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Looking Back to Look Forward
NUS Arts Festival 2015 remembers the spirit of pioneers who made a difference.
SINGAPORE, 18 December 2014 – Over two weekends in March (20 – 29 March), NUS Arts Festival 2015
(NAF) 2015 celebrates the spirit of those who dare to take a step outside the boundaries set for them and
become history-makers. Offering food for thought on themes such as freedom of expression, the power of
memory, the complexities of urban life, and the triumph of the human spirit, NAF 2015 welcomes its biggest
number of NUS’ arts talents, including alums who return to share their creativity.
Presented by NUS Centre For the Arts (CFA), the Fest opens with Words and Music, a love story tenderly
told in jazz through the talents of Singapore jazzman Jeremy Monteiro, NUS Jazz Band and alum jazz stars
like Rani Singam and Chok Kerong. The script about star-crossed lovers with NUS as the backdrop for their
personal journeys is written by NUS law alum Wang Liansheng (The Boy Inside).
The Closing Show, Dance Reflections: Still I Rise, brings together six CFA dance companies for a colorful
evening of contemporary and traditional dance drawn from our Asian roots. Inspired by Still I Rise, the poem
by the late African American poet Maya Angelou, the Closing Show is the largest dance collaboration on
campus draws on universal themes such as the triumph of the human spirit over difficult circumstances.
Overdrive II returns with a compelling doublebill about how our history shapes the hopes and dreams of
citizens in modern societies. International choreographers Ricky Hu of The Hong Kong Ballet and Chen WuKang of Taiwan’s HORSE驫舞劇場 worked intensely with handpicked NUS dance talents over three weeks.
Hu is the winner of the 2012 Hong Kong Arts Development Award for Young Artists. A 1999 Gold medalist at
the Creative Dance Competition organized by Taiwan’s Council for Cultural Affairs, Chen is a founding
member of HORSE 驫舞劇場 which was warmly received at the Fest last year. Hu, Chen and two other
members of the HORSE驫舞劇場 creative team will choreograph their works in Singapore with the NUS
dancers in Jan – Mar 2015.
The Fest’s music offerings this year open vistas into Singapore’s past, present and future. Two of NUS ’most
accomplished and established orchestras bring two separate evenings of classical works and local
compositions which are part of the canon of Singapore works.
Led by Associate Professor Ho Hwee Long, NUS Wind Symphony presents the broad sweep of Singapore’s
history in InTempo 2015: Singapore Panorama starting with Dr Zechariah Goh Toh Chai’s Sang Nila, to
Three Portraits by Dr Kelly Tang. One highlight is the upbeat modern version of Munnaeru Vaalibaa, a
familiar Indian folk tune celebrating youth. Formed in 1968, NUS Wind Symphony has an illustrious history of
47 years and is one of Singapore’s pioneering bands. Goh’s Sang Nila will feature the gamelan, using unique
orchestration to showcase sounds of Asian music made by a western wind band. The NUSChoir will also join
the Wind Symphony on stage for this masterwork.
In the same weekend, NUS Symphony Orchestra (NUSSO), led by Maestro Lim Soon Lee, presents exciting
concertos in Celebrations 2015: Homecoming. Alums from various graduating batches reunite to celebrate
their NUS experience through the decades. Catch the premiere of Theseus… Ariadne’s Love by Young Artist
Award 2014 recipient and alum Chen Zhangyi as well as other awardwinning alums and talented guest
soloists such as pianist Soh Ser Yee, violist Lim Chun and violinist Alan Choo.
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The Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM) Percussion Ensemble bucks tradition by using creative
percussion instruments to perform works by legendary crossover rock-classical musician Frank Zappa in
Pages of Black: A Frank Zappa Tribute.
Asian Contemporary Ensemble (ACE) led by Music and Artistic Director Wong Kah Chun brings Pacific
Mirrors: New Music from Asia and the United States. The ensemble comprises young music talents
including the stellar Abigail Sin, Govin Tan, Joyce Poh and Syafiqah ‘Adha Sallehin with guest awardwinning
violinist Ryu Goto from Japan.
