Han-Na Chang
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Violinist Yang Shuxiang
Nurturing Young TalentsThe 2012 edition of the President’s Young Performers Concert showcased the talents of three young musicians under Singaporean conductor Darrell Ang: 13-year-old pianists Gavin Jared Bala and Jonathan Chua Yu Jing, and 23-year-old violinist Yang Shuxiang.
Two Singaporean musicians – 22-year-old violinist Loh Jun Hong and 14-year-old guitarist Kevin Loh – shared the stage with Lan Shui and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra for its 34th Anniversary Concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall in January 2013. Kevin Loh was the soloist in the world premiere of the Guitar Concerto by Singaporean composer Bernard Tan.
Inaugurated in 2011, the F J Benjamin-SSO Bursary was designed to help young music talents in Singapore hone their skills. The 2013 F J Benjamin-SSO Bursary benefited three promising Singaporean musicians, with the $20,000 bursary split among conductor Amos Chia, 22, pianist Abigail Sin, 20, and violinist Helena Dawn Yah, 17.
Amos Chia received $8,500 to defray his ongoing conducting course fees at the Rimsky-Korsakov St Petersburg State Conservatory. Abigail Sin received $7,700 to fund part of her graduate diploma programme at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, while Helena Yah used her $3,800 bursary to attend a masterclass in Romania.
Young violinist Loh Jun Hong and guitarist Kevin Loh
F J Benjamin-SSO Bursary Award Ceremony
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Singapore Symphony Chorus & Singapore Symphony Children’s ChoirThe Singapore Symphony Chorus traces its origins to 1980, when selected singers from various choirs in Singapore came together to form the first symphonic chorus in Singapore under the guidance of the SSO’s founding conductor, Maestro Choo Hoey. The SSO was then just a year old, but Maestro Choo envisaged the potential for broadening the repertoire to include symphonic choral works.
Today the Singapore Symphony Chorus performs regularly with the SSO in a wide range of music, from Christmas concerts to the peaks of the symphonic choral repertoire. It is frequently augmented by other excellent local choirs, including the Singapore Bible College Chorale, Hallelujah Chorus and The Philharmonic Chamber Choir, in order to perform spectacular blockbusters such as Berlioz’s Messe Solennelle, Mahler’s Symphony of Thousand and Orff’s Carmina Burana.
In June 2006, the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir (SSCC) was formed. Under the direction of Lim Yau, the SSCC made its debut performance in 2007
at the SSO’s Christmas Concerts, and has joined the SSO for Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust and Britten’s War Requiem, among others, at the Esplanade Concert Hall.
In November 2012 the SSCC under conductor Wong Lai Foon gave a free performance of favourite Broadway and movie classics at the School of the Arts as part of the SPH Gift of Music series. The SSCC also performed Christmas carols and Singaporean folk songs at the Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Concert at the Hwa Chong Institution in December 2012, which was attended by beneficiaries from various charities including the Brahm Centre, the Henderson Senior Citizens’ Home, the Kheng Chiu Loke Tin Kee Home and the Singapore Cancer Society.
“Having mentored Ming Min, a wonderfully gifted young cellist, I have no doubt that she has gained new perspective and insight and hopefully has been inspired to develop her musical journey further,” said Ng Pei-Sian.
Toh rounded off her time with the SSO by taking part in a performance of Carmina Burana in May, while Ramirez performed in three children’s concerts. Said Rachel Walker: “Franz’s natural talent made him a very enthusiastic student so lessons have been exciting and incredibly productive.”
“I found his [Ng Pei-Sian’s] comments regarding leading the section useful when playing in the Singapore National Youth Orchestra. They helped me understand my role better and appreciate how precise my playing needs to be.”
Toh Ming Min
Hadel’s Messiah
Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir
SSO Christmas Concert
The SSO-ABRSM PartnershipSince 1985 the Singapore Symphonia Company Limited has been managing the Singapore office of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), which sees some 40,000 candidates taking practical and theory examinations every year.
Under the new SSO-ABRSM Youth Mentoring Scheme sponsored by ABRSM, two outstanding young musicians who gained distinctions in their ABRSM diplomas were selected to receive lessons and advice from SSO principal players.
Singaporean cellist Toh Ming Min was offered a rare opportunity to work with SSO’s Principal Cellist Ng Pei-Sian, while oboist Franz Miguel Ramirez from the Philippines worked with SSO’s Principal Oboist Rachel Walker.
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“The Paganini Rhapsody, with the Singapore orchestra responding so vividly to Sudbin’s dynamic artistry, leaves a memorable impression.”International Record Review, April 2012
DiscographyUnder the direction of Music Director Lan Shui, the SSO has over 30 CD recordings to its credit, including 24 albums under BIS Records. Among the three releases in FY12/13 was a critically acclaimed recording of Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 3 and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (BIS-SACD-1988) featuring Russian pianist Yevgeny Sudbin, which was described as “a top-flight, richly enjoyable performance” by The Telegraph.
To raise awareness of classical music amongst students and young audiences, the SSO recorded an album comprising two perennial classics: Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals (with pianists Low Shao Suan and Low Shao Ying) as well as Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. An album Salut d’Amour – Best Loved Classics was also released in the same period.
Piano FestivalSince its inception in 1994 the Singapore International Piano Festival has drawn on pianists from all over the world, featuring the likes of Yuja Wang, Angela Hewitt, Nikolai Demidenko, Stephen Hough, Vladimir Feltsman, Marc-André Hamelin, Pascal Rogé, Boris Berezovsky, Piotr Anderszewski, and Paul Lewis, among many others.
Offering four consecutive evenings of piano recitals, the Festival attracts a sizeable audience every year, including a number of overseas visitors. The 2012 Singapore International Piano Festival: Fantasies in Sound was held from 28 June to 1 July at the School of the Arts Concert Hall. Featuring virtuosos Paul Lewis, Khatia Buniatishvili, Chiyan Wong and Stephen Hough, the 2012 festival attracted a 1,600-strong audience. The Piano Festival’s current Artistic Director is Lionel Choi, a former music critic and a current member of the SSO Board.
Salut d’Amour –Best Loved Classics
Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals / Britten: Young Person’s Guide
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3Rhapsody on a Theme Of Paganini
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“Lan Shui and his Singaporean players play their hearts out, and bring an apt
autumnal glow to the lovely second movement in BIS’s ideal acoustic.”
