Turn Five

Singapore is rich in cultural heritage and many aspects of the city represent this. There are numerous forms of traditional entertainment. There are also more progressive cultural entities and all of these are attractive to tourists. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is among the many diverse offerings that are explored by vacationers. It presents over 50 concerts a year, so no matter what season a tourist wishes to visit, they are sure to find a current performance. It is a full time professional company with 96 members and their skill in diverse musical styles enchants tourists who are staying in one of the business hotels Singapore.

Choo Hoey is the orchestra’s Conductor Emeritus and was also its Music Director from 1979 to 1996. His experience and expertise guide the orchestra through their many concerts at the Singapore Esplanade. Hoey is well known and highly respected in the community. He has been given credit for the development of the orchestra’s diverse and progressive programming structure. Its pro-active orientation brings music directly into the community. It includes a Community Outreach Program that is geared toward educating children and helping to build a lifetime of music appreciation. Not only does it encourage the development of young musicians but helps to instill professional standards and ethics. This program extends beyond local schools and the company has toured internationally. They have performed concerts in the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, Turkey and the United States, among numerous other places.

The symphony is a great supporter of local composers while also aiming to bride cultural gaps. They do this through uniting Eastern and Western styles and themes. This progressive structure was emulated in a major collaboration project in 1986. At this time they worked with the Houston Ballet to create a widely acclaimed performance. Also, in 1994 they worked with the Singapore Lyric Opera to create an enormously successful production of Madam Butterfly. This remains to be one of their most popular collaborations to date. While they symphony is an honored social institution, it has also gained recognition and respect from the international community.

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