Watch out for a roving army of 110 metronomes unleashed by the CFA music groups at various venues in
NUS. Poeme Symphonique for 110 Metronomes by Hungarian composer Ligeti is a quirky salute to NUS’
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110 anniversary as well as a symbol of how time, place and action intertwine in our histories.
The two theatre productions at NAF 2015 allow audiences to explore how the skeins of history can be
somewhat tangled. Alum theatre luminaries Desmond Sim and Chong Tze Chien return to campus to inspire
the next generation of theatremakers. Presenting their first performance for NUS Arts Festival, NUS Theatre
Studies will be staging playwright Chong’s Furthest North, Deepest South, a tale of Admiral Cheng Ho’s
daring maritime adventure. Sim, a prolific Peranakan playwright and painter, works with NUS students on
short original plays based on his play The Chair, which will be presented in the authentic ambience of NUS
Baba House at 157 Neil Road.
NAF partners the Embassy of Israel once again for Israeli Cinematique, a screening of three Israeli films,
held in conjunction with International Women’s Day. Tokyo Dream Café brings two Japanese films about
unlikely heroes which inspire a passion for life.
NAF is fringed with live gigs happening at 7pm at the UCC Courtyard during most days of the Fest. Catch
young Singapore musicians like Singapore Char Siew Baos!, Clarice & the Jive Collection, Lorong Boys and
many other young talents from NUS and beyond.
Says NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, “Now in its 10th year, the Festival has become an important
platform that gathers our alumni, students and partners together, to explore fresh insights and ideas. The
opportunities for creative collaboration and participation adds much to the vibrancy of our community while
contributing to the transformational education which NUS aspires to offer.”
Ms Christine Khor, Director, CFA says, “With this year’s theme of ‘Spirit of the Times’, we look back at the
past as fuel for the future. In this 10th edition of NUS Arts Festival, many alums who are making a name
internationally have returned to perform with their juniors and encouraging them. Our performers have shown
commitment, excellence and artistic risk taking. The bonds which make this community of artists have been
strengthened, spurring NUS Arts Festival to another level.”
Get into the spirit of things with NUS Arts Festival 2015 for an energising and insightful experience. Tickets
for the Fest are on sale at SISTIC outlets islandwide from 16 January 2015.
50 Kent Ridge Crescent Singapore 119279
Tel: (65) 6516 2492
Fax: (65) 6874 1002
Website: www.nus.edu.sg/cfa
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NUS Centre For the Arts
NUS Arts Festival 2015
20 - 29 March 2015
University Cultural Centre and other campus venues
at National University of Singapore.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.nusartsfestival.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nusartsfestival
2015 marks a watershed year in our history. Not only will
we celebrate 50 years of Singapore’s nation building but
we also commemorate 110 years of National University of
Singapore. Founded in 1905 as a medical school,
Singapore’s oldest institution of learning has witnessed
the birth and growth of our island city-state and has
played its part in the quick march of time to our present by
producing pioneers and leaders in every aspect of society.
More than just historical markers, the significant events in
history celebrate the unique achievements of these men
and women who have transformed society and who
continue to inspire future generations with their courage,
commitment, creativity and a strong sense of community.
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In 20 – 29 March 2015, our 10 edition of NUS Arts Festival celebrates pioneers and prodigies through its
theme “Spirit of the Times”. Travel through time and catch the sights, sounds, colors and moods through
enthralling music, insightful plays and dazzling dance performances which attempt to capture the spirit of the
times.
Please see annexes for more information:
Annex 1: Selected Fest highlights and unique points
Annex 2: Selected Fest images
Annex 3: About NUS Centre For the Arts
Media enquiries:
For more information on the NUS Arts Festival 2015, please contact us:
Dinah Ng
Marketing Communications
6516 1223
[email protected]
Adeline Tan
Marketing Communications (Media)
6516 6787 / 9138 8691
[email protected]
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Annex 1 : Selected Fest Highlights and Unique Points
Festival Opening Show
WORDS AND MUSIC: A LOVE STORY TOLD IN JAZZ
Jeremy Monteiro with Wang Liansheng, NUS Jazz Band and
NUS Alumni All-stars
Fri 20 Mar | 8pm | UCC Hall | $27, $22 & $19
1 hour 45 minutes (15 minutes interval)
Inspired by AR Gurney’s Love Letters, Words and Music traces the
love between two people separated by circumstances, but bound by
their passion for jazz.
