Through the ages, Man has depended on his environment for shelter and sustenance. He defined his identity, and that of his group, by their birthplace and surroundings. Attaching the concept of “home” to the land, men have struggled, fought and died for their homeland. It is no wonder that our greatest bards have composed unforgettable pieces about home. Man’s advances in just this century has closed distances and created opportunities worldwide. With today’s shifting populations and increased human migration, what is “homeland” and what do we find worth protecting?
Led by Resident Conductor Prof Ho Hwee Long, NUS Wind Symphony brings works like the classic Yellow River Concerto, Northern Mother Earth and Variations On A Korean Folksong, inviting its audience to find their definition of “home.” Through reminders of our dependence on our environment perhaps we will realise that we should protect it as part of our inheritance. This concert will feature Singaporean pianist Lim Yan, a 2006 National Arts Council Young Artist Award receipient.
About Lim Yan
Lim Yan started playing the piano at the age of five and was a student of Ms Lim Tshui Ling in Singapore before leaving for Manchester in 1993. There, he first attended Chetham’s School of Music where he was taught by David Hartigan, and subsequently completed his higher education at the University of Manchester and the Royal Northern College of Music, where his tutor was Ronan O’Hora.
Whilst in the UK, Yan performed extensively throughout Europe and worked with many leading conductors and orchestras. His recital at the Cheltenham Festival featured the world premiere of Der Heimat zu by John Hails. In Manchester, he collaborated with conductor Vassily Sinaisky, and also the Hallé Orchestra at the Bridgewater Hall. Concert tours of Sweden and Serbia, where he played with the Belgrade Radio Orchestra, included concertos by Shostakovich, Liszt and Brahms. More recently, Yan has given performances at the 2010 Beijing International Piano Festival; in Bacau, Romania, with Adrian Tan and the “Mihail Jora” Philharmonic in Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.3; and at the 2011 Aberdeen International Youth Festival together with Darrell Ang and the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, giving two performances of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.2.
Back home in Singapore, Lim Yan has appeared with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in such works as Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. He was also the soloist in Grieg’s Piano Concerto for the visit of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra in April 2009. A much sought-after chamber musician, Yan has given recitals with violinist Ning Feng and cellist Wang Jian, besides his ongoing piano quintet series with Take 5. Yan was honoured to receive the Young Artist Award from the National Arts Council in October 2006.
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