Gramophone, May 2012
“The exchange programme is a welcome step out of the routine and I also learned a few new things about bassoon reed making and made many new friends. I hope this programme will give many orchestra members the opportunity to experience the hospitality of the TMSO.”
SSO bassoon player Christoph Wichert
TMSO-SSO Exchange ProgrammeIn 2009 the Singapore Symphony Orchestra together with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra launched the TMSO-SSO musician exchange programme. TMSO was formed in 1965 as part of a cultural promotion project of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to mark the Tokyo Olympic Games and has since grown to become one of Japan’s foremost professional orchestras.
Pianist Hélène Grimaud
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Nakako Sano (centre) with the SSO Double Bass Section
For the 2012 exchange which was supported by the JCCI Singapore Foundation, SSO played host to TMSO double bassist Nakako Sano, who joined her SSO colleagues for six performances – including a subscription programme and five Babies’ Proms concerts – from 30 November to 8 December. SSO’s bassoon player Christoph Wichert worked with the TMSO for four concerts between December 5 and 16.
Community Concerts
As Singapore’s national symphony orchestra, the SSO seeks to bring music to audiences beyond the confines of traditional concert halls. It regularly performs free concerts at a wide variety of locations, from schools, polytechnics and universities to outdoor venues such as the Singapore Racecourse, Singapore Botanic Gardens and Gardens by the Bay. These performances of great classics in a less formal setting reach more than 22,000 audience members each year.
Outdoor & Family ConcertsOne of the most eagerly anticipated series of events in the local music calendar, the SSO’s Classics in the Park concerts are held twice each year at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. By now a popular local tradition, the SSO Mother’s Day concert took place on 13 May 2012, sponsored by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) as part of the SPH Gift of Music series. The concert attracted a crowd in excess of 5,000, including many families out for a picnic with mum on this special day.
The Botanic Gardens concert of 2 September 2012 was sponsored by the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation as part of its Music-For-All series of concerts. This also drew more than 5,000 attendees. Some 150 of the Foundation’s beneficiaries – including representatives from the Brahm Centre, Home Nursing Foundation, Pertapis and Singapore Heart Foundation – were specially brought to the Gardens for an invigorating evening of music.
2012 also saw the expansion of the Classics in the Park series to include performances at other outdoor venues. The SSO made its Gardens By The Bay debut on 21 July 2012, in a concert at The Meadow conducted by Jason Lai. The programme featured familiar favourites such as Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and excerpts from Bizet’s Carmen, and included the unplanned but entirely welcome participation of a military flypast and fireworks display as part of the National Day rehearsals.
An all-French programme conducted by Darrell Ang was performed at the next Gardens By The Bay concert on 9 March 2013, including the Orpheus in the Underworld Overture by Offenbach and excerpts from Gounod’s Faust. Both Gardens By The Bay performances were sponsored by Singapore Press Holdings as part of its Gift of Music series, and each attracted over 6,000 audience members.
Jason Lai conducting at Botanic Gardens
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22,659
32,83010,171
Attendance at free concerts and open rehearsals
Total audience at outreach concerts
Attendance at ticketed children’s concerts
1113 Free community
concerts
Ticketed children’s concerts
SSO in FY12/13
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Music for Schools and StudentsThe SSO works closely with a number of schools and educational institutions to bring the joy of live classical performances to their students, in the familiar and easily-accessible environs of their own performing arts centres. In recent years, fruitful partnerships with schools such as Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Secondary), Republic Polytechnic and Dunman High School – amongst others – have made possible many exciting concerts which reach out not only to students but also to music-lovers who reside in the vicinity. These well-attended free concerts now form an important segment of the SSO’s annual performance calendar.
The closing week of the 2012/13 concert season – also the week before the month-long June school holidays – saw free performances on two consecutive evenings at Victoria Junior College and at School Of The Arts respectively. Both concerts featured the great British pianist, Stephen Hough, and were conducted by Darrell Ang. Apart from the scintillating solo
“To have the SSO perform in our very own Performance Theatre… encourages students who normally would not attend classical concerts to make a first attempt at appreciating classical music…”Ms Ding Yih, Aesthetics Subject Head, Victoria Junior College
Neeme Järvi1 February 13
Carmina Burana open rehearsal
performances, audiences were treated to a rendition of Kelly Tang’s Symphonic Suite on a Set of Local Tunes as well as a jazz arrangement of excerpts from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky. The Nanyang Technological University and Republic Polytechnic were the destinations of choice for two further SSO on Campus concerts in September, both featuring the SSO’s former concertmaster Alexander Souptel and conductor Joshua Tan.
For students who want to experience live music within the concert hall, the SSO offers significant discounts for most of its concerts. In addition to the usual concessions for students and seniors, the SSO has entered into a collaboration with the Swire Group to offer $10 subscription concert tickets under the Swire-SSO Ticketing Scheme for Schools. Participating school groups also enjoy a specially-designed music appreciation talk that will help enhance the students’ enjoyment of the concerts.
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Concerts for Children: Vivaldi’s Ring Of Mystery
Promoting Music AppreciationThe SSO’s series of pre- and post-concert activities are an integral part of its initiative to make the concert-going experience even more enriching for audiences. These activities include pre-concert talks by established personalities on classical music, as well as post-concert Symphony Chats in which the conductor and guest artists discuss the evening’s concert programme. Each season the SSO also opens selected rehearsals to the public, giving participants a better insight into the making of a concert performance.
Concerts for Children: Symphonic Sorcery – The Music of Harry Porter
Concerts for ChildrenWhile the love of good music can be inculcated at any age, the SSO’s commitment to delivering quality classical music experiences to Singapore and Singaporeans also encompasses reaching out to children – the concertgoers of tomorrow.
Within each SSO concert season are a number of programmes targeted specifically at the young. The ever-popular Babies’ Proms marked its tenth anniversary in December 2012, with four sold-out performances featuring conductor and presenter Peter Moore originally planned over two days, later supplemented by an additional show due to popular demand.