Shen, the daughter of a highly respected academic, wonders if
dreams come at the expense of home; Fong, who follows the normal
path of a university education and ends up with a safe career as a
teacher, finds something missing in his life. When opportunity knocks and one does not grab it, will it be lost
forever?
Through original music composed and performed by Cultural Medallion (Jazz) recipient Jeremy Monteiro
with notable NUS alumni such as Rani Singam, as well as familiar jazz standards by NUS Jazz Band woven
into a script written by Wang Liansheng (The Boy Inside), Words and Music is their love story tenderly told in
jazz.
Unique Points:
• This performance features original music composed by Jeremy Monterio & Rani Singam as well as Jazz
standards. Chok Kerong is the music arranger for the production.
• This is the first time Jeremy Monteiro and NUS alum Chok Kerong will be working with the NUS Jazz
Band.
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• NUS law alum Wang Liansheng will be writing the script which links the programme. This will be the 5
NUS Arts Festival project that he has been involved in. His works in previous years include:
o The Boy Inside, NAF 2012 (scriptwriter & co-producer)
o Face To Face III: Full Circle, NAF 2013 (scriptwriter)
o And Then There Was One, NAF 2013 (scriptwriter)
o Con$umed, NAF 2014 (co-director)
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Festival Closing Show
DANCE REFLECTIONS:
STILL I RISE
CFA Dance Groups
Sun 29 Mar | 8pm | UCC Hall
$22 & $19 |1 hour 45 minutes
(15 minutes interval)
Taking inspiration from Maya
Angelou’s poem Still I Rise, artistic
directors of 6 dance groups under
NUS Centre For the Arts celebrate
the triumph of the human spirit in the
face of great challenges in the final
performance of the fest. Americanborn Angelou whose passing in
2014 was universally mourned was
a notable poet, actress, dancer and activist whose views on poverty, feminism and racism were catalytic in
motivating change for good.
Showcasing our multicultural heritage through modern and traditional dance interpretations, CFA artistic
directors Ms Ding Hong, Mr Fan Dong Kai, Mr Osman Abdul Hamid, Mr Patrick Loo, Mrs Santha Bhaskar
and Mr Zaini Mohammad Tahir and the combined talents of NUS Chinese Dance, NUS Dance Synergy, NUS
Ilsa Tari, NUS Dance Blast!, NUS Indian Dance and NUS Dance Ensemble express their response to
Angelou’s poem through movement with live music in a fusion of contemporary dance styles and ethnic
dance influences in NUS’ biggest dance extravaganza on campus.
Unique Points:
• Still I Rise by the late African American poet Angelou boldly addresses the reader in a mixture of
tones, from defiant to playful, self-assured and bitter. It is often poem’s triumphant tone which strikes
a chord within the reader.
• Dance Reflections: Still I Rise will be the largest dance collaboration on campus in terms of number
of dance groups and choreographers involved.
• NUS Indian Dance will once again feature an original composition from B.V. Balasai, an acclaimed
flautist and music composer from India. B. V. Balasai previously composed 7 works for NAF 2014:
Chudar – Shiva’s Fire.
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Festival Picks (4)
OVERDRIVE II
NUS Dancers with Ricky Hu (Hong Kong/China) and
Chen Wu-Kang (Taiwan)
Fri & Sat 20 & 21 Mar | 8pm | UCC Theatre | $22 & $19
1 hour 30 minutes (15 minutes interval)
Following the success of last year’s Overdrive, NUS Arts Festival
brings you two new works by international choreographers from fast
paced modern Asian cities, Hong Kong & Taiwan. Ricky Hu
Songwei from The Hong Kong Ballet, winner of the 2012 Hong Kong
Arts Development Award for Young Artist (Dance) and Chen WuKang, 1999 Gold medal winner at the Creative Dance Competition
organized by Taiwan’s Council for Cultural Affairs, together with
creative team of HORSE will take talented young dancers from NUS
to heightened states of activity to examine and reinterpret our
collectively constructed history, and its impact on our aspirations as
modern citizens.
