In February, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra will visit Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on its inaugural Australian tour under the baton of its current Music Director Hans Graf. 

Founded in 1979, when it was led by Maestro Choo Hoey, the orchestra was the brainchild of then Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Goh Keng Swee, who believed that the fledgling nation should look beyond its economy and begin fostering an appreciation of the arts. 

Hans Graf conducting the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Photo © Nathaniel Lim

Given Singapore’s proximity to Australia and the close friendship between the two nations, the orchestra’s debut Down Under may seem long overdue, especially when one considers Graf’s own frequent visits to Sydney and Melbourne.

Talking to Limelight, the Austrian conductor fondly remembers Mary Valentine and Steven Porter, former General Managers of the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, as well as former Principal Cello of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Nathan Waks, whom he counts among his friends. 

Graf says it has taken this long for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) to visit Australia because of changes to its music directorship and COVID-19, which broke out shortly after his...