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Peter Moore at SSO Babies’s Proms
“Babies’ Proms is a fun and entertaining way to introduce classical music to my children.” Felicia Ng, mother of two
The Concerts for Children series has long established a reputation as an exciting and accessible platform for young audiences to begin their classical music journey. Combining bite-sized excerpts from the great classics with elements of comedy, drama and mime, each performance is a fun-filled, participative experience for the entire family. In collaboration with international children’s theatre companies such as L’Arsenal à Musqiue, Platypus Theatre and the Magic Circle Mime Company, SSO’s Concerts for Children has breathed new life into familiar children’s classics such as Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals, as well as introduced to Singapore audiences new classical music mascots such as Dan Kamin “The Classical Clown” and “clownductor” Melvin Tix.
Music and magic came together on 31 August and 1 September 2012 in Symphonic Sorcery – The Music of Harry Potter, which saw the SSO teaming up with Dandi Productions to present three performances filled with comedy, enchantment, and not least the spectacular scores by John Williams and Nicholas Hooper for the Harry Potter series of films. Regular collaborators Classical Kids Live! returned to perform with the SSO on 16 March in Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery, the follow-up to last year’s successful production of Beethoven Lives Upstairs. Then it was on to the opera for two performances on 18 May: A Whimsical Tale – A Comic Opera featured a lively romp in mime through the music of Rossini, Verdi, Puccini and Mozart, with the help of Canadian ensemble L’Arsenal à Musique.
Peter Moore at the SSO Babies’ Proms
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Victoria Concert HallThe Victoria Concert Hall’s rich history goes back well before the founding of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Completed in 1905 at a cost of $340,000 to commemorate the diamond-wedding anniversary of Queen Victoria, the Victoria Memorial Hall quickly became an important public meeting hall. As the century progressed, the hall served diverse social and cultural needs in the crown colony.
In 1941, it became a hospital during the bombing of Singapore, and when the war was over in 1945, it served as the venue of the Japanese war crime trials. The inauguration of People’s Action Party in 1954 was held in the same hall that hosted many 20th century musical luminaries including British composer Benjamin Britten, Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and German baritone Hermann Prey. Leading international orchestras including the London Symphony, the New York Philharmonic and the St Petersburg Philharmonic performed memorable concerts in the hall.
To link the Memorial Hall with the older Victoria Theatre, a 54-metre clock tower was added in 1906. Atop this tower sat a 4-metre Gillet and Johnston clock weighing over one ton. This massive precision instrument provided accurate time in all four directions to generations of inhabitants on the island.
With the formation of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in 1978 and its need for a home and a permanent performing venue, the Victoria
Artist’s impression of the interior of Victoria Concert Hall
Memorial Hall was renovated to become the Victoria Concert Hall, with air-conditioning, a lift and other modern amenities. With the fundraising efforts from the newly formed SSO Ladies’ League, the original St Clair organ (1931) was replaced by a fully mechanical Klais organ in 1984. Seating capacity in the hall was also increased significantly to 883, in anticipation of the growth of music appreciation and audience in Singapore. For the first time, the public could listen to live orchestral performances almost every week, and many local musicians made their debuts in the much-loved VCH, on the same stage as visiting renowned soloists and conductors. The VCH’s intimate acoustics were also enjoyed by many choirs, bands and recitalists, with recordings and broadcasts bringing the music to a much wider audience.
After almost three decades of glorious music making on its stage, and with the advent of the Esplanade Theatres by the Bay, the Victoria Concert Hall and VictoriaTheatre were slated for full scale redevelopment. The project was carefully planned over several years before work began on site in 2010. One of the key challenges was the restoration of the unique architectural heritage of the two buildings. Another challenge was the need for the redeveloped hall and theatre to remain relevant to audiences in the 21st century. Great pains were taken by the heritage specialists to preserve the unique blend of Renaissance and Classical features of the concert hall, even while the handsome façades of the eight columns were
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Artist’s Impression of the refurbished Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall
restored to their full glory. The acoustics of the hall were also significantly improved by the reduction of the number of seats to 678.
Being the only mechanical organ in Singapore, the Klais organ at the Victoria Concert Hall was removed piece by piece, repaired, and stored in climate-controlled warehouses for four years during the redevelopment. Such was its emotional link with generations of audiences that many donors and supporters of classical music, notably the Lee Foundation, stepped forward to provide financial support for the restoration. When the Concert Hall re-opens in the second half of 2014, the organ will once again take centrestage, providing awe inspiring and delicate strains of music to old and new audiences.
Moving on towards the 50th anniversary of the founding of modern Singapore, the new Victoria Concert Hall will provide the national orchestra a unique home in an environment ideal for more intimate musical forms to complement its appearances in the much larger and no less splendid Esplanade Concert Hall.
Our Sponsors and Partners
SSO Benefactors
The SSO Benefactor Award honours organisations which have donated over $1 million to the SSO.
Singapore Totalisator Board & Turf Club
CIMB Securities (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Conrad Centennial Singapore
Dresdner Bank Group, Singapore
Far East Organization Centre Pte Ltd
G K Goh Holdings Limited
Keppel Corporation Ltd
Lee Foundation, Singapore
Siemens Pte Ltd
Singapore Airlines Limited
Singapore Petroleum Company Limited
Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
SMRT Corporation Limited
The Shaw Foundation Pte Ltd
United Overseas Bank Ltd
A Standing Ovation for Our Corporate Partners
Partners
Patron Sponsors
OFFICIAL HOTEL OFFICIAL RADIO STATION OFFICIAL POSTAGE SPONSOR
LEE FOUNDATION
OFFICIAL AIRLINE
“In our restoration of VCH, we strove to create an elegant setting within, both in its visual appearance and acoustic quality. This was done through the subtle profiling of the ceiling coffers, the precise proportions of the balcony and the restored decorative plaster walls that were painted a light pastel colour.”
