The Philharmonic Winds 15th Anniversary Gala Concert
In collaboration with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
21 June 2015 | 7.30pm | Esplanade Concert Hall
In celebration of its 15th anniversary, The Philharmonic Winds presents the world premiere of the Marco Polo trilogy, which traces the fantastic journey of Venetian explorer Marco Polo (1254-1324), who travelled to the courts of Kublai Khan.
In this special anniversary gala, the wind orchestra will be led by three conductors: music director Leonard Tan, principal guest conductor Timothy Reynish, as well as the award-winning composer of the trilogy, Luis Serrano Alarcón.
Alarcón found inspiration in the book The Travels of Marco Polo, which details accounts of his journey, narrated by the explorer himself to romance writer Rusticello da Pisa while the two were in prison together. The composer wanted to imagine the journey through the eyes of the people who experienced the trip. He created the pieces with deep contrasts and colourful sonorities, which he achieved by melding popular music of the regions that Marco Polo had passed through. He also used featured a number of ethnic instruments – including the erhu, dizi, suona, sheng, hulusi, guanzi, tabla, sitar, zurna, tar, shvi, duduk, and a host of percussion instruments – in creating an amazing journey for the audience.
The first piece, The Silk Road (2006), describes the trip from Venice to the court of Cambaluc (Beijing), which took four years to complete. The Cathay Years (2011), commissioned by The Philharmonic Winds, draws on his time in China, covering over two thirds of his 24-year long great adventure. Finally, The Book of India (2013) narrates his return trip to Venice by sea, a journey which took him around Indochina and India.
The concert will also feature award-winning musicians Krsna Tan on sitar, Govin Tan on tabla, Ding Yi Music Company, and the voices of the Vocal Associates Festival Chorus, led by Khor Ai Ming.
Tickets are now available at Esplanade Box Office and all SISTIC authorised agents at $15 and $25 (excluding SISTIC booking fee). Alternatively, you can also purchase the tickets via SISTIC website (http://www.sistic.com.sg/events/polo0615) or SISTIC hotline, 63485555). Students, NSF or Senior Citizens aged 60 years old & above will be entitled to a concession ticket priced at $12 and $20.