Unique points:
• HORSE performed an excerpt of their awardwinning 2 Men at NUS Arts Festival 2014. This second
invitation from the Festival will see Chen creating a new work for NUS dancers.
• HORSE has collaborated with Taiwan Central University for a dance module with non-professional
dancers since 2014; and its dance showcase was featured in its university’s Pop Festival 2013.
• Chen will be assisted by HORSE dancers Yeh Ming-Hwa and Liu Kuan-Hsiang.
• Overdrive II is Ricky Hu’s first time creating a work for non-professional dancers in Singapore. He will be
assisted by Mai Jingwen, Dance Lecturer of Shenzhen Senior High School Dance Team from China.
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CELEBRATIONS 2015: HOMECOMING
NUS Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lim Soon Lee
Sat 21 Mar | 8pm | UCC Hall | $19 & $16
1 hour 30 minutes (15 minutes interval)
Under the skillful baton of Maestro Lim Soon Lee, NUS Symphony Orchestra will perform an exciting
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programme of concertos in honor of the 110 anniversary of National University of Singapore. The concert
which features NUS alumni from different years of graduation celebrates the role that NUS has played in
nurturing young musicians and classical music fans through the decades.
Highlights of the evening include Tchaikovsky’s rousing 1812 Overture, Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy for violin
performed by Alan Choo, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music alumni and recipient of the Goh Soon Tioe
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Centenary Award, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue featuring award winning pianist, Soh Ser Yee, a 4 year
NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine student, Cultural Medallion recipient Leong Yoon Pin’s Blessing the
Seas, a work premiered in 1996 dedicated to former President Ong Teng Cheong. Chen Zhangyi, recipient
of the Paul Abisheganaden Grant and Young Artist Award, will also premiere his new composition, Saving
Theseus...Ariadne's Love. This viola concerto featuring internationally acclaimed violist, Lim Chun, was
inspired by Zhangyi’s awardwinning submission to Abbey Studios.
Formed in 1979 as the NUS Concert Orchestra and inaugurated as the NUS Symphony Orchestra in 1995,
the orchestra’s beginnings can be traced back to the 1920s when it was first a chamber orchestra.
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INTEMPO 2015:
SINGAPORE PANORAMA
NUS Wind Symphony with The NUSChoir
conducted by A/P Ho Hwee Long,
Francis Tan and Dr Zechariah Goh
Sun 22 Mar | 8pm | UCC Hall | $19 & $16
2 hours (15 minutes interval)
Since its inception in 1968, the NUS Wind
Symphony has established itself as one of
the premier wind orchestras in Singapore.
Boasting an illustrious history of 47 years,
the wind orchestra counts itself as a
pioneering band and comprises non-music
majors from different faculties united through the years by a passion for band music.
Led by Associate Professor Ho Hwee Long, the Wind Symphony will present the panorama of Singapore
history from Dr Zechariah Goh Toh Chai’s Sang Nila for Wind Ensemble with Choir to Three Portraits for
Symphonic Band by Dr Kelly Tang and a modern arrangement of the folksong Munnaeru Vaalibaa, music
which evoke memories of how Singapore has evolved from an idyllic fishing village to the busy rush of a
modern metropolis. Other highlights include Taruya’s Liberty Guiding the People and climaxing at Hazo’s
Exultaté.
Unique points:
- Dr Zechariah Goh Toh Chai’s Sang Nila features the gamelan and its unique orchestration
showcases sounds of Asian music made by a western wind band. The NUSChoir will also join the
wind symphony on stage for this masterwork.
POEME SYMPHONIQUE FOR 110 METRONOMES
CFA Music Groups
Various venues and dates | 20 minutes
NUS Centre For the Arts proudly presents Poeme Symphonique for 110
Metronomes. Originally written in 1962 for 100 metronomes by Hungarian
composer György Ligeti, 110 represents not only the number of years that
NUS has been in existence but symbolizes the different streams of influence
which intertwine and form the unities of time, place and action in the present.