Mok Wei Wei, Managing Director, W Architects
3534
OFFICIAL OUTDOOR MEDIA
$200,000.00 and above
Tote Board and Singapore Turf Club Temasek International Pte LtdConrad Centennial Singapore SMRT Corporation Limited Zhendong FoundationLee Foundation, Singapore $100,000.00 and above
Santa Lucia Asset Management Pte LtdSingapore Press Holdings $50,000.00 and above
Singapore Airlines Ltd Keppel Corporation Ltd Tan Chin Tuan Foundation FJ Benjamin Holdings Ltd Serta International Pte Ltd Lim & Tan Securities Pte Ltd Estate of Mdm Nyien Mou Kao Ernst & Young LLP GK Goh Group Christopher Ho & Rosy Ho In memory of Tan Boon Teik from his family NSL Ltd $20,000.00 and above
United Overseas Bank Ltd Singapore Petroleum Company Limited Pontiac Land Group Miele Pte Ltd Singapore Institute of Management Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi-Martin Eugene Paul Lai Chin Look Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd STT Communications Ltd JCCI Singapore Foundation Ltd Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore Pte Ltd PSA International Pte Ltd
Singapore Pools (Pte) Ltd Tian Hock Properties Pte Ltd Mr & Mrs Yong Pung How $10,000.00 and above
CIMB Securities (Singapore) Pte Ltd Paige Parker and Jim Rogers One North Capital Pte Ltd Lippo Group Thomas Zuellig BNP Paribas Boardroom Limited Bunli (Holdings) Pte Ltd Chopard (Asia) Pte Ltd Christina Ong Composers And Authors Society of Singapore Ltd Creative Eateries Pte Ltd C. Melchers GMBH & Co. Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara Geoffrey Wong Ee Kay & Wong Ai Ai Ho Ching Hong Leong Foundation Hong Leong Holdings Ltd Interlocal Exim Pte Ltd Mr & Mrs Kevin Wong Latham and Watkins LLP LGT Bank Singapore Ltd Low Check Kian Overseas Union Enterprise Ltd Prima Limited Tan Kong Piat (Pte) Ltd Tow Heng Tan Yong Ying-I $5,000.00 and above
Bernard Tan Tiong Gie Cees and Raife Armstrong Tan Chin Nam Winston Hauw Sze Shiung Su Pin & Mervin Beng Andress Goh Lai Yan
Athenaeum Limited Professor Cham Tao Soon Choo Chiau Beng ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited iGlobe Partners Pte Ltd Joseph Grimberg Mr Guenther and Mrs Heike Meyer Leong Wai Leng Professor Lim Seh Chun Loke Cheng Kim Foundation Michael Koh Ann Kheng nTan Corporate Advisory Pte Ltd Teo Siong Seng WBL Corporation Ltd Wing Tai Holdings Ltd Wowz Entertainment Pte Ltd Yeoh Chee Yan $1,000.00 and above
Arnoud De Meyer Gralf Sieghold Ronald P Stride Ms Manju Vangal and Mr Arudra Vangal Kaybee Exim Pte Ltd Lim Tiang Chuan and Kris Tan Bryan Manaf Ghows Mr and Mrs Andreas Sohmen-Pao Bernard Jean Sabrier Chan Wai Leong Christopher J Fussner Josephine Kwa Lay Keng Lawrence Stephen Basapa Robert Khan & Co Pte Ltd Sat Pal Khattar Tong Moi Eng Winifred Dente Degli Scrovegni Wong Liang Keen Shih Chih Lung Teo Chen Hian Heidrick & Struggles Mavis Lim Geck Chin
Paul A. J. Supramaniam Alban Salord Albert Lee Boon Par Andreas Ruschkowski Bao Zhiming Belinda Koh Yuh Ling Bernhard Steiner Brian Holt Gambrill Catherine Heeley Cheang Lit Ren Chng Hak Peng Christopher Chew Chua Li Wen Cynthia Chee Florian Hoppe Foo Jou Min Franck Jean Pierre Manichon Geh Min George Yuille Caldwell Georges Gedeon Goh Chiu Gak Goh Juay Tong Gordon H L Tan Sam Schwartz Ho Shui Wei James Worth Janek Schergen Janet Lim Hong Eng Jean-Francois Manzoni Jeffrey Loke Sin Hun Joanne Tan Mae Shen Johann Heinrich Jessen John & Eliza Bittleston John & Elaine Kim Kris Taenar Wiluan Leow Oon Geok Lim Kam Ming Liu Donghua Loh Pong Tuan Madeleine Lee Marcie A Ball
Margaret Wong Choon Wah Mark Edward Hansen Matthew Latham Michael Wong Pakshong Migielia de Rooij Nam Yoon Suck Nekane Ijurco Pauline Ang Hooi Yeong Qin Xiao Raj Rajkumar Ricardo Uncilla Richard Logan Rita Wang Yiru Robert C Lichko Robin Ian Rawlings Rolf Gerber Ross Forde Hamou Jennings See Tho Kai Yin Sun Cheng Hung Susiwaty Luhur Takashi Kousaka Tan Chor Suan Tan Kah Ho Tan Siok Sun Tan Tatt Si Teo Ee Peng Teresa Woo Thomas Hecht Todd On Victor Chong Xy-Tung Warlin Angelo Pantoja Willem Mark Nabarro Willi Hess William H Hernstadt Wilson Tan Whye Seng Wong Chin Hong Mr & Mrs Wong Nang Jang
Donations for the period from April 2012 to March 2013 ($1,000 & above)
3736
$4,000,000 and above
Tote Board & Singapore Turf Club $1,000,000 and above
Lee Foundation Singapore Singapore Airlines Limited Conrad Centennial Singapore Far East Organization Centre Pte Ltd United Overseas Bank Ltd The Shaw Foundation Pte Temasek International Pte Ltd CIMB Securities (Singapore) Pte Ltd Singapore Petroleum Company Limited Singapore Press Holdings Ltd GK Goh Group Keppel Corporation Ltd Siemens Pte Ltd Dresdner Bank Group, Singapore $500,000 and above
Philips Electronics Singapore Pte Ltd NSL Ltd Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd DaimlerChrysler South East Asia Pte Ltd SMRT Corporation Ltd Hong Leong Foundation The Mandarin Singapore Overseas Union Bank Ltd Dorothy Chan Zhendong Foundation Singapore Pools (Pte) Ltd Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre Foundation Singapore Institute of Management Liem Sioe Liong alias Sudono Salim
