SINGAPORE, 20 August 2007 - Singapore´s
very own international violinist, Min Lee, is set to once again perform
in concert on homeground. And all for a good cause, as the proceeds
from this concert will benefit The Business Times Budding Artists Fund
and The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.
In a one-night only performance on September 7 at 7.30pm at the
Esplanade Concert Hall, Min Lee, along with the Prague Sinfonia
Orchestra will present best-loved works from classical greats Vivaldi,
Haydn, Mozart, Mendelssohn and Beethoven.
Born as an expanded version of the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the highly
acclaimed "orchestra of the Velvet Revolution" launched by Vaclav Havel
has earned multiple accolades and worked with notable composers and
soloists. This stop in Singapore is part of their latest Asian Tour,
which will see them also performing in Shanghai, Hebei, Tianjin, and
Kuala Lumpur.
The Orchestra’s impressive performances over the years have left a
distinguished mark on the international concert scene. They have been
on sixteen extensive tours in the United States and Canada through
Columbia Artists New York, and on six tours to Latin America and Japan.
They have also toured South Korea and Malaysia with great acclaim.
Frequent guest appearances in Europe include festivals such as
Salzburg, Bregenz, Berlin, Dresden, Schwetzingen, the Mozartfest in
Wurzburg, the Rheingau Festival, Konstanz, Athens, Bergen, Besancon,
Baalbek, Biarritz, San Sebastian, Santander, Luzern, Montreux, Menuhin
Festival Gstaad, Ascona, Dubrovnik, Stresa, Cheltenham.
Christian Benda conducts this series of first movements at the
Esplanade Concert Hall. A descendant of the Czech Benda composer
dynasty of the eighteenth century, Benda´s engagements have taken him
to music centers such as Vienna and Budapest, and brought collaboration
with singers such as Renee Fleming, as well as soloists Lazar Berman
and Cristina Ortiz. He will also be performing on the cello for the
concert.
This benefit concert also features one of the greatest Czech pianists
of this generation, Vaclav Macha, as well as Singapore’s young artistes
Gabriel Lim Jen-Wei, Choon Hong Yi and Ho Qian Hui. Standard tickets
priced at $80, $58 and $38 and charity tickets with tax exemption
priced at $250 which includes post-concert reception are currently on
sale through SISTIC.
Concert Programme
Vivaldi Concerto for Four Violins
Haydn Cello Concerto in C
Mozart Piano Concerto in C
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto
Beethoven Symphony No. 8
Issued by Singapore Press Holdings Limited
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For more information, please contact:
Tan Tee Tong
Director, Arts Enterprise
The Arts House at the Old Parliament
(managed by The Old Parliament House Limited)
Tel: 6332 6902
Mobile: 9003 6512
Email:
tee_tong@toph.com.sg
Eric Ching
Manager
Corporate Communications
Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
Tel: 6319 1280
Email:
chingsm@sph.com.sg
About Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
Newspapers and Magazines
Main board-listed Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) is the leading
media company in Singapore, delivering news and information through
print, Internet and broadcasting platforms. In Singapore, it publishes
14 newspapers in four languages. Every day, 2.7 million individuals or
83 percent of people above 15 years old, read one of SPH’s news
publications. SPH also publishes over 90 magazine titles in Singapore
and the region, covering a broad range of interests from lifestyle to
information technology.
Internet and Mobile
Beyond print, the Internet editions of SPH newspapers enjoy over 100
million pageviews with 6 million unique visitors every month. Apart
from SPH AsiaOne portal, SPH´s other online and new media initiatives
include a revolutionary mobile advertising and information service,
ZapCode; recruitment and job search service, ST701; and STOMP (Straits
Times Online Mobile Print), a portal that connects, engages and
interacts with readers on the Web and via mobile phone messaging.
Broadcasting
SPH has a 20 percent stake in MediaCorp TV Holdings Pte Ltd, which
operates free-to-air channels 5, 8, U and TV Mobile, and a 40 percent
stake in MediaCorp Press Pte Ltd, which publishes the free newspaper,
Today. In the radio business, SPH has a 80 percent stake in SPH
UnionWorks Pte Ltd, which operates entertainment stations Radio 100.3
in Mandarin and Radio 91.3 in English.
Outdoor Advertising
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largest outdoor motion display advertising network media company, and a
35 percent stake in TOM Outdoor Media Group, a leading outdoor
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Properties
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wholly-owned subsidiary, Times Development Pte Ltd, is also developing
a 43-storey upmarket residential condominium, Sky@eleven, at Thomson
Road.
Visit www.sph.com.sg for more information on SPH.
About The Business Times Budding Artists Fund
The Business Times and the Arts House share a common belief that every
artistically-gifted child in Singapore should be given the opportunity
to develop that talent regardless of his or her own special needs and
family’s financial background.
To realise this vision, The Business Times Budding Artists Fund was
initiated by The Arts House to level up the playing field for the less
privileged but no less artistically-talented children. Through this
fund, The Business Times and The Arts House engage professionals in the
performing and visual arts to help nurture these young talents in
music, dance, theatre and visual art.
The Business Times and the Arts House play the role of fund-raisers for
the fund - they collaborate with different partners, from corporate
organisations to interested individuals, for various fund-raising
events.
The Arts House, as the administrator of the fund, identifies the young
talents through different platforms such as auditions and interviews.
It disburses the funds to pay for professionals to conduct training
programmes for the children as well as for the purchase of musical
instruments, art materials or any other material deemed necessary to
the training or performance.
More information on the fund can be found at www.theartshouse.com.sg/btbaf/
About The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund
The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund was initiated on Children’s
Day in 2000 by The Straits Times. It has become an annual community
project that makes pocket money available for school-going children
from low-income families.
The aim is to ease the financial burden faced by parents when providing
for their children´s education. At the same time, the funds will help
children who are already facing difficulties in remaining in school to
stay on.
As the official fund-raiser, The Straits Times rallies support for the
cause and appeals to the public for their donation to the fund. It
collaborates with different partners, from corporate organisations to
interested individuals, for various fund-raising events.
The Straits Times also works closely with the National Council of
Social Service (NCSS), which acts as the administrator of the fund.
NCSS disburses the funds to the beneficiaries through their network of
family service centres, special schools and children’s homes.
For 2007, the target is to raise $2.7m to help 9,000 children.