Archive for July, 2008
Classics Rule The Night
THE Actors Studio Bangsar presents Classical Twist, a classical music extravaganza featuring three of the finest exponents of the genre in Malaysia. They are acclaimed violinist Joanne Yeoh, pianist Dr Lim Pei Sien and cellist Dr Chong Yew Yoong.
The trio will perform, among others, Piano Trio In C Major KV548 by Mozart, Reverie by Claude Debussy, Trio by Charles Ives and La Muerte Del Angel by Astor Piazzolla.
Chong, who studied in the United States and Hong Kong as well as Canada and Italy, was principal cellist in the Venice Symphony, Hong Kong Symphonia, Meridian Symphony, Southern Illinois Symphony and Penang Symphony Orchestra.
Apart from being the music director for orchestras such as the Winter Haven, Lake Region, Winter Lake and Polk Orchestras in the United States and the Lam Woo Orchestra in Hong Kong, he has been featured in an American television programme Pianist At Work and collaborated with pop stars such as the late Lydia Shum Tin Har and Anita Mui Yin Fong of Hong Kong.
He also worked with classical artistes Yo Yo Ma, Orlando Cole, Stephen Hough and the Brodsky Quartet.
Chong is also a lecturer with the music faculty of University of Malaya.
Lim is a graduate of West Virginia University (WVU) in the United States, with a doctorate in Musical Arts. Her achievements include winning Pittsburg Concert Society’s 2002 Major Audition and WVU Young Artiste Competitions in 1998 and 2000. She is also the Outstanding Music Student of the WVU Music Alumni Association.
From 2001 to 2004, she served as an accompanist at American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria and Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan, the United States. She is a lecturer at University College Sedaya International in Kuala Lumpur.
Yeoh obtained a First Class honours in music from Middlesex University, Britain in 1998. She was awarded a Luther And Ernest Gaunt Scholarship For Strings to study at University of Leeds.
During her studies, she also had a Foreign And Commonwealth Scholarship, in association with the British Council and University of Leeds.
While in Britain, Yeoh participated in various musical events, including the Aberswyth Music Festival in Wales and the Edinburgh Summer Festival and Aberdeen Music Festival in Scotland.
She was awarded the Outstanding Malaysian Award in 2004 and more recently Martell’s Rising Personality Award 2008.
In 2000, she participated in the prestigious Asian Youth Orchestra, travelling to Vietnam, Japan, Australia, South Korea and Hong Kong.
Two years later, she performed with Hong Kong pop king Jacky Cheung in his Music Odyssey Tour covering Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China, Taiwan, Brunei, the United States, Britain and Canada.
In 2003, she performed with Taiwanese singer David Tao in his Soul Power Tour. She launched her album Pulse Of The Metropolis in 2005.
Yeoh lectures at the music department of Universiti Putra Malaysia in Serdang and also sits in the panel of examiners for Trinity Guildhall London.
Venue: The Actors Studio in Bangsar Shopping Centre, Jalan Maarof, Kuala Lumpur. Time: 8.30pm on Aug 7. Tickets: RM78, RM68 and RM48. Call 03-2094-0400 or 012-365-8223.
New Straits Times
A Traffic Jam For A Private, Rousing Party
SINGAPORE: The usually quiet lanes of Armenian Street were transformed into a rousing street party last Sunday evening with a 2,200 strong crowd letting their hair down at the second Traffic Jam Party.
Although the gates only opened at 7pm, excited concert goers from all walks of life formed a long queue as early as 4.30pm to join the street party jointly organised by Sony Ericsson and SingTel.
Keeping with the name of the party, Armenian Street was littered with broken-down cars with only the Traffic Jam Street Party logos on them hinting that they were part of the party’s visual delight.
Just for those who were sluggish or hot, there was a tow-truck and imitation car-wash area right in the middle of the standing area!
To provide ‘fuel’ to last through the night, organisers had a makeshift diner offering jumbo hotdogs, fajitas, popcorn and nachos.
All this was side-dressing to the main course helmed by local DJ personality Glenn Ong.
Local act Strikeforce set the mood with a mix of climatic pyrotechnics and lighting effects while Sambiesta, a percussion group beat up a cacophony to get the crowd drummed up and moving to their dynamic rhythms.
