Page 28 - Year in Review 2018/2019

NANYANG PIANO ACADEMY 2019

The Nanyang Piano Academy (NPA) 2019 was an
intensive musical experience that offered each participant
the prospect to grow musically in a fun and exciting
learning environment. A carefully curated programme of
events was arranged to nurture higher standards of music
making. The three-day event, held in January, created a
community comprising visiting professors, professional
artistes, piano pedagogues and young pianists from
around the region. Piano students were provided with
a unique opportunity to learn under renowned faculty
members from overseas and Singapore.
Photo credit:
Chung Ee Yong
The NPA featured Nigel Clayton (Royal College of Music, London); Claudius Tanski and Shaun Choo
(Mozarteum University, Salzburg); and Dr You Xi (Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing). They performed at
the Opening Gala Concert alongside NAFA’s esteemed piano faculty members Lena Ching,
Dr Nellie Seng and Dr Nicholas Ong on 17 January at the Lee Foundation Theatre.
NPA 2019 attracted 76 active participants from Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia,
Malaysia and Taiwan, and was enjoyed by around 380 audience members at the
Gala Concert.

ROYAL BANGKOK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

VIOLIN COMPETITION 2018

Bachelor of Music (Hons) violinist Nattawat Luantampol won the Royal
Bangkok Symphony Orchestra Violin Competition 2018. As the top
prize winner, Luantampol was featured as the soloist in concert
at the Chulalongkorn University Auditorium on 24 November.
His performance of Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor,
with the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, received rave reviews
in the Bangkok Post.

11 BEIJING
TH
INTERNATIONAL
CHAMBER MUSIC

FESTIVAL

The School of Music was invited by the
Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, to
participate in the 11 Beijing International
th
Chamber Music Festival. NAFA’s Head of
Composition Studies, Dr Zechariah Goh
Toh Chai, was commissioned to compose a
new chamber work specially for the occasion
held from 2 to 8 November 2018. Photo credit: China Central Television (CCTV)
In his creative process, Dr Goh selected The new chamber work, titled 过番歌 (‘Guo Fan Ge’ or Songs of the Chinese
a collection of songs collated by Chinese Immigrants), received its world premiere at the Opening Gala Concert of the
immigrant workers from the early 20 Chamber Music Festival on 2 November. Five of NAFA’s distinguished faculty
th
century as the basic building blocks for his were invited by Dr Goh to be part of the ensemble. This unique quintet comprised
composition. His work intended to recapture erhu performer Sunny Wong, pipa performer Yu Jia, cellist Lin Juan, soprano
the arduous journey which the migrants took Dr Jessica Chen and pianist Dr Nellie Seng. In December 2018 and January
over a hundred years ago. The songs chosen 2019, the recording of the live performance was broadcast in China on CCTV-15.
represented the Cantonese, Hainanese, Dr Goh was also interviewed by CCTV and appeared in one of their programmes.
Hakka, Hokkien and Teochew dialect groups.

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