Ones to Watch – Orchestral Institute: An Ode to Love

“Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard /

Are sweeter.”

— John Keats, from Ode on a Grecian Urn

In the Romantic era, the ode emerged as a form of poetic tribute — a heartfelt, often exalted contemplation on beauty, nature, and the sublime. An Ode to Love draws from this tradition, inviting us to explore the depths of emotion that music can transcend beyond sound.

We open with Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture (Fingal’s Cave) — a vivid evocation of nature’s grandeur, inspired by the composer’s encounter with the rugged Scottish coastline. We then move inward with Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, written during a turbulent period in the composer’s life as a personal ode to forbidden passion. The evening culminates with Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 — a profound meditation on love’s trials and triumphs, steeped in grandeur and emotional intensity.

Presented by the YST Orchestral Institute under the batons of Principal Conductor Jason Lai and Feng Jiale (MMus, Conducting), and joined by YST Concerto Competition 2025 Prizewinners Syu Cheng-Yi (BMus3, Violin) and Chai Zi Qing (BMus4, Piano), An Ode to Love is a poetic journey that draws us not only towards love’s melodies, but also the unheard echoes of its enduring power.

Supported by the Shaw Foundation Ones to Watch series.

PROGRAMME

YST ORCHESTRAL INSTITUTE

with

JASON LAI, Conductor

FENG JIALE^ (MMus), Conductor

and

SYU CHENG-YI (BMus3), Violin

CHAI ZI QING (BMus4), Piano

^FELIX MENDELSSOHN

The Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave)

PYOTR TCHAIKOVSKY

Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35

JOHANNES BRAHMS

Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15

Out of respect for the participants and other spectators, no children under 6 years of age will be allowed admission.

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Host or Publisher Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music