Front Row

Motets - Bach & Poulenc is a performance featuring sacred music compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and Francis Poulenc (1899-1963), two composers from different periods in classical music history, each with distinct styles and influences. In this concert presented by the VerSeS Music Ensembles, we will be treated to two (of only six) of Bach’s motets composed in the 1700s, namely, Komm, Jesu, komm (BWV 229) and Jesu, meine Freude (BWV 227), and then jumping ahead two centuries, we will hear Poulenc’s Quatre motets le temps pour Noël. We find out more about what's in store by this performance from Scott Woo, the director/ tenor of the performance, and UK-based guest collaborator, Ibrahim Aziz, who specialises in the performance of baroque, renaissance and contemporary music for the viola da gamba.

Self-taught artist Syahbandi Samat’s fifth solo exhibition, The Road Less Travelled, is described as a mini-review of the artist’s career that began in 2011, when at the age of 19, he was selected as one of the five winners of the 2011 Malaysia Emerging Artist Awards (MEAA). Thematically, Syahbandi’s artworks selected for this exhibition focus on his more introspective works, surreal renderings filled with metaphors and symbolism, as he comes to terms with past traumas and articulates the insights he’s gained on his continuing journey of self-realisation. Presented by Artemis Art in partnership with  HARTA Space, we find out more from Syahbandi himself, and Ivan Gabriel, a co-curator of the exhibition with Artemis Art.

Image Credit: Artemis Art

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Motets - Bach & Poulenc is a performance featuring sacred music compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and Francis Poulenc (1899-1963), two composers from different periods in classical music history, each with distinct styles and influences. In this concert presented by the VerSeS Music Ensembles, we will be treated to two (of only six) of Bach’s motets composed in the 1700s, namely, Komm, Jesu, komm (BWV 229) and Jesu, meine Freude (BWV 227), and then jumping ahead two centuries, we will hear Poulenc’s Quatre motets le temps pour Noël. We find out more about what's in store by this performance from Scott Woo, the director/ tenor of the performance, and UK-based guest collaborator, Ibrahim Aziz, who specialises in the performance of baroque, renaissance and contemporary music for the viola da gamba.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beauty in Elements is the first joint collaboration between the Fugee School and Satu: Creative Collective, and is an attempt to expose potential creative works done by students of the Fugee School, alongside more established artists in a curated exhibition. This charity exhibition hopes to spread awareness about the struggles of refugees among the general public, and to cultivate an interest in the visual arts among students. We find out more from Dr. Elias Yamani Ismail, the Founder of Satu: Creative Collective.

The mf Music Fest: Identity Crisis! invites both music enthusiasts and curious souls to embark on a musical journey that reflects the diversity of Malaysia's music scene. Supported by ThinkCity, this music festival encourages open dialogue across genres through an array of programmes which includes two concerts, that brings together Western classical, local traditional and contemporary music and sounds. We find out more from the festival's co-founders, See Yun Chuan & Howard Ng.

Immerse yourself in a Tony-award winning masterpiece Once On This Island, a captivating saga of gods, lovers, and societal clash. Presented by the Monday Show Entertainment team, this locally reimagined musical will showcase over 50 homegrown talents and promises an unforgettable musical experience that explores themes of love, class, and the power of storytelling. We find out more from the production’s director, Dominic Lucien Luk, and cast member Bihzhu.

Image Credit: Monday Show School

Beauty in Elements is the first joint collaboration between the Fugee School and Satu: Creative Collective, and is an attempt to expose potential creative works done by students of the Fugee School, alongside more established artists in a curated exhibition. This charity exhibition hopes to spread awareness about the struggles of refugees among the general public, and to cultivate an interest in the visual arts among students. We find out more from Dr. Elias Yamani Ismail, the Founder of Satu: Creative Collective.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mf Music Fest: Identity Crisis! invites both music enthusiasts and curious souls to embark on a musical journey that reflects the diversity of Malaysia's music scene. Supported by ThinkCity, this music festival encourages open dialogue across genres through an array of programmes which includes two concerts, that brings together Western classical, local traditional and contemporary music and sounds. We find out more from the festival's co-founders, See Yun Chuan & Howard Ng.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Immerse yourself in a Tony-award winning masterpiece Once On This Island, a captivating saga of gods, lovers, and societal clash. Presented by the Monday Show Entertainment team, this locally reimagined musical will showcase over 50 homegrown talents and promises an unforgettable musical experience that explores themes of love, class, and the power of storytelling. We find out more from the production’s director, Dominic Lucien Luk, and cast member Bihzhu.

Image Credit: Monday Show School

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cultural organisation, PUSAKA have a delightful December planned for us, with two performances coming up. Firstly on the 3rd of December, they are presenting the Kompang Jawa Showcase in Kuala Lumpur, which is part of a larger project that aims to revitalise and enhance the sustainability of the authentic Kompang Jawa (Teruntung and Hadaro) traditions, which are older forms of Kompang that are becoming increasingly rare in Malaysia. Then on the 15th of December, they are bringing us Tinariwen, poet-guitarists and soul rebels from the Southern Sahara desert, for a one-night only performance called Tinariwen Returns to Malaysia. All Tinariwen's songs are sung in their native Tamashek language, and expresses the aspirations of their people - the Kel Tamashek or 'Touareg' of the southern Sahara desert - specifically about the need for reconciliation and dialogue in Mali, where political tensions and threats of war are still high. Pauline Fan, the Creative Director of Pusaka, joins us to discuss both the upcoming performances.

Image Credit: Seni Pusaka