$300,000 and above
JCCI Singapore Foundation Ltd Mr Christopher Ho & Mrs Rosy Ho Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation FJ Benjamin Holdings Ltd Tan Chin Tuan Foundation British-American Tobacco (Singapore) Sembawang Holdings Pte Ltd Ernst & Young LLP Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin Amcol Holdings Ltd Singapore Tourism Board Prima Limited Post Office Savings Bank Singapore Technologies Pte Ltd Standard Chartered Bank Mr & Mrs Yong Pung How UBS AG $200,000 and above
Chopard (Asia) Pte Ltd Epson Singapore Pte LtdPetrochemical Corporation of Singapore Pte Ltd Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd Murata Electronics Singapore (Pte) Ltd Kenwood Group Kikkoman (S) Pte LtdOmron Management Centre of Asiapacific Pte Ltd Sumitomo Electric Group Creative Technology Ltd BP Singapore Pte Ltd Ssangyong Cement (Singapore) Ltd Rothmans of Pall Mall (Singapore) Pte Ltd Ban Guan Enterprise (Pte) Ltd Lippo Group Loke Cheng Kim Foundation Citibank N.A. National Arts Council Wee Cho Yaw
Cumulative Donations received between 1978 and March 2013
Canon Singapore Pte Ltd See Hoy Chan (S) Pte Ltd Miele Private Limited Fraser & Neave (S) Pte Ltd American Chamber of Commerce In Singapore Chartered Asset Management Pte Ltd Chiap Nguan Chan Co Pte Ltd $100,000 and above
Lim & Tan Securities Pte Ltd Morgan Guaranty Trust Co of New York NEC Singapore Pte Ltd Insurance Corporation of Singapore Ltd Lien Ying Chow Rolex Singapore Pte Ltd Wee Swee Teow & Co LGT Bank Singapore Ltd Hongkong And Shanghai Bank Corpn Ltd The Shangri-La Hotel Ltd Aw It Haw (Datuk) Cooma, Lau & Loh Coutts Bank (Schweiz) AGAllen & Gledhill LLP The Swatch Group S.E.A. (S) Pte Ltd NTUC Income Insurance Cooperative LimitedNichicon (Singapore) Pte Ltd BSI Bank Ltd, Singapore Nokia Pte LtdHyflux Ltd Tan Chin Tuan (Tan Sri) KPMG LLP Kuok (Singapore) Ltd Shook Lin & Bok LLP Morgan Grenfell Investment Management (Asia) LtdSanta Lucia Asset Management Pte LtdInterlocal Exim Pte Ltd Singapore Aerospace Pte LtdAiwa Singapore Pte Ltd Chemical Industries (F.E.) LtdTony Chew Leong Chee PSA Corporation Limited
DBS Bank Ltd Chase Manhattan BankAkzo Nobel N V BNP ParibasIkebana International Singapore Sing Investments & Finance Limited Straits Times Press (1975) LtdCerebos Pacific Ltd Azmi Wan Hamzah (Tan Sri)Mr & Mrs Wong Nang Jang Khattar, Wong & Partners Wing Tai Holdings Ltd Tat Lee Bank Ltd SIMBL SM Motors Private Limited SembCorp Industries Ltd Aberdeen Asset Management Asia LtdKo Teck Siang (Datuk) Phng Siew Hoon Times Conferences (Pte) Ltd Nestle Singapore (Pte) Ltd Chip Seng Co Pte Ltd Enplas Co (S) Pte Ltd Khoo Teck Puat (Tan Sri) Caltex International Pte Ltd Boustead Singapore LimitedEdward Eu Singapore International Chamber of Commerce Rubber Teo Hang Sam Realty Sdn Bhd Tuas Power Supply Pte Ltd
3938
Platinum
Ang Hooi Yeong PaulineRichard ArmstrongMarcie Ann BallBao ZhimingJohn BittlestonChan Chia LinChan Wai LeongCheang Lit RenChee Bin Eng CynthiaCheng WeiChew Yee Chian ChristopherChng Hak-PengChong Xy-Tung VictorChua Li-WenDavid Philbrick ConnerCharles P CousinsArnoud De MeyerMigielia De RooijWinifred Dente Degli ScrovegniMaureen DerooijFoo Jou MinNico FranckenNeil FranksChristopher John FussnerBrian Holt GambrillLeila GedeonGeh MinRolf GerberBryan Manaf GhowsGoh Chiu GakMr & Mrs Goh Kian CheeGoh Lai Yan AndressGrand Hyatt SingaporeJoseph GrimbergMark Edward HansenProf Thomas HechtCatherine HeeleyWilliam H HernstadtWilli Hess
Ho Shui WeiHo Soo FooFlorian HoppeNekane IjurcoRoss & Florence JenningsMatthew G JohnsonKang Tze YongKhor Cheng KianJohn & Elaine KimKoh Yuh Ling BelindaTakashi KousakaHerlina KweeMatthew J R LathamMadeleine LeeLee Suan YewFrancis J LeongLeow Oon GeokRobert Christian LichkoLim Geck Chin MavisLim Hong Eng JanetLim Kam MingSerene LimLiu DonghuaRichard LoganLoh Pong TuanLoke Sin Hun JeffreySusiwaty LuhurJean-Francois ManzoniMassimo MercurioMr & Mrs Willem Mark NabarroNam YoonsuckTodd OnWarlin Angelo PantojaQin XiaoJeremy RamseyRobin Ian RawlingsAndreas RuschkowskiBernard Jean SabrierMr & Mrs A. SadayasuAlban Salord
Janek SchergenSam SchwartzSee Tho Kai YinShih Chih-LungRobert SinclairMr & Mrs Andreas Sohmen-PaoDoris Susan Sohmen-PaoBernhard SteinerTan Chor SuanTan H L GordonTan Kah HoTan Mae Shen JoanneTan Vern HanTan Whye Seng WilsonTan Woon Teck ClementTeo Ee PengEmil Noel TeoTham Ming-Loong RyanThng Soon Heng DouglasToh Chan Hin VeronicaTsai Ching Long SamuelRicardo UncillaArudra VangalWang Yiru RitaRebecca WattersWong Chen SeongWong Chiang YinWong Chin HongWong Choon Wah MargaretWong Liang KeenMichael Wong PakshongTeresa WooJames WorthDr Thomas & Mrs Mary ZuelligLeah Hyegyoung Zveglich
Gold
Ann Mei Lian MaureenJames BerlinoStoltz Bertrand