Wound to their maximum extent and set to different speeds, the metronomes
are released almost simultaneously. Initially chaotic, like the sound of hail on
rooftops, what emerges are rhythmic patterns and as the metronomes begin
to wind down one after the other, individual metronomes become more
distinguished till the performance ends with one metronome ticking alone. Visually, it will look like a field of
grass, each blade stirred by the wind at different paces.
Poeme Symphonique for 110 Metronomes will be performed by student musicians representing the 11 music
groups in NUS Centre For the Arts.
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Other Festival Shows (Theatre)
FURTHEST NORTH,
DEEPEST SOUTH
NUS Theatre Studies Year 3
Sat & Sun, 21 & 22 Mar | 8pm
UCC Dance Studio | $16
2 hours (15 minutes interval)
The history of Singapore is wider than the
building of a nation in the last fifty years.
It is the history of a region… of sea,
islands and the people that live and travel
through them. In Furthest North, Deepest
South, Chong Tze Chien explores the
adventures of Cheng Ho, the eunuch admiral who many claim to have circumnavigated the planet long
before Magellan. An intimate encounter with his fears and his conflicts with emperor Zhu Di, the play is also
a reality check for all of us: ‘Our sadness won’t outlast the universe, our burdens will never outweigh the
world’. Directed by Felipe Cervera, the NUS Theatre Studies third year cohort has a go at this wonderful
play that guarantees the audience a maritime adventure and a night flight across the skies of the straits we
inhabit.
CHAIR
Desmond Sim with NUS Talents
Sat 21, Thu 26, Fri 27 & Sat 28 Mar | 8pm
Sun 22 Mar | 3pm
NUS Baba House | $10* | 1 hour
*Festival concessions not applicable
Playwright poet and painter Desmond Sim’s The Chair makes its
return to the Singapore stage, this time as the launching pad and
inspiration for original short plays written by NUS undergraduates
developed from scripts created in a playwriting workshop by Sim. The
short plays take audiences through the rooms in NUS Baba House.
Installed in the intimate setting of a restored century old Peranakan
home in 157 Neil Road, will the chair continue to keep its secrets as a
silent witness to tragic and triumphant moments in time or reveal its
own complicity? Only an evening with the chair will tell.
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Other Festival Shows (Music)
PAGES OF BLACK:
A FRANK ZAPPA TRIBUTE
Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music
Percussion Ensemble
Fri 27 Mar | 8pm | UCC Theatre | $16
1 hour 30 minutes (15 minutes interval)
One of most anticipated events in the
Yong Siew Toh Conservatory’s calendar
is its annual percussion concert,
presented for the first time in NUS Arts
Festival. Pages of Black will pay tribute to
the late but legendary crossover rockclassical musician, songwriter, and
composer Frank Zappa, in a “rock” concert that includes a large percussion ensemble (from tuned cowbells
to drum set), rhythm section, winds, and vocals. Zappa, himself, will make an appearance – via documentary
footage.
Not for the faint-hearted but certainly not to be missed, this fiery concert with its bold beats, infectious
rhythms and big sounds will have you stomping. It will be rock meets classical in a way you have never
before witnessed, and all in celebration of the genius of Frank Zappa. Hosted by Frank Zappa expert
Jonathan Haas (New York City) and directed by Jonathan Fox.
PACIFIC MIRRORS:
NEW MUSIC FROM ASIA AND THE
UNITED STATES
Asian Contemporary Ensemble
Sat 28 & Sun 29 Mar | 8pm
UCC Dance Studio | $16
1 hour 10 minutes
The Asian Contemporary Ensemble (ACE)
returns to the NUS Arts Festival with a brand
new collaboration with the Japan-America
Institute for New Music (JAINM), featuring
acclaimed Japanese-American violinist Ryu
Goto, who makes his solo debut in
Singapore. Pacific Mirrors also presents acclaimed Singaporean violinist Loh Jun Hong and Thai baritone
Saran Senavinin as guest performers.
