A Mix Of Russian

AFTER  a year of Broadway music, Sudirman and Beethoven, KLPAC kicks of its 2018 concert season with a bold Russian programme. 

Resident Conductor and Music Director leads the klpac Orchestra in A Mix of Russian featuring renowned pianist Albert Tiu from 10 to 11 March 2018. 

Russian composers play a key role in the romantic period of classical music. A Mix of Russian opens with the energetic Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture by Mikhail Glinka. Considered to be the father of Russian music, Glinka made a mark for himself by incorporating elements of Russian folklore and folk music in his compositions. His work paved the way for generations to come. 

Following the rousing opening, the programme moves on to its main highlight. Undoubtedly one of the most popular composers of all time, Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky composed three concertos but the first became the most widely performed. 

This time round, music lovers will have the opportunity to experience Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Major, Op. 44 featuring one of the top resident pianists in Singapore Albert Tiu who is said to have “the heart and soul of a true romantic pianist” (American Record Guide, 2011). 

Currently Associate Professor of Piano at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore, Tiu studied at the Juilliard School and Boston Conservatory. A recipient of Juilliard's William Petschek Award and a prizewinner of competitions in Calgary (Honens), Helsinki (Maj Lind) and Santander (Paloma O’Shea), he won the First Prize and two concerto prizes in the 1996 UNISA International Piano Competition in Pretoria, South Africa. 

“Above all his playing exudes a golden tone that sounds as if it was made for 19th century Russia. Add an uncanny sense of timing, supple fingers that seem to be everywhere at once, pedalling that constantly enriches, and penetrating understanding into what makes Russian romantics tick, and you have an authentic mix for spectacular success,” as written in The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia, 2011). 

The concert finishes with Vasily Kalinnikov’s most celebrated work Symphony No. 1 in G Minor. With its colourful orchestration and memorable melodies, it was instantly successful when it first premiered with requests for repeat performances. Though Kalinnikov is a lesser known composer, his works display some wonderful Russian themes. 

A varied and bold programme, A Mix of Russian brings to the fore the best that the Russian composers have to offer and will be a rare chance to experience it all in one sitting. 

A MIX OF RUSSIAN 

Dates/Times 10 Mar @ 8.30pm, 11 Mar @ 3pm 

Venue Pentas 1, The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac) 

Sentul Park, Jalan Strachan 

Off Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah 

51100 Kuala Lumpur 

Tickets RM100 (Patron of the Arts / VIP) 

RM60 (Adult) 

RM40 (TAS Card, seniors, students, disabled) 

Box Office Call 03 4047 9000 (klpac) or 03 7880 7999 (Ticket Pro) 

Walk in to klpac box office or any Ticket Pro outlets 

Buy online via www.ticketpro.com.my 

Lee Kok Leong (Music Director & Resident Conductor)

Kok Leong made his conducting debut with Galaxy Chamber Orchestra in 2005 and was appointed Resident Conductor from 2007 to 2011. In 2010, he was appointed as training conductor for the klpac Orchestra until 2012 and received tutelage from the late Mr. Brian Tan, Resident Conductor and Music Director of the orchestra during that time. Later, he received conducting masterclasses from renowned pianist and conductor Mdm. Elaine Pao. Kok Leong was appointed as the conductor of Friends of Strings Chamber and held a concert in May 2014. Besides conducting, he is frequently engaged in ensemble playing, sharing his passion in music with his friends.

He is now the Resident Conductor of the klpac Orchestra. 

Albert Tiu (Guest Pianist) 

Born in Cebu, Philippines, Albert Tiu has been called “an artist of uncommon abilities” by American Record Guide. His 2010 Centaur recording, “Nocturnal Fantasies”, featuring Chopin and Skryabin, was dubbed “one of the all-time great piano recordings” by Fanfare. “One of the most inventive recital programs ever seen or heard” (ARG), this “compelling and poetically imaginative recording” (Clavier Companion) was also hailed for “performances where heart and mind unite in a deeply affecting union” (Gramophone). 

Currently Associate Professor of Piano at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore, he studied with Jerome Lowenthal at the Juilliard School, with Michael Lewin at Boston Conservatory, and with Nita Abrogar-Quinto and Nelly Castro in the Philippines. A recipient of Juilliard's William Petschek Award and a prizewinner of competitions in Calgary (Honens), Helsinki (Maj Lind) and Santander (Paloma O’Shea), he won the First Prize and two concerto prizes in the 1996 UNISA International Piano Competition in Pretoria, South Africa. 

Known for his passion for innovative programming, he has presented recitals with themes like “The Classical Elements” (Earth, Air, Water and Fire), “Chopin without Chopin” (music by Godowsky, Busoni and Rachmaninov influenced by Chopin), and “Bee Flat” (the two Sonatas in B-flat by Beethoven). He has performed with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Hamburg Symphony, Finnish Radio Symphony, Gstaad Festival Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Winnipeg Symphony, and Philippine Philharmonic. In 2005, he gave the Singapore premiere of Samuel Barber’s Piano Concerto with the Singapore Symphony under Tang Muhai. 

Recent recording projects include “The Classical Elements” on Centaur; Schubert’s “Winterreise” with tenor Alan Bennett; collaborations with violinist Kam Ning in "Road Movies", a Meridian disc featuring American composers; and with cellist Qin Li-Wei, in two discs on Decca of Beethoven and Rachmaninov. 

He is absolutely addicted to Angry Birds, and in his spare time manages to practice some piano. This is a constant source of both humour and chagrin in the family. When it is in season, his addiction spreads to ice hockey, in which he supports the Pittsburgh Penguins.