M’sian Philharmonic Orchestra returns to Sabah, Sarawak
KOTA KINABALU: As part of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO)’s 20th anniversary celebration this year, the orchestra will bring back its musical brilliance to audiences in Sabah and Sarawak this June.
This will mark the orchestra’s fourth tour to Sabah and Sarawak; the first visit was in 2002 (Kuching) and 2003 (Kota Kinabalu), followed by another tour to both states in 2011.
Be enthralled again in another musical splendour when the MPO brings the beauty of classical gems through an engaging programme which consists of Bizet’s excerpts from Carmen and L’Arlésienne Suites, and Glinka’s Overture from Russlan and Ludmilla.
It will also present local works such as Cindai, Getaran Jiwa and Mercu Kegemilangan, specially commissioned by the MPO to mark its 20th anniversary.
The main highlight of the concerts will be Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 which will witness the MPO collaborating with 19-year-old local piano prodigy, Tengku Irfan. He is no stranger to fans in the classical music world.
After delighting the audience with his spellbinding improvisation of ‘cadenzas’ at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) in 2009, Irfan has soared high and achieved the impossible; he became a prize winner at the Aspen Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.2 Competition, ASCAP Charlotte Bergen and ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer awards, and has collaborated with orchestras such as the Singapore Symphony, São Paulo State Youth Orchestra and Juilliard Orchestra.
Prior to this, Irfan has toured with the MPO to Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi in 2013, and made a conducting debut with the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra at DFP in December last year.
The performance in Kuching will take place on June 27 at 8.00 pm at Dewan Santapan, Dewan Undangan Negeri Sarawak, Petrajaya.
The concert in Kota Kinabalu will take place on June 30 at 8.00 pm at Auditorium Tun Ahmad Raffae, Menara Tun Mustapha.
All concerts will be led by MPO Resident Conductor Naohisa Furusawa.
Tickets are priced at RM60, RM110 and RM160, and can be purchased at Century Music School (082-233901/0168858822) and Wah Lee Hong Music (082451551) for the concert in Kuching.
For the concert in Kota Kinabalu, tickets can be obtained from Music Mart – The Rock School (088-232629/088262929), Sri Pelancongan Sabah (088232121) and Wah Lee Hong Music, Sabah (088-448188).
In its commitment to share the gift of music to the society, the MPO will organize an education and outreach programme at the Sarawak General Hospital on June 26.
The musicians of the MPO will also share its music with the patients of Hospital Likas and dwellers of Sabah Cheshire Home in Kota Kinabalu on June 29.
The MPO will be presenting a school concert at each venue at 3.00 pm and 4.30 pm respectively on the aforementioned dates. Tickets are priced at RM10. It is open to primary and secondary schools. Interested schools can contact the MPO Education & Outreach Department at 0323319176 or email shireen.jasin@mpo.com. my.