Slavonic Romance: Kids' Philharmonic with Abigail Sin

SLAVONIC ROMANCE

KIDS' PHILHARMONIC/ABIGAIL SIN

ESPLANADE RECITAL STUDIO

19 JUNE 2013

This review was published in The Straits Times on 21st June 2013 under the title "Kids' philharmonic's night to shine"

In recent years, audiences have witnessed the birth of several new orchestras in Singapore. Yet, not since the days of the Kam Kee Yong-led People's Association String Orchestra has there been a permanent ensemble for children.

The Kids' Philharmonic, formed by Lee Hoon Piek and music director Wong Kah Chun, was set up in 2011 to get young children started playing in orchestras. The goal is not about delivering world-class performances, but to give every child the opportunity to experience performing on stage in front of a live audience.

These young performers, augmented by their mentors and winds and brass players from Singapore Polytechnic, coped admirably with the pressure and their enjoyment was reflected in the enthusiastic playing.

Pianist Abigail Sin joined the orchestra in Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor. She started performing at a young age herself and was the perfect role model for these would-be musicians.

Her sense of fantasy in the work was compelling and the orchestra responded with layers of harmonies in support. Despite being just metres away from the audience due to the size constraints of the recital studio, she was a picture of concentration and even the loud thud of a dropped bag in the front row did not distract her.

Seizing the moment in the piano-dominated second movement, she displayed her full range of colours in producing a mesmerisingly striking cantabile line with the ad libitum filigree shimmering like moonlight on water. The infectious lilt of the mazurka in the finale was brilliantly captured and Sin's powerful virtuosic display in the relentless arpeggios and running notes came across convincingly.

The spotlight shifted back to the orchestra for the second half, with Mussorgsky's Dawn On The Moskva River and the Czech Suite by Antonin Dvorak. At first glance, it appeared to be way beyond the capabilities of the young musicians, whose ages ranged from seven to 16.

All doubts were quickly dispelled with their commendable attentiveness to conductor Wong's direction, ensuring that the performance was generally glitch-free. Despite their tender age, there were moments of genuinely awe-inspiring playing.

As Wong most aptly put it before exiting, the concert was about the kids and he generously left the stage for four young soloists to shine in a stylish performance of the first movement of Spring from Vivaldi's Four Seasons. That the ensemble managed without a conductor was most praiseworthy and rounded up a night they should all be proud of.

#abigailsin