Friday, March 25, 2016

Interview Feature: Reuben Lai and Akiko Otao from L'Arietta - 2 April 2016


It was a pleasure having a chat with Reuben Lai and Akiko Otao after a rehearsal. Both of them are prominent singers in Singapore's opera scene and have formed an educational and performance collective L'Arietta. They will be presenting a triple bills of chamber operas - A Hand of Bridge by Samuel Barber, Gentlemen's Island by Joseph Horovitz and Window Shopping by Chen Zhangyi, on 2 April in a show entitled Honestly! 3 Opera, 1 Hour

Baritone Brent Allcock and mezzo-soprano Angela Hodgins make up the rest of the cast, with direction by Jameson Soh and accompanied by pianist Wayne Teo. It promises to be a musical evening where comedic and serious issues are explored. Read on to find out more.

Akiko Otao
Reuben Lai

Thursday, March 24, 2016

'Singapore Pocket Opera Theatre' in Review


When a loving reader sends in a review ready to be published, of a show that he loves so much that he simply has to write about, what can I do but to put it up? Thanks Geoffrey Chok for taking the time and surprising us with your take of Singapore Pocket Opera Theatre's most recent performance at the Esplanade Concourse!



Esplanade Presents: At the Concourse

Cool Classics by the Singapore Pocket Opera Theatre

Performers:

Vincent Chen, piano
Evelyn Ang, soprano
Felicia Teo, soprano
Jeremy Koh, tenor
David Tao, flutist


7.15pm, 20 March 2016

Esplanade Concourse

Concert review by Geoffrey Chok

In such time of shrinking budgets that threaten the vitality of the arts here in Singapore, it is heartening to see how arts groups have strived in their community outreach efforts. Programmes like the Singapore Lyric Opera’s Opera in the Park, Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s Casual Concerts and Esplanade’s At the Concourse free concerts are all the more important.

Friday, March 11, 2016

Take 5's 'A French Connection'


Well-known piano quintet Take 5 present a recital programme consisting of Saint-SaĆ«ns's Piano Quintet in A Minor, Widor's Piano Quintet No. 2 and Messiaen's Piece for Piano and String Quartet with its themes of birdsong. The concert will be held on 27 March 2016 at the Esplanade Recital Studio. Check out the Esplanade's website for more information:

https://www.esplanade.com/events/2016/a-french-connection


Thursday, March 10, 2016

FREE: Asian Contemporary Ensemble's 'Xperienz: In C'



Here is an exciting concert that contrasts the contemporary with the traditional, with Terry Riley's In C and Beethoven's Symphony no.5 in C Minor forming the programme. You get to sit and even play between musicians and watch the NUS Centre for Quantum Physics perform a presentation with the music as well. Check out the group's description below for more information:



ASIAN CONTEMPORARY ENSEMBLE'S XPERIENZ: IN C
NUS ARTS FESTIVAL 2016

Event Details

Date: March 25, 2016 (Friday)
Performance: 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm (including a 20-min FAQ session/intermission)
Venue: Dance Studio, University Cultural Centre
Dress Code: Casual

Programme

Beethoven's 5th Symphony in C Minor
- FAQ session/intermission -
Terry Riley's In C

A recipient of NAC's Seed Grant from 2014 to 2017, the Asian Contemporary Ensemble launches its 2016 season, entitled Beethoven's Destiny, with XPerienz: In C. Our interactive musical journey unfolds with Beethoven's 5th Symphony in C Minor, under the baton of our Artistic Director Kahchun Wong, who is currently holding a fellowship in music education with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Audiences get to sit between musicians and experience the performance from the inside out! During the intermission, an informal FAQ session will break down barriers completely, setting the stage for the highly interactive second half of the evening - A reading of Terry Riley's minimalist work "In C", where audiences are invited to bring along their musical instruments and jam together with us! Come and join over 40 musicians performing on a tantalizing "rojak" of western and Asian ethnic instruments!

XPerienz: In C is a production conceived in collaboration with the NUS Arts Festival 2016, and also features science in musical action by the Centre for Quantum Technology.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

FREE: TPCC Open Rehearsal (9 Mar, 7.30pm), Concert on 13 Mar, 5pm


The Philharmonic Chamber Choir with guest conductor Manfred Schreier is giving a free open rehearsal tonight at Victoria Concert Hall in preparation for their concert this coming Sunday, 5pm. Friends who are interested in the behind-the-scenes process should not miss the opportunity to observe how one of Singapore's best choirs rehearse. Tickets for the concert are available at SISTIC.

Click to enlarge

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

'Babar the Little Elephant' in Review - 4 Mar 2016, 9.30pm


Pianist Pauline Lee presented a fun and lively recital with tenor Leslie Tay and actor Jeremy Lee. The pieces, selected based on themes of childhood, seek to evoke the fun and nostalgia of simpler times.

On the programme are Leslie's singing of Aaron Copland's Old American Songs Sets 1 and 2 which opened and closed the hour-long recital respectively, Irving Fine's Selections from Childhood Fables for Grownups, Birds by local composer Jin Jun Lee and Poulenc's L'histoire de Barbar le petit elephant, presented by Pauline and Jeremy. Projections with the song lyrics and colourful crayon-coloured graphics were screened throughout, lending a visual complement to the evening's music-making.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Cirque Eloize iD - till 6 Mar 2016 at MBS


Cirque Eloize iD from France is a live-acrobatic performance that includes break dancing, giant hula hoops, bicycle stunts, trampolines, jumping ropes and many other street culture into one stage extravaganza. Hawk speaks to two of the show's star performers to find out what you can expect. 



Check out our Facebook Group for exclusive production images. Get tickets at SISTIC!