Schools unite through music
The NUS Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM) presented five captivating performances and two panel discussions on how technology and culture shape music as part of New Music Festival: Traditions and Innovations. The festival was curated by Associate Professor Peter Edwards from YSTCM, in collaboration with regional musicians and more than 30 faculty and students from the Pacific Alliance of Music Schools (PAMS), a consortium of 13 prestigious music schools on the Pacific Rim.
The festival was held from 8 to 10 April in conjunction with the third PAMS Summit. This year’s Summit, hosted by YSTCM, focused on encouraging broader engagement with newly created work and celebrating the region’s diversity. It also provided a platform for leaders of the schools to share their successes and challenges in music education.
The festival’s title opening recital was held at the Conservatory Concert Hall at NUS and featured works by faculty composers from PAMS member institutions which were performed by YSTCM staff, students and alumni, alongside new music specialists from the region. This was followed by the Young Composers Concert which shone the spotlight on productions by student composers.
YSTCM students (from left) Orest Smovh, Year 4; Martin Peh, Year 4; Ho Qian Ru, Year 1; and Christopher Mui, Year 4 performing Samuel Barber’s Adagio from String Quartet, Op. 11 at the National Gallery Singapore
On 9 April, YSTCM students performed contemporary works at the National Gallery Singapore as part of Resonates With: Music in the Museum. This included excerpts from John Cage’s Six Melodies performed on the red Steinway used by Chinese virtuoso Lang Lang in his recent Sing50 performance.
The Conservatory’s New Music Ensemble closed the event with In View of Distant Lands presented by the Spectrum Series, performing pieces inspired by foreign cultures at the Esplanade Recital Studio. Conducted by YSTCM Lecturer Dr Chen Zhangyi, the programme featured the Asian premiere of Jonathan Harvey’s Vajra which invoked the Buddhist symbolism of thunderbolts; recent works such as Liza Lim’s Middle Eastern-inspired The Heart’s Ear, Evan Ziporyn’s Indonesian gamelan string quartet Eel Bone and Japanese composer Jo Kondo’s Worlds; as well as Dawn II, a new piece scored for large ensemble by second-year composition student Chen Fang-Chi.
YSTCM Director Professor Bernard Lanskey said that, similar to the past two Summits held in Sydney and Beijing, the backdrop of Singapore offered diverse and dynamic inspiration. He added that the Conservatory was honoured to have been able to host such a prestigious gathering.
Conductor Dr Chen leading the New Music Ensemble during In View of Distant Lands
