Interview with Theresa Krügl and Virgil Mischok

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Theresa Krügl and Virgil Mischok are promising young singers who are part of the Audi Youth Choir that will appear with the Orchestra of Music Makers to perform the solos of the Brahms's A German Requiem on 6 September 2012 (tomorrow!) We have a short chat with them.

The Mad Scene: Firstly please introduce yourself in your own words, including your nationality, age, current place of work or study, and how you landed this gig in Singapore.

Theresa: My name is Theresa Krügl, I´m from Germany. I´m 21 years old and I am studying singing in Vienna at the music university with Prof. Gabriele Lechner. I started singing at the age of 15. Since the Audi Jugendchorakademie was founded in 2008, I have been a member of the choir. This was very important for my musical education. I also learned that singing is not only hard business, but also a lot of fun. Of course it makes me very happy and proud that they asked me to sing the soprano solo part this year.

Virgil: I´m Virgil Mischok, 23 years old and I sudy singing with Prof. Andreas Schmidt in Munich, Germany. The Audi Jugendchorakademie was the choir where I starded singing in 2008, and so it was a dream coming true when they asked me to sing the solo part in the Brahms Requiem.

SLO Manon Lescaut Review (31 Aug 2012)

Its SLO season again and opening night was a fantastic reward for all the build-up leading to it. E. Loren Meeker and Joshua Kangming Tan did a great job leading their forces. Many other websites and newspapers will be publishing their own reviews soon, so rather than bore you with another in-depth analysis, Hawk and I just sat down and had a chat about it.

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Steven: So... first impression?

Lee Jae Wook on YouTube

Because... why not?

Manon Lescaut opens TOMORROW NIGHT! This is your chance to hear this powerful voice and personality live. Get tickets at SISTIC if you haven't already!

OMM and the Audi Youth Choir Academy perform Brahms' Requiem (6 Sep 2012)

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This looks like a very exciting concert to attend: The Orchestra of the Music Makers pairs up with the European-based Audi Youth Choir Academy (Audi Jugendchorakademie) to perform the Brahms Requiem. They are joined by two of Germany’s young talents; soprano Theresa Krügl who won the Jugend Musiziert for the district of Passau in 2010, and baritone Virgil Mischok who recently performed at the Cape Classic Festival in South Africa.

Although the orchestra has won lots of rave reviews for their concert and live recording of Mahler's 2nd Symphony, this is the first time the OMM is performing a full choral work. The Audi Youth Choir Academy consists of youths gathered by the austere automobile company for private singing lessons and group choral training. Important collaborators include Kent Negano and his Bavarian State Orchestra. Here's more information about them:




This looks set to be an exciting collaboration by young musicians from here and abroad. Find out how to get tickets from the Events Page.

Interview with SLO "Manon Lescaut" Director E. Loren Meeker

I had previously interviewed E. Loren Meeker for my August feature in Time Out Singapore. Due to space constraints I couldn't include all the quotes she had taken the time to write. Since opening night is this weekend (!!!), I thought why not just publish them here? But first, here's an introduction to her past work via her bio on the SLO's press release:

American stage director E. Loren Meeker has worked with some of the most prestigious opera companies in the world. Recent engagements include Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires (Manon), San Diego Opera (La bohème), and San Francisco Opera (Die Fledermaus). Meeker has directed four productions for Lyric Opera of Chicago’s young artist program: Don Pasquale, Così fan tutte, La Cenerentola and Don Giovanni. Other recent work includes Albert Herring for DePaul University, Lucrezia for the Boston University Opera Institute, Cloclo for Chicago Folks Operetta, Die Fledermaus for Penn State University, and the world premiere of A Way Home at Houston Grand Opera.

She has served on the directing staff at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Portland Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, and Central City Opera, where she received the John Moriarty Award in 2006. Also known as a choreographer, her work includes Vanessa at Central City Opera, Orpheus in the Underworld at Glimmerglass Opera, and Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni with HGO. Upcoming productions include directing two world premieres with Houston Grand Opera and Candide for Amarillo Opera.

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The Mad Scene: What is your take on the story of Manon Lescaut as told through Puccini’s opera? Any special insight that will influence your directorial approach?

Loren: As a director, I feel it is important to create a production that is relevant to today’s audience. To achieve this, the design team and I have developed a modern production that focuses on large themes and emotions that permeate Puccini’s opera – love, lust, and passion; the feeling of being trapped in your environment; the struggle to chose between material desires and the desires of your heart. Exploring these subjects through a character as intriguing and complicated as Manon is a wonderful challenge.

Introducing Sg-Music.Net

This seems to be a new set-up that I have only been recently aquainted with. Contrary to its tagline of introducing Singapore's music scene, the articles presented are almost exclusively about classical music, including not a few interviews with SLO's Manon Lescaut cast Ee-Ping, Lee Jae-Wook, conductor Joshua Kangming Tan, director E. Loren Meeker and other cast members. Other articles include tips on how to apply for NAC grants.

Its about time that there's a forward-looking magazine about the broader classical music scene in Singapore (Lord knows I'm only one person and can't possibly touch on everything). You can check out the website here (but only after you have finished reading our posts here of course :-p ):

http://sg-music.net/

Verdi Tuning - A=432

This fascinating documentary highlights argues for orchestras to return to the tuning frequency of Verdi's time. The instrumentalists increasingly higher tuning in pursuit of brighter string sound is ruining many of today's voices and do not reflect the musical colours that composers of the time wanted. Renata Tebaldi and Piero Cappuccilli are among the top musicians who speak up on the issue, Cappuccilli even sings a few lines to demonstate the differences in colour and tessitura.