Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra
Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra (BHSO) is an orchestra founded in 1986 based in Singapore. Being Singapore's first and only community-based orchestra drawing its musicians from all walks of life, the BHSO aims to bring joy and cohesion to the community through music.
Under the able stewardship of Maestro Yan Yin Wing from 1989–2012, the BHSO gave more than 60 public concerts and took centre stage at important national events including former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong's Inauguration Dinner, the People's Association's 40th Anniversary in 2000. Internationally, the BHSO participated in numerous musical exchanges with the Korea Symphony Orchestra, the Sunigami Philharmonic Orchestra (Japan) and the Penang Symphony Orchestra (Malaysia).
Besides performing alongside well-known musicians from all over the world such as conductors Christopher Fifield (UK), Helen Quach (Vietnam) and cellist Paul Banda (Hungary), the BHSO has also performed with prominent local musicians including violinist Chan Yoong Han, pianist Albert Lin, soprano Stella Zhou and cellist Chan Wei Shing. The orchestra has supported the development of very young musical protégés through its "Gifted Young Musicians" series since 1988. Many young Singaporean talents made their debut with the BHSO where they got their first opportunity to perform with an orchestra. The orchestra has also regularly performed music by Singaporean composers, the most recent being a work dedicated to the BHSO by the young composer Americ Goh in 2009.
From performances of renowned masterpieces to popular music, the BHSO has inspired and entertained Singaporean audiences for over 25 years. The current Music Director and conductor is Adrian Tan. Supporting the daily operations and marketing in the core committee, Daniel Heng (General Manager) and Samuel Kwan (Deputy General Manager).
Music director & conductor
Adrian Tan (b. 1977) graduated with honours in Theatre Studies from the National University of Singapore. His significant participation in Music and Theatre has distinguished him as a unique multi-disciplinary artist with an impressive repertoire of work and achievements in Singaporeand overseas. Adrian is the recipient of the prestigious National Arts Council (Singapore) Overseas Scholarship, and completed his Masters in Music Studies (Conducting) studying with Imre Palló at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He also studied conducting with Harold Farberman, Robert Gutter and Ovidiu Balan, and participated in master classes in orchestral conducting with Gunther Herbig, and in wind and choral conducting with Jan Cober and Hans Leenders respectively.
Adrian has led wind bands and orchestras at the community as well as professional levels. He had served as Music Director of AudioImage Wind Ensemble from (2000–2006), the Paradigm Ensemble (2000–2002) and the Sydney University Wind Orchestra (2011). He actively champions the music of Singaporean composers and has presented premieres of compositions by Singaporean composers Americ Goh, Chen Zhangyi, Philip Tan, Zechariah Goh Toh Chai, Ho Chee Kong, Kelly Tang and many others. Adrian has also worked with prominent composers in the Japanese video game industry like Hitoshi Sakimoto (Finanl Fantasy XII), Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Cross)and Hideki Sakamot
o (Echochrome, Yakuza) in numerous video game concerts. He was invited to conduct for the recording of the musical soundtrack for the Australian feature film "Next door to the Velinsky's" (2010) and the short film "The Domestication of Humans" (2010) at Fox Studios Australia.
In 2010, he was appointed Assistant Choir Master of the Willoughby Symphony Choir (Sydney, Australia). He was also the assistant conductor in the production of Otto Nicolai's "Merry Wives of Windsor", and the Musical Director of the production of Darius Milhaud's "Les Malheurs d'Orphee" at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He has also appeared with the Beecroft Orchestra (Australia), Mosman Symphony Orchestra (Australia), Philharmonica "Mihail Jora" (Romania), Ho Chi Minh Conservatory Orchestra (Vietnam) and numerous guest engagements with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (Vietnam) since 2007. In 2013, he will appear with the Hsinchu Youth Wind Symphony (Taiwan) and the KLM Dutch Royal Airlines Band (Netherlands).
Adrian Tan is the Music Director of the Singapore Wind Symphony and the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra, and was named Music Director of the Saigon Philharmonic Orchestra in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in 2013.
Conductor emeritus
Yan Yin Wing
Yan Yin Wing pursued his music studies between 1976 to 1978 in London and obtained the Associate of the Royal College of Music (ARCM) in violin teaching. During that period, he also studied conducting and was awarded a scholarship to attend a Summer Conductors' Course in 1978 organised by the Ernest Read Music Association.
In 1984, Yan was awarded a grant from the Singapore Cultural Foundation to pursue a one-year Advanced Orchestra Conducting Course at the renowned Sweelinck Conservatorium Amsterdam. During that year, he also attended a Master Class (Orchestra Conducting) at the International Sommerakademie of the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.
Yan has always been very much involved with the promotion of classical music and encouraging local talents in Singapore by bringing people from all walks of life and of all ages together to make music. Since 1989, Yan has been the driving force behind Singapore's only community-based Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra (BHSO). Not only does he conduct and direct the orchestra but he also plans and organises their concerts and gathering and encouraging participation and support. Whenever opportunity arises, he will showcase local music talents and also invite overseas musicians and conductors to perform with the orchestra. This has resulted in positive feedback from the community and greater participation.
In 1986, 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994, Yan has represented Singapore to lead the delegation at both the ASEAN Youth Music Workshops and the Composers' Workshop.
A keen composer, Yan's composition "SALUTE" was premiered at the National Tribute Dinner for former Senior Minister Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. Some of Yan's other compositions for full orchestra, string orchestra, chamber works, songs and choruses have also been performed in Singapore and Malaysia. One of Yan's orchestral work "ASCENT" was also performed in China by the National Opera and Ballet Symphony Orchestra of Beijing. A recent composition that was performed was a forty minute Operetta titled "Jonah". Other significant projects include getting the community involved in orchestral and choral music. In 1990,a highly successful concert was performed together with the Belgium Boys' Choir in celebration of Singapore's 25th anniversary where one of Yan's composition "5-Star Medley" (based on five popular community songs) was sung in four languages together with the audience. Other special engagements include Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong's Inauguration Dinner, the Esplanade's Orientation & Trial Concert, the Debutate Ball held at the Ritz Carlton Singapore and the People's Association's 40th Anniversary held in 2000.
Since initiating an exchange programme with the Korea Symphony Orchestra in 1999, Yan has been invited regularly to conduct their concerts in Seoul. More recently, Yan has also initiated exchange programmes with Japan's Suginami Philharmonic Orchestra and Malaysia's Penang Symphony Orchestra.[1]
External links
- Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra – Official Website