Piano & Place 

The piano establishing cultural identity in 21st century Southeast Asia 

A dialogue with Southeast Asia leading pianists and educators 

Join Southeast Asia’s leading pianists, arrangers, and composers Raul Sunico and Nat Yontararak, and educator Lena Ching as they discuss the role and power of music in defining their sense of identity as musicians in Southeast Asia. This session will be moderated by Singaporean pianist and Young Steinway Artist Abigail Sin

Brought together for Pioneering Pianists of Southeast Asia and in line with the launch of Steinway and Sons’ latest SPIRIO|r, catch Raul Sunico on 3 June and Nat Yontararak on 4 June, 7.30pm – 9pm at Victoria Concert Hall, as they celebrate their legacies on the world’s finest high-resolution player piano capable of live performance capture and playback. 

About SPIRIO | r: 
Learn more about Spirio|r:https://www.steinway-gallery.com.sg/spirio-r/

Dialogue 

How do you express your identity and culture through music?

How will technological advancements in the piano further the work and legacy of composers and pedagogues of the 21st century?

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Date: 2nd June 2019 (Sunday) 

Time: 4pm – 5pm 

Venue: Steinway Gallery Singapore 
2 Orchard Turn, ION Orchard, #04-15A, Singapore 238801

The Panelists 

Filipino pianist, educator and cultural advocate, Dr. Raul M. Sunico is best known for his achievement and efforts to promote Filipino music.

Dr. Sunico graduated from the University of the Philippines with the degrees of Bachelor of Music (cum laude), Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, and Master of Statistics. A scholarship from former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos through the Young Artists Foundation of the Philippines enabled him to finish his Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School in New York and a Doctor of Philosophy degree, majoring in Piano Performance from New York University.

For the past 40 years, he has been a beacon of hope in the Filipino music scene. He was awarded TOYM (The Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines) Awardee for Music in 1986 and was conferred the PAMANA Presidential Award for Overseas Filipinos in 1996.

He was also conferred the Commendatore Award (Order of the Star of Italy) by the President of the Republic of Italy in April 2017. Dr. Sunico was the President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) from 2010 to 2017. He is a faculty member of the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music, where he was the Dean from 2002 to 2016. Presently, he is the Chairman of the Doctor of Musical Arts Program at St. Paul University College of Music and the Performing Arts. Dr. Sunico was conferred the Steinway Artist title in March 2019.

Thailand’s first Steinway artist, Nat Yontararak is a renowned classically trained pianist, composer and educator. His dedication to music has been recognised by the Thai Ministry of Culture with the “Silpathorn Artist” award, an annual award which recognises the contribution of living Thai contemporary artists. He is also a recipient of two “Decoration of Honour” awards, which were presented by the Ministries of Culture of both Poland and Italy. 

Yontararak is best known for his arrangements of the music of the late King Bhumibol as well as works inspired by Thai folk songs. He has made 17 arrangements (out of 48) of the late H.M. The King’s royal compositions for piano solo; of which some have been used as the compulsory pieces for the Siam International Piano Competition since 2009 in order to promote H.M. The King’s music.

Recognised for his compositions, Yontararak has also presented and world premiered his own compositions on many important occasions. One of his works, “Glory to Our Great Kings”, a piano sonata written in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of HM King Bhumibol’s ascension to the throne, was performed at the 50th session of the UN General Assembly in October 1995.

Lena Ching studied piano in Singapore with Victor Doggett before going to the Royal College of Music in London, where she majored in piano and harpsichord, under the tutelage of Yonty Solomon, Phyllis Sellick and Ruth Dyson. She also holds a Masters in Psychology for Musicians from the University of Sheffield.

She is the winner of awards such as the 1^st prize of the Piano Artiste category of the National Music Competition, Runner-up in the Diners Club Piano Competition, the RCM Exhibitioner prize, winner of an RCM Concerto competition, as well as the RCM full scholarship for postgraduates.

Lena has a strong passion for teaching the young generation of musicians, and has enjoyed a meaningful and successful career right from the outset, in her private studio as well as an adjunct lecturer for the LaSalle College of the Arts and also the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts where she presently teaches at the NAFA School of Music and the School of Young Talents. She has taught and nurtured numerous outstanding students who have won many piano competitions locally as well as abroad.

After nearly 3 decades of studio work, developing many excellent young pianists and musicians who have gone on to enjoy successful and fulfilling musical careers, Lena answered the call in 2015 to join the School of Music at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts as Head of Keyboard Studies, where she continues to indulge in her teaching passion.

Moderator: Ms. Abigail Sin 
Singaporean Pianists & Young Steinway Artist