Michel BlancRobert Stewart BoydGeorge Yuille CaldwellRoberto CartelliChan Ah KhimChee Yen TengChristopher ChenChia Li-Ann FaithEvelyn Rachel ChinChoa Wee Keong MarkChoong Joo ChuanDixie ChuaBarry Duncan ClarkePaul CogglesJohn S DavisonArtur EkertLin Siao Fou-MenuhinFun Kiang ChayGeh MinRobert Henri GrafAndrea Cristina Corgosinho GrothGwee Tiong Kee RonaldMichael HaffertyMarina HarperLandis W. HicksSusanna HoHong Gee Ho JamesJiang ZilinWilliam KerrKor Hanwei PhilipKum Wai YipLai Siu ChiuNicolas LangloisNicola LeeLeow Li San SereneLisa LiawLim Eng NeoLim Kian Chong GeraldLim Leong Thian StanleyLim Woon Boon
Vivian Laurence LinesLing Yu FeiLooi Yin PengLow Nguok KwongEdlyn LumJohanna Frederika MakkinkGillian MetzgerKathleen MoroneyJohannes MuellerNg Suah Bwee AgnesAkira OhmoriOng Kian WeeIlanit OshriFranz Michael PachlBryan PauldingBritta PfisterLuis E RinconesCharles L RobertsonSim Yen YenJeremy SnoadSoh Leng WanSoon Hwee Ling LindyWendy H StimpsonSung Hay Ee MollyTan Gek Li GinnyTan Kok HuanTan Kok KiongTan Meng Cheng IvanTan Poh Lian PhyllisTay Swee Ann AnthonyTham Kwang Hsueh YvonneWoon Cheng Peng
Silver
Tesei AlessandroTom AndersonAng Boon KianAng Seow LongAng Sze Peng Brenda
Steven AustinElain Barrett-PowerSu Pin & Mervin BengFrederic BergerMario BernasconiMark BirchSam BonifantGuenter Herbert Gerhard BoosCeline BruceGenevieve BrunnerRocio Becerro CanasShiao-Ling Cave JonesPesi Bejonji ChachaChan Kuan WoonMaureen ChanChang Yoong Ming PaulChee Jin MiehChee Weng Yan MikeChen Hsiao Yun LouisChen Man LingRichard Y ChenChen Sitong BridgetChen Tsung Mong BeatriceCheng Pei YunCheok Tze Hui JaseCheung Ming Yan AmyChew Beng KhengChia Pei XianChiang May Yoke YvonneChiow Huan Tong AlanChng Mah LeeChong Chian ChinChow Pak Kin PatrickChow Wai LeeChoy Yok KayChua Chin KiatChua Eu TiongChua Hwee TengJonathan CoxWyatt Crosswhite
Friends of the SSO
4140
Loh Li ChengGeorge Charles LynnGraeme MacLarenJean Maissen-WelkerVirginia McCloyMartha Ann MehtaVictor MillsDavid Arthur MitchellMidya NafadiniNah Hwee Ling ValerieMark NelliganNeo Kok HweeJason NevilleNg Ngan KeeNg Peng HockAndre Maia NobreJames OakesJenny OakesOh Buong Yu MayOng Chang SamOng Cheong Bee PatriciaOng Giok SiewOng Qian Ning GiselleOng Seng PoonOon Lin Ean LynetteSimone OpperLaura Jarnagin PangPee Tze-Yang LiamPeh Min MinPhua Mui Lu LindaPhua Sin RuHerbert PillesPoon Wei ChingKatherin RainbowAnthony RichardsonMichel RizzoSeah Kia GerChristopher H J SearSee Tho Ving MeiSeetho Ving Shan StacieShinobu Seki
Seo Sung Hwa EricaSeow Bee LeanSeow Jean LinPutu Sanjaya SetiawanShaw Soo Chee PriscyllaShum Chee HoongSabine SilbersteinIrene SimSim Lee Koon SusanSoh Bee Hong SimonLuz Soto-RooneyIldiko SzeverenyiStephanie TahiriTan Cheng BockTan Gek Yeong AnnTan Hui Shan ElenaTan Jun Leon AndyTan Li Ching JillTan Mor Cher
Oscar Franklin Barcelona TanTan Shao YiTan Yan MuiTan Yu PinTang Kok PengAnthony TannIngrid Grace TathamTay Chuan SengTeo Ee Yong ElliotMartina TeoMarcel ThurauTong Jiasheng EdwinRichard ToppingTsien Jiuan JiuanPatrick TurnerCarlo Van Den AkkerSimone Cecile VazWai Kar Foon CharmaineMonika Waltermann
Marius Pieter De BeerRajeev De MelloNergish DoctorChristopher DrumgooleAnke Maria Meta DunscheFan Foo Tang RichardAndrew FinnFong Rui Min Bernadette CherylFong Zi Qin AndrewValerie Kamile ForbesFu E-LenNatalie FutcherGan Kok KoonGan Yit KoonGenevieve GayGoh Ai Wei WendyGoh Boon Hang ElaineGoh Keng HoongGoh Suat HongGoh Teck HanVivien GohBranka Gonzalez-DorfmeisterMargaret Susan GremliVictoria HanRichard L HartungYasutoshi HashimotoHe Min Rong MinnaHeng Lee SuanHo Sook Fen EmilyHo Suit KengHo Ting FeiHo Wah Lan JennyAlvin HongHor Guo YiLaura HsuEdward IonMiranda JayakumarJung Ja YongGunjan KalraMichael KanS Hilary Kemeny
Kim Kyoung HoonBarbara B KnowlesJonas KohKoh Thong Wee BennyKoh Tiah AnnGillian Koh-TanVolker KohlKong Sim Guan DouglasJurgen KrembKimberly Chew KurekKwan Wei Jie VictorErik Gerard L’HeureuxCalogero La GaliaLai Wee ChiangVictoria LamLau Eng Gek MichelleLau Soo Lui StephanieBenjamin LeeJennifer LeeLee Keow JitLee Kwok Whay ReubenLee Liak ChaiLee Peijun ClaraLee Sian Ching LisaLee Siaw Yean RenaSusannah LeesLeong Kok HoLeong Voon SeongLeow Boon HwiLim Bee Hee ChristineJane LimLim Kah AnnLim Kay Ee ChristinaLim Lay YongLim Li Ping Genevieve LynnLim Poh Gek AudreyLim Tshui LingLim Yue-LiLiu Jia Yuen ClaireLiu Shu ChenLoh Kok Hua
Wang Hee WengLuverne S Ward JrSilke WeberWee Boon Hong KatherineIda WeiArmin Helmut WenskyJoanne WheelerWong Kit WhyeWong Yueh Erl LunaYap Pheng Aun PeterMakoto YawataYee Woon Chin LionelYeo Ken Jin IvanYong Chin HweiYong Seow KinZhu WeiguangMichael Zink
4342
President’s Young Performers 2012 Jonathan Chua and Gavin Bala
Symphony Society
Opera ParadisoThe 2013 Benefit Dinner on April 20 saw over 300
distinguished guests join President Tony Tan Keng
Yam and Mrs Mary Tan at the St Regis Singapore
for a black-tie dinner titled Opera Paradiso which
raised $889,050 for the SSO. Guests showed
their support by bidding for the three items on
the silent auction: a Piaget Altiplano Anniversary
Edition timepiece, a Damiani white gold pendant
with diamonds and a Daum Black and Chrome
Collection Cheval Porteur de Feu. Making a
sensational debut with the SSO and conductor
Darrell Ang was star soprano Hayley Westenra.
