Victoria Concert Hall : Musical Memories in the Heart of the City

Victoria Concert Hall: Musical Memories in the Heart of the City

Since the re-opening of the refurbished Victoria Concert Hall (VCH) in Jul 2014, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has endeavoured to make it the performance venue for people in Singapore to have their most memorable encounters with classical music.

The VCH is part of the Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall (VTVCH) complex with over 150 years of history. Since Aug 2017, the Arts House Limited has taken over the management of VTVCH (previously managed by The Esplanade Co Ltd), along with various other multi-disciplinary arts venues in the Civic District of Singapore. This is a step towards more cohesive programming in the Civic District, working in tandem with the National Arts Council in its role as the place-maker for the area.

VCH Organ Series Dorothy Papadakos

Our 2017/2018 season provides plenty of opportunities to find musical inspiration in one of the most beautiful historic buildings in the heart of Singapore’s Civic District.

The VCH Presents series is designed to showcase local and international chamber music talent.  The aim is to create intimate moments in a chamber music space to connect audience, their loved ones and the musicians on the VCH stage.

CelliSSO. Photo Credit: Lertkiat Chongjirajitra

This quarter, a sublime collaboration of the newly formed CelliSSO, comprising the 10 cellists of the SSO will be presented on 22 Oct. They will perform a diverse set of works that display the cello’s versatility, exploring the depths of imagination with Carl Vine’s Inner World and Arvo Pärt’s Fratres, Giovanni Sollima’s Violoncelles, vibrez!, with dynamic soprano Jeong Ae Ree joining the ensemble in Villa-Lobos’ adventurous Bachianas Brasileiras. SSO is also excited to play host to The Philharmonic Orchestra on 15 Oct in the same series. Under the direction of its music director Lim Yau, the orchestra will perform Beethoven’s First and Ninth Symphonies as part of their Beethoven Symphonies Cycle.

Babies’ Proms. Photo Credit: Singapore Symphony Orchestra

VCH is also proud to be Singapore’s leading proponent of the pipe organ and the piano. This 26 Oct, the VCH Organ Series will feature Dorothy Papadakos, the renowned international organist popular for her sold-out silent film programmes. Her concert in Singapore promises to evoke the raw terror of the Phantom of the Opera (1929) on the VCH’s 2012-pipe Klais organ, using an imaginatively improvised score.

Having raised generations of music-lovers in the decades before the Esplanade was opened, the VCH continues to play host to children of all ages with their Concerts of Children, Families and the Babies’ Proms (November). Their popularity and laughter-filled atmosphere bear testimony to our mission.

SSO Christmas Concerts. Photo Credit: Singapore Symphony Orchestra

The SSO’s Christmas Concerts, an annual sold-out affair, returns for another three performances from 15 to 17 Dec. With orchestra and choir, Associate Conductor Joshua Tan will present a sparkling collection of musical treasures for the yuletide season, complete with a sing-a-long segment for the audience.

Visit Singapore Symphonia Co Ltd’s website here.