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Arts Picks: Kahchun Wong Conducts Debussy, Wagner and Shostakovich

Donated artworks that will go under the hammer include New Forest (Kingfisher) II (left) by Robert Zhao and Portrait Of Win$ton_ed-Jaga_d_ paradiso (below) by Fyerool Darma.
Kahchun Wong Conducts Debussy, Wagner And Shostakovich PHOTO: SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Donated artworks that will go under the hammer include New Forest (Kingfisher) II (left) by Robert Zhao and Portrait Of Win$ton_ed-Jaga_d_ paradiso (below) by Fyerool Darma.
Donated artworks that will go under the hammer include New Forest (Kingfisher) II (above) by Robert Zhao and Portrait Of Win$ton_ed-Jaga_d_ paradiso by Fyerool Darma. PHOTO: COURTESY OF ROBERT ZHAO AND FYEROOL DARMA
Donated artworks that will go under the hammer include New Forest (Kingfisher) II (left) by Robert Zhao and Portrait Of Win$ton_ed-Jaga_d_ paradiso (below) by Fyerool Darma.
Donated artworks that will go under the hammer include New Forest (Kingfisher) II by Robert Zhao and Portrait Of Win$ton_ed-Jaga_d_ paradiso (above) by Fyerool Darma. PHOTO: COURTESY OF ROBERT ZHAO AND FYEROOL DARMA

KAHCHUN WONG CONDUCTS DEBUSSY, WAGNER AND SHOSTAKOVICH

Fans of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra can look forward to a varied programme under the baton of Wong Kah Chun: Debussy's Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune, which evokes the languor of a faun in the forest; Wagner's Siegfried Idyll, a celebration of love; and Shostakovich's anguished Chamber Symphony.

Singapore-born Wong, 34, is chief conductor of Germany's Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra and one of the most sought-after young conductors in the world.

This concert was recently filmed, sans audience, at the Esplanade.

WHERE: Sistic Live, with a pre-concert talk at facebook.com/singaporesymphony and youtube.com/singaporesymphony WHEN: Concert starts tomorrow at 8pm, with a countdown lobby opening at 7.30pm. It will be available for watching till Oct 10, 8pm ADMISSION: Pay-as-you-wish, from $10, at ticketing.sso.org.sg INFO: www.sso.org.sg/orchestra-season/kahchun-wong-conducts-debussy-wagner-shostakovich


A NIGHT AT THE OPERA

Join baritone Martin Ng and pianist Beatrice Lin for an evening of well-known arias such as Rossini's The Barber Of Seville and Mozart's The Marriage Of Figaro. The performance will be live-streamed from the Victoria Concert Hall.

WHERE: youtube.com/Martinng and facebook.com/martinngbaritone WHEN: Wednesday, 7.30pm ADMISSION: Free INFO: facebook.com/martinngbaritone


NTU CCA'S ONLINE BENEFIT ART AUCTION

Artworks donated by more than 25 artists will go under the hammer in this online auction by the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art (NTU CCA) Singapore.

The centre is raising funds for two of its projects - a digital archive documenting the centre's work from its inception to the present, and a major publication titled Climates. Habitats. Environments.

NTU CCA will close its Gillman Barracks exhibition hall and residency studio spaces in March next year due to funding issues.

But the institution, which is helmed by renowned curator Ute Meta Bauer, will remain at the arts enclave as a public resource centre, and also hopes to continue its artist-in-residence programme.

The works put up for auction are by local and international artists such as Robert Zhao, Fyerool Darma and Entang Wiharso, who had previously done exhibitions or residencies with the centre. Minimum bids range from $800 to $12,500.

Alternatively, chip in with a cash donation or check out the artist-edition items such as scarves and bags.

WHERE: www.ntuccabenefit.org WHEN: Goes live on Thursday and closes on Oct 18, 10pm INFO: ntu.ccasingapore.org/events/online-benefit-art-auction


SINGAPORE LITERATURE FESTIVAL IN NYC

Listen to Singapore and United States writers in conversation at this festival organised by Singapore Unbound, a New York-based non-profit.

The biennial event, which is going digital for the first time, features talks as well as discussions between authors such as Tania De Rozario (And The Walls Come Crumbling Down) and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (Dirty River: A Queer Femme Of Color Dreaming Her Way Home); and Amanda Lee Koe (Delayed Rays Of A Star) and Paula Mendoza (Play For Time: Poems).

WHERE: Zoom. Register at bit.ly/2020slf for the link

WHEN: Oct 1 to Oct 3, various times. Early birds might be able to catch two preview events today at 8am and 9.30am Singapore time ADMISSION: Free, with registration INFO: singaporeunbound.org/festival-program (events are listed in Eastern Time)


ASIAN FESTIVAL OF CHILDREN'S CONTENT

Interested in children's literature or keen to find out how the industry is responding to the pandemic? Head down - virtually - to this festival by the Singapore Book Council for panel discussions, masterclasses, book launches and a book illustrators gallery.

More than 40 people from Singapore and around the world will speak at a digital symposium. Joining the festival from overseas are Dr Junko Yokota, head juror of the Hans Christian Andersen Award; award-winning poets Naomi Shihab Nye and Mariko Nagai; graphic novelist Minh Le; Australian picture book creator Tohby Riddle; and author-illustrator Trevor Lai, founder of UP Studios.

WHERE: Zoom and Facebook WHEN: Tomorrow and Sunday (book launches); Oct 2 (masterclasses); Oct 3 to 4 (symposium); Oct 4 (Hedwig Anuar Children's Book Award ceremony) ADMISSION: Symposium tickets start at $30 for a one-day digital pass; masterclasses are $40 each; book launches are free with registration. The book award ceremony will be live-streamed on Facebook INFO: afcc.com.sg/2020

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 25, 2020, with the headline Arts Picks: Kahchun Wong Conducts Debussy, Wagner and Shostakovich. Subscribe