All That Jazz The annual Benefit Dinner which took place at The Ritz-
Carlton Millenia Singapore on 31 March 2012 raised
$1,055,000 for the orchestra. The black-tie event titled
All That Jazz was graced by Guests-of-Honour President
Tony Tan Keng Yam and Mrs Mary Tan, and co-chaired
by Dr Julie Lo and Mrs Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi-Martin,
both members of the SSO Ladies’ League. Joining the
SSO and Associate Young Conductor Darrell Ang for
the performance segment was the exciting Steinway
artist Joja Wendt. Part of the amount raised came from
the silent auction of a Steinway & Sons grand piano,
autographed by superstar pianist Lang Lang.
Formed in May 1984 by a small group of dynamic volunteers to raise funds for the
installation of the pipe organ at Victoria Concert Hall, the SSO Ladies’ League has
since raised more than $15 million through benefit dinners, soirees, golf tournaments
and various other projects in support of the Orchestra’s many public performances and
outreach activities. Mrs Odile Benjamin is currently the Chairlady of the League.
Soprano Hayley Westenraperforming at Opera Paradiso
Amongst FriendsThe 2012 Conrad-SSO Amongst Friends Dinner
took place at the Conrad Centennial Singapore
on November 6. Made possible with the kind
support of the Conrad Centennial Singapore, the
event provided a valuable platform for members
of the SSO Board and SSO Council to share
their ideas and aspirations on how to build for
Singapore one of the finest orchestras in the
21st century.
4544
$100,000 and aboveLee Foundation, Singapore
$50,000 and aboveTan Chin Tuan FoundationMr Christopher Ho and Mrs Rosy HoAnonymous
$30,000 and aboveKeppel Corporation LtdPontiac Land Private LimitedMr Yong Pung How
$25,000 and aboveF J Benjamin (Singapore) Pte LtdFar East Organization Centre Pte LtdOversea-Chinese Banking Corporation LimitedST Telemedia Pte LtdMr Eugene Lai and Dr Julie LoMr Christopher Martin and Mrs Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi-Martin
$10,000 to $20,000BNP ParibasBoardroom LimitedCIMB Securities (Singapore) Pte LtdChopard Asia Pte LtdC. Melchers GmbH & Co, Singapore BranchCreative Eateries Pte LtdG K Goh Holdings LtdInterlocal Exim Pte LtdLatham and Watkins LLPLGT Bank (Singapore) LtdOverseas Union Enterprise LimitedPSA International Pte LtdSingapore Pools (Private) LtdUnited Overseas Bank LimitedTote Board
Mr Dilhan Pillay SandrasegaraMr Geoffrey Wong and Mrs Wong Ai AiMs Yong Ying-IAnonymousAnonymous
Up to $5,000Athenaeum LimitedHong Leong Holdings LimitediGlobe PartnersKaybee Exim Pte LtdWBL Corporation LimitedMr Guenther and Mrs Heike MeyerMr Colin Moran and Mrs Rany MoranMr Jim Rogers and Ms Paige ParkerDr Gralf Sieghold and Mrs Sylvia SiegholdMr Teo Siong Seng
Up to $2,000Mr Lawrence Basapa and Mrs Celeste BasapaMr Chen Yang Chin & Mrs Margaret ChenMr Jessen Johann HeinrichMr Rajgopal Rajkumar and Mrs Mary RajkumarMr Ronald P Stride and Mrs Janet StrideMr Sat Pal KhattarMrs Piali NormandMr Teo Chen HianMs Manju Vangal and Mr Arudra VangalMr Kris Taenar Wiluan
Special Thanks to…Steinway Gallery SingaporeConrad Centennial SingaporeLufthansa German AirlinesKingsmen Exhibits Private LimitedThe Ritz-Carlton Millenia SingaporeValrhona Far East, Singapore OfficeChef Arnaud ThulliezChef Vincent Bourdin
SSO Annual Dinner 2012 “All That Jazz” Donors
Members of the SSO Ladies’ League with President Tony Tan Keng Yam & Mrs Mary Tan
SMRT receiving the Benefactor Award from President Tony Tan Keng Yam
4746
SSO Annual Dinner 2013 “Opera Paradiso” Donors
Financial Highlights
Financial Performance 2011/2012 2012/2013
Operating income 5,306,838 4,515,417
Grants received 11,000,000 12,000,000
Tote Board (SSO) Trust 780,000 1,250,000
Operating expenditure (17,022,653) (17,671,992)
Surplus for the year 64,185 93,425
Sources Of Income 2011/2012 2012/2013 Notes
Ticket income 996,926 1,254,345
ABRSM commission 886,559 902,900
Rental income from VCH - - VCH closure in Aug 2010
Sponsorships 672,311 1,056,515
Other income 2,751,042 1,301,657 Includes income from special projects net of project costs
Operating income 5,306,838 4,515,417
$50,000 and aboveTan Chin Tuan FoundationG K Goh Holdings LtdMr Christopher Ho and Mrs Rosy HoChartered Asset Management Pte Ltd
$30,000 and aboveFar East OrganizationAnonymous
$25,000 and aboveCIMB GroupF J Benjamin Holdings LtdKeppel Corporation LtdLIPPO GroupOversea-Chinese Banking Corporation LtdUnited Overseas Bank Ltd
