A night to remmember of maestros and beautiful music
Published on: Sunday, December 08, 2019
By: Kan Yaw Chong
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Worthy of note is Henokh Yedija Mawilis, once a student of this JPO outreach programme, is now a trainee-teacher himself who conducted the first part of the night’s programme.
But, wow, when the three renowned maestros from Singapore and South Korea came of stage backed by the JPO conducted by Yap Ling, it’s utter spell-binding enjoyment that lifted hearts and minds to a completely new plane.
“Great performance,” an Egyptian named Adam in the audience congratulated some JPO members, after a sentimental encore entitled “Time to Say Goodbye”.
What’s great about it, Daily Express asked Adam.
He said: “It touched my heart!”
Adam must have been comprehensively affected.
Making music beautiful
The combination of maestros like Foo Say Ming, Head of Strings of the School of Music from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore, renowned award-winning Korean soprano Kyungran Kim, tenor Myung Hoon Ji and a full Jesselton Symphony Orchestra, delivered the magic.
They lived the music, became it – they made it beautiful and every note their hearts’ interpretation.
Small wonder somebody from Egypt also said it touched his heart.
A virtuoso showpiece from Foo
After intermission, the violin mastery of Singaporean violin maestro Foo gripped the floor with rapt attention when he started playing “Waxman: Carmen Fantasie” – a virtuoso showpiece for violin and orchestra – score to the 1946 movie “Humoresque”. It got an Academy nomination for best music and JPO did full justice to the “best music” in support of Foo’s passionate showmanship.
Asked whether JPO did a good job in backing him up, Foo said:
“Yes, of course, they did. Conductor Yap Ling is wonderful. He was very accommodating and extremely musical, anticipated every move that I wanted to do and he coordinated the orchestra very well but you know it is tough in conducting any piece that has a solo instrument.
“I mean it is difficult for the soloists but tougher still for the conductor to coordinate.”
Asked if JPO is up to the mark, Foo said:
“Of course, it is.”
Not easy to back opera singers: Yap
However, Yap Ling confessed that technically it is difficult for an orchestra to support operatic singing.
“Operatic singing is very different because sometimes it’s quite free with no fixed timing so we have to really work together.”
World class soprano and the most beautiful melody ever
After Foo, Soprano Kyungran Kim grabbed everyone’s attention when she came on stage for the famous aria “Enno Morricone: Nella Fantasia”, sung in Italian based on a theme “Gabriel Oboe” from the film “The Mission (1986)” with music from famed composer Ennio Morricone.
Kim delivered it with such grace and intensity with which she executed her world class rendition sung to one of the most beautiful melody ever written and now brought to Kota Kinabalu.
One comment I have read rated the melody like this: “If there is music in heaven, this is it, so it’s just impossible for anyone not to be affected by the soul-touching melody.”
For KK folks who were not there, they really missed out on one of the best quality music moments made possible in Sabah last Friday.
On the music backing from JPO, Kim told Daily Express later:
“After the practices from all the rehearsals, they got better and better.”
Yet, Kim said she treasured this moment of voluntary contribution.
“I do not have many opportunities to work with orchestras and I came to perform here because I thought I could help to raise up more music students.
Thrilling Italian masterpiece from renowned Tenor
Next to come on stage was another renowned Tenor in Korea, Myung Hoon Ji, who sang a very pretty and thrilling Italian masterpiece – “O Sole Mio”, first written in 1896 by Giovanni and music by Eduardo Di Capua.
By the way, both Myung and Kim speak Italian because they studied in Italy.
“I first came here to help a friend but found out this concert is very meaningful to the children and everyone else, so I feel very good about it.
“But what I like very much is the international nature of the programme with people from countries like Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Singapore who might have political issues but they come together because of music.”
Myung continued to send the audience to their feet with his next solo entitled – “Nessum Dorma”, from G. Puccini: Turandot.
The power and intensity of Myung backed once again by the beautiful melody from JPO earned the whole performance with smashing applause.
Duet from two brilliant voices
Both Kim and Myung capped their night of brilliant voices with a duet on “Verdi La Traviata – Brindidi” backed by spirited music from the JPO.
Terrance Kwon, leader of the Korean greats, said:
“This is my fourth time here. Every time I am here I feel very excited my team is here to help teach students and every time they invite me I come and I will come again in the future if they invite us.”
Thene’s a purose greater than concert : JPO President
Well, on the surface, it looks as though the whole night was just about music dubbed “Embracing Concert” held in conjunction with the 3rd KK Music Festival at the UMS Recital Hall.
However, JPO President Jessica Lee said the programme has mobilised experts from as far as Italy, Japan, Korea, Singapore and outreach students from Malaysia and Indonesia for a much greater purpose.
She said: “Our main aim is education, not just orchestra. For this event we have put in a lot of new members, preparing young adults with skills.
“In fact, the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts students are here teaching us because Nafa also recognises the positive aspects of this outreach programme towards their students.
“They are also preparing them for to be well rounded musicians, not just soloists for themselves but music to be shared, Jessica explained.
Imparting the young with employable skills
“We have here a volunteer luthier, Shotaro Nishimura, from Cremona, Italy, who brings in another skill set – the art of instrument making and repair damaged instrument which is very important as part of our ongoing programme.
“So those are again another aspect of education in which we try to create employment as an ultimate aim by imparting them with employable skills.”
“So, again, our emphasis is doing more than just music teaching. This is about the development of youths.”
Star gets involved
In the end, it is not only mobilising top talents in the music industry from all over the world but also resorts like Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort which sponsor not rooms for the maestros but also brunch the next morning for some 170 participants of the concert
One reason Star got involved is under its CSR, it adopted one school SK Bantayan four years ago by upgrading its facilities to make sure buildings are suitable, teach English and the school happened to be part of JPO’s outreach programme and this provides a perfect reason for Star to support the JPO.
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