| 29 August 2005 |
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| Singapore’s Top Vocal Talents Present World-Famous Opera Repertoire in Gala Concert |
| SSO’s Lim Yau to conduct September 8 performance by opera singers Nancy Yuen, Lim Shieh-Yih, Li Guohua and 180-strong NAFA Chorus and Orchestra |
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| Known for her hugely successful portrayal of the young geisha, Cio-cio-san in Madame Butterfly, soprano Nancy Yuen will join hands with Lim Shieh-Yih (tenor) and Li Guohua (soprano) to present an enchanting evening of world-class operatic pieces under the baton of established choral and orchestral conductor, Lim Yau. They will be backed by a chorus and orchestra comprising 180 students from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) Music Department. |
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| This one-night-only Gala Concert will be held at NAFA’s Lee Foundation Theatre on 8 September 2005. |
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| The concert programme boasts arias and duets from acclaimed operas such as Bizet’s Carmen, Verdi’s Othello, and Puccini’s La Boheme. The NAFA Chorus and Orchestra will present the complete Mass in G major by Schubert, a showcase of their versatility and talent. The evening will culminate with a compelling rendition of Verdi’s stirring 1842 composition, Va pensiero from the opera, Nabucco. |
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| This is the first time that the school is taking part in this annual charity initiative. Says Mdm Fang Yuan, Principal (SYT): “SYT is greatly privileged to be involved in this year’s President’s Challenge for the first time ever to do our bit for this worthy cause. Apart from fulfilling our social responsibility as a good corporate citizen to ensure the success of the campaign, such participation also gives us an opportunity to instil the spirit of giving and sharing in our students and teachers.” |
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| Nancy Yuen, who recently performed to a packed audience in the Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s music extravaganza, Zheng He – Admiral of the Seven Seas for the Singapore Arts Festival, is also Head of NAFA’s Vocal Study Department. She says: “Working with the professionals to present a classical repertoire in different languages will greatly benefit our students in their development to become full fledged musicians.” |
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| Richard Adams, Head of NAFA’s Music Department adds: “This concert involves the full strength of the Music Department – students from the diploma and degree programmes. Such an event where a complete chorus and orchestra is made up entirely of students is probably quite unique in the current Singapore arts education scene.” |
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| Please refer to the Annexes for details of each event. Annex 1, Annex 2 |