This concert features a different repertoire each evening, focusing on original works by young international
prizewinners from Singapore, Japan, South Korea and USA, as well as world-renowned Chinese composer
Ye Xiao-Gang. Some of these works have been performed at prestigious events such as the Beijing Modern
Music Festival, the Thailand International Composition Festival as well as the Vietnam-Europe International
New Music Festival in 2014.
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Frissions by Hoh Chung Shih, the only work repeated for both nights, is an interactive work for solo violin and
electronics, and promises a unique auditory experience with each performance. The work includes a large
section of improvisation and aleatory, which allows the performer to make musical decisions on the spot. The
programme also features Emily Koh's kilobyte which was commissioned for the recent Singapore
International Violin Competition. Interesting anecdotes and discussions would be shared before each work.
Pacific Mirrors also celebrates the Paul Abisheganaden Grant for Artistic Excellence, with the artistic
involvement of all its recipients – Wong Kah Chun (conductor), Emily Koh (composer) and Chen Zhangyi
(composer).
Concert Programme
Sat 28 March
a) Frissions – Hoh Chung Shih
b) Linghu – Li Shao Sheng
c) My Beloved – Sun-Young Park
d) Air from Floyd Sonata – Chen Zhangyi
e) Lilac Nova – Sayo Kosugi
(a) and (d) performed by Loh Jun Hong
(b) and (e) performed by Ryu Goto
(c) performed by Saran Senavinin
--------Sun 29 March
a) Frissions – Hoh Chung Shih
b) Five Minutes For a Century Ago – Chad Cannon
c) kilobyte – Emily Koh
d) Namura Cuo – Ye Xiao Gang
(a) and (c) performed by Loh Jun Hong
(b) and (d) performed by Ryu Goto
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NUS Centre For the Arts
Annex 2: Selected Festival Images
Please contact us for high-resolution images or a wider selection of images.
Fest Opening / Fest Closing / Festival Picks
Festival Opening Show: Words and Music : A
Lover Story Told In Jazz
Festival Closing Show : Dance Reflection : Still I Rise
Overdrive II
Celebration 2015: Homecoming
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Tel: (65) 6516 2492
Fax: (65) 6874 1002
Website: www.nus.edu.sg/cfa
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Poeme Symphonique for 110 Metronomes
InTempo 2015: Singapore Panorama
Theatre / Music
Chair
Furthest North, Deepest South
Pages of Black: A Frank Zappa Tribute
Pacific Mirrors
50 Kent Ridge Crescent Singapore 119279
Tel: (65) 6516 2492
Fax: (65) 6874 1002
Website: www.nus.edu.sg/cfa
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Annex 3: About NUS Centre For the Arts (CFA)
Established in 1993, NUS Centre For the Arts (CFA) is a multifaceted arts organisation that nurtures triple
arts – performing, visual and literary – on campus and beyond. CFA’s three main functions are in the areas
of management, programmes and education. As the creative cradle of the University, CFA manages 23
student and alumni groups in music, dance, theatre, visual arts, filmmaking and production.
Apart from talent management, CFA also manages the major arts facilities on campus: University Cultural
Centre (UCC), Runme Shaw CFA Studios and selected resources at Stephen Riady Centre, University
Town. CFA’s forte lies in enhancing the cultural life of NUS with adept programming and presentation of
highly accessible campus-based arts and cultural activities such as the annual NUS Arts Festival, the
ExxonMobil Campus Concerts, film screenings and also education programmes such as instrumental music
courses leading to certification.
Located within UCC, NUS Museum, an institution of CFA, currently houses several major permanent
collections such as the Lee Kong Chian Collection, the South and Southeast Asian Collection, the Ng Eng
Teng Collection and the Straits Chinese Collection at Baba House (157 Neil Road). It is committed to
ensuring the collections of the University are accurately interpreted, effectively displayed, carefully
preserved, and actively promoted for the enjoyment and benefit of the NUS community as well as the wider
Singapore community and foreign visitors.
For more information, visit cfa.nus.edu.sg.
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