$10,000 to $20,000BNP ParibasBoardroom LimitedKris Tan FoundationKwan Im Thong Hood Cho TempleLee Foundation, SingaporeLGT Bank (Singapore) LtdMayBankOne North Capital Pte LtdPSA International Pte LtdSingapore Pools (Private) LimitedTote BoardAnonymousBunli HoldingsMr Charles and Mrs Jenny OrmistonMr Dilhan Pillay SandrasegaraMs Paige Parker and Mr Jim RogersGeorge Tan Boon Keng
Dr and Mrs Tong Ming ChuanMr and Mrs Wong Nang JangMs Yong Ying-I
Up to $5,000Hong Leong Holdings LtdPontiac Land GroupSINGTEL LimitedUnited Caoutchouc Trading Co Pte LtdMr Alfred WongMr Lawrence and Mrs Celeste BasapaMs Paulina Bohm and Mr Thomas WelteMr Julian and Mrs Sandra ChangMr Chen Yang ChinMr Joseph GrimbergMr and Mrs Edmund GohDr Peter Goh Tu-TangMr Andrew HuntMrs Tina LeeMs Celina Lin-GorosMr Christopher and Mrs Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi-MartinMs Donna MeyerMr Guenther and Mrs Heike MeyerMr and Mrs Jaacky SeeMr Ron and Mrs Janet StrideDr and Mrs Tan Chin NamMs Manju VangalMr Geoffrey Wong and Mrs Wong Ai AiAnonymous
Up to $1,000Mr Chan Kwai SumDr Bernard and Mrs Dolly CheongMr Alexander and Mrs Olga IserlisMr Khoo Boon Hui and Mrs Betty KhooProf Tommy KohMr Michael Kraemer
Mr Peter Lim Geok SengMs Lau Leok YeeMrs Eva Eng Lee KoonMs Frances LowMr Franck and Mrs Teresa ManichonMr Oscar and Mrs Audrey MicoMr Ng Yong NgeeMr J Y PillayMr Kris Taenar Wiluan
Special Thanks toPiagetDamianiSt Regis, SingaporeConrad Centennial SingaporeKingsmen Exhibits Pte Ltd
Ms Hayley Westenra, Mrs Mary Tan, President Tony Tan Keng Yam & Mr Darrell Ang
2011/2012 2012/2013
Ticket income
ABRSM commission
Sponsorships
Other income
Sources Of Income
4948
Grants & Investment Income 2011/2012 2012/2013
GRANTS
MCCY / NAC 7,000,000 8,000,000
Tote Board 4,000,000 4,000,000
INVESTMENT INCOME
Tote Board (SSO) Trust 780,000 1,250,000
SSO investment (loss) / gain (2,446,402) 2,179,217
Operating Expenditure (recurrent) 2011/2012 2012/2013
Performing staff costs 9,511,788 9,535,458
Guest artists 1,393,544 1,691,457
Venue rentals 828,025 778,009
Marketing & publicity 666,830 711,933
Administration costs 2,460,677 2,579,779
Other operating costs 2,161,789 1,775,356
17,022,653 17,071,992
Balance Sheet 2011/2012 2012/2013
Investments (market value) 30,387,671 32,550,982
Fixed assets 291,369 248,879
Net current assets 7,727,540 8,878,094
Funds (net of reserve) 38,406,580 41,677,955
2011/2012 2012/2013
Grants
MCCY / NAC
Tote Board
2011/2012 2012/2013
Performing staff costs
Guest artists
Venue rentals
Marketing & publicity
Administration costs
Other operating costs
Operating Expenditure (recurrent)
2011/2012 2011/2012
Investments (market value) Funds (net of reserve)
30,387,671
38,406,580
2012/2013 2012/2013
32,550,982
41,677,955
More information on our financials is available on www.sso.org.sg.
5150
The SSO Endowment Fund was established when the SSO was formed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the orchestra. Currently the Endowment Fund Committee is chaired by Professor Cham Tao Soon, with the funds being managed by professional fund managers who are given discretionary powers to invest the fund within certain guidelines. As at 31 March 2013, the SSO Endowment Fund was valued at $32.55 million.
Nominating and Executive Committee
CHAIRMAN Mr Goh Yew Lin
Mr Chng Hak-PengMs Yvonne ThamMr Wong Nang JangMs Yong Ying-I
Endowment Fund Committee
CHAIRMAN Prof Cham Tao Soon
Mr David GohMr Paul Supramanian Mr Anthony Teo
Audit Committee
CHAIRMAN Mr Yee Chen Fah
Mr Kwee Liong Seen Ms Lim Mei
Artistic Advisory Comittee
CHAIRMAN Prof Bernard Tan
Mr Mervin BengDr Chang Tou LiangMr Foo Say MingProf Bernard LanskeyMs Pang Siu YuinDr Kelly TangMr Zhang Jin Min
Musicians’ Committee
Mr Marc-Antoine RobillardMs Lynnette SeahMr Mark SuterMr Tan Wee HsinMr Christoph WichertMr Yang Zheng Yi
SSO Ladies’ League
CHAIRLADY Mrs Odile Benjamin
DEPUTY CHAIRLADY Mrs Kwan Lui
Mrs Celeste BasapaMrs Viviana BernardMrs Rosy HoMrs Judy HuntProf Annie KohMrs Alice Lee-SeahDr Julie LoMrs Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi- MartinMs Kris TanMs Manju Vangal
Committees
Conductor Han-na Chang
52
This list is correct as at 1 October 2013.
size: 200mwx270mmh (closed)stock: matt art card 250gsm finishing: matt varnish colours: cmyk + spot colour silver 877c
Singapore Symphony Orchestra4 Battery Road, #20-01 Bank of China Building, Singapore 049908Unique Entity No. 197801125MPhone +65 6602 4200 (main) Fax +65 6602 4222E-mail [email protected] Website www.sso.org.sg
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