More local flavour was injected by home-grown bands like The Great Spy Experiment and EIC, both of whom seemed very thrilled to be performing even though the crowd didn’t respond likewise.
The change came when Jack and Rai of EIC did a cover of Coldplay’s “Fix You”, and drew the crowd in to gamely sing along with them.
DJ Aldrin, easily one of the most sought-after DJs in Singapore to date, was next to rule. Commanding the turntables that night, he seamlessly wove his remixed tracks that got everyone jiving.
The crowd which included actor Adrian Pang, Class 95 DJ Jean Danker and local footballer Rafi Ali, finally upped the meter for Daughtry.
After a seemingly endless wait, the American Music Award-winning and Grammy-nominated rock band finally took the stage. Led by “American Idol” finalist Chris Daughtry, the band opened the electrifying set with a new single, “You Don’t Belong”.
The enthusiasm of the crowd grew ten-fold as Daughtry went on to give a rocking delivery of their chart-topping hits such as “Over You” and “Feels Like Tonight”, in addition to three new songs from their upcoming album.
Many girls also swooned to Chris Daughtry’s crisp and emotive vocals as his band gave an intimate acoustic of “Home” and adrenaline pumping number “There and Back Again”.
Finally, all the anticipation and waiting around seemed worth it!
- CNA/jk
Channel News Asia
Money Enough, So Breakthrough “Money No Enough 2″ Created
SINGAPORE : A decade ago, with not that much money, Jack Neo went from a TV funny man who dressed up as an old lady, to create Singapore’s top grossing local film, “Money No Enough”.
As other film successes followed, the Cultural Medallion award winner is a film-maker who may just strike it rich again with the sequel “Money No Enough 2″ despite little change to his movie making formula.
The winning formula is due in part to his two long time buddies, Mark Lee and Henry Thia, who along with Neo play the role of brothers facing different financial struggles in contemporary Singapore.
Meeting the funny men, it seemed clear that it couldn’t have been too difficult for the three, who seem like brothers in real life, to get into character!
As they teased and took digs at each other, I couldn’t help but feel at times that I was just a mere spectator at a larger than life family gathering.
Getting serious, Neo revealed that their latest project together was upsized with a S$1.5 million budget, his largest movie budget ever.
This allowed Neo to experiment more freely with special effects in the movie but rest assured that what drew the crowds, the ordinary Singaporean’s heart and struggles, remains core in the movie.
While there will be a good dose of laughter, just like life, there will also be some tears although it is totally unintentional says the film-maker/actor.
“Actually, I have never especially tried to make people cry,” said Neo, “Whenever I film a movie, I always use my heart to understand what’s going on. In real life, there are a lot of these (moving) issues (that are explored in the movie).”
What is different in “Money No Enough 2″ besides a bigger budget, is Neo’s commitment to making new grounds once again.
For starters, the movie touches on several sensitive topics but survives the censorship board unscathed.
In terms of stars, look out for a guest appearance by Member of Parliament, Michael Palmer, TV actress Vivian Lai and half of the singing Ming Zhu Sisters, Zhu Ling Ling, all starring in their first big screen roles.
It’s a gutsy move by Neo, who is feeling the pressure of having to live up to the previous instalment’s performance at the box-offices.
“Of course (there’s stress),” said Neo almost immediately when the question of stress popped up.
“When the first instalment was released, people weren’t prepared for the socio-commentary that was being thrown their way. So whatever was shown, they would’ve been happy.
“But now, with the second instalment, people start having expectations. The biggest challenge would be for people to go in with an open mind” offered Neo.
Trying to lighten the stress, Lee showed his mathematical acumen by adding that the inevitable stress also comes from trying to match dollar to dollar, the previous S$5.8 million performance.
“Let’s analyse it this way, if the box office sales this time round are also S$5.8 million, it would mean that fewer people are coming to watch the movie. In the past, movie tickets cost S$5.50 or S$6.50. Tickets nowadays cost S$9.50, S$10!”
Although scheduled for release on July 31, there’s already been a huge volume of pre-sales, meaning Neo and the cast of “Money No Enough 2″ are well on their way to breaking their own record… without too much stress.
- CNA/os
Channel News Asia