Front Row

In the city to conduct the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra play Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird’ ballet suite, the conductor stops to speak to Front Row about the romanticism in this music that will be melded to the style of folk-jazz. This upcoming concert will see the MPO play with a Norwegian trumpet player Ole Edvard Antonsen. The conductor describes what this fusion of classical and folk-jazz will sound like, preparing with words what will be heard wordlessly.

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Dr Sam Bowker discusses the history of khayamiya through the tentmaker’s ongoing adaptations to new conditions. He details the origin of the Tentmakers of Cairo and how what they do can be situated within Islamic art. Of course, in a world where more live in urban areas, including those in the Middle-East, tentmakers face challenges to survive into the future.

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Five fresh young graduates from Dasein Academy of Art have come together to exhibit their works. Through their art perhaps some answers to questions about Gen-Y. What do they think about when they don’t have to think? What do they do when they don’t have specific assignments and must-be-completed tasks assigned to them? What do they want?

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The choreographer-dancer-producer tells about using Bharatanatyam--Indian classical dancing--to tell stories about women and their experiences with the ‘other’ gender. The music composer and she relate the process and the rationale of bringing these stories to live and the kinds of challenges they faced.

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Our guest gives us a view into the Renaissance musical instrument, the harpsichord; and how it, in the 20th century, gained the lustre it lost in the 18th century. He also tells about the musical composition, called the Ciaccona in Italian. The popularity of the musical form coincided with the popularity of the harpsichord; and also waned when the popularity of the harpsichord took a turn. Both the instrument and this music find new life now.

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‘Into The Woods’, ‘Sweeney Todd’, ‘West Side Story’, and ‘Gypsy’ are but a few of the musicals that Stephen Sondheim has both composed, and wrote lyrics for. Hailed by The New York Times as “the greatest living composer and lyricist”, Sondheim’s 85th birthday will be celebrated the world over in gala tributes that will see the likes of Broadway and West End musical theatre. Here in Kuala Lumpur, Maybank and PAN Productions have joined in the worldwide celebration with a tribute performance led by some of Malaysia’s best musical theatre talents. Tune in to find out more about the extravagant celebrations of Sondheim’s 85th.

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One of Western Australia's busiest jazz vocalists will be performing in Malaysia. The Canadian born singer is internationally known for her hit single “U Sure Do” with ex-band Strike. Besides being constantly on the road for her performances, she also lectures Jazz and Contemporary music at The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. We speak to Victoria Newton about her upcoming performance and her journey to where she is now.

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Many people of the younger generation are largely unaware of artistes who made a mark on the nation’s early music scene. Among them is the late Alfonso Soliano, a.k.a ‘Bapa Jazz Malaysia’. Ranked as one of the musicians who is respected for his immense contribution to the local jazz scene, Alfonso was instrumental in setting-up the first orchestra for RTM (then Radio Malaya) and popular Western music beats such as ‘Bebop’ to the locals. Today with us is Alfonso’s granddaughter and jazz singer, Rachel Guerzo as more about her tribute project, a CD album entitled, ‘Alfonso 25’, in hopes to keep her late grandfather’s legacy alive.

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Performing a diverse mix of old and new pieces, with classical music forming the core of its programming, Ensemble Virama is dedicated to the development and education of Malaysian musicians. They believe that there are only two kinds of music; good music, and the other. Today we speak to Howard Ng Su Chee and Bernice Ooi Khai Ern, the respective oboist and violinist of Ensemble Virama about their art form and upcoming performance centring on classical pieces by Prokofiev, Bach, and Connesson.

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Percussion music is done through the melodious banging, rattling or scraping of instruments. Two groups who have similar passions and yet are poles apart, one traditional and another contemporary. Listen to two different percussion groups discuss their take on the subject, as Ju Percussion and Hands Percussion come together.

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