Every year the Singapore International Piano Festival invites four of the world’s top pianists to perform a solo recital in the Victoria Concert Hall across four consecutive days. The programmes are varied and music spans from 18th century to the present day. This year’s festival starts on 3 Jun and goes all the way until 11 Jun. There will be 9 events in total – 2 digital recitals, 4 live recitals, 2 masterclasses and one talk with pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard.
The live events are held at the iconic Victoria Concert Hall, a national monument nestled in Singapore’s Civic District. Established in 1862, it is not only one of the most recognisable but also one of the oldest landmarks in the country. It is also the Home of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.
This year’s edition includes three masterclass and four digital recitals, presented on the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s digital concert hall – SSOLOUNGE.
The festival is organised by the Singapore Symphony Group.
Singapore is an exceptionally well-connected international city with regular flights to and from destinations in Asia, Africa, Europe, The Middle East, and North America. Singapore’s Changi Airport has won Skytrax’s World’s Best Airport 11 times, and is an unforgettable tourist destination in its own right. The island itself is compact and very easy to navigate. Public transport systems are reasonably priced and extremely efficient. The closest train stations to the Victoria Concert Hall are City Hall and Raffles Place. More information on parking and bus numbers can be found here.
All events are held in the Victoria Concert Hall. The building has a colourful history – it was used as a makeshift hospital during World War II and war crime trials were held in the building after the war. Renovated in 2014, the hall is one of Singapore’s most magnificent performance venues. The masterclasses are held in the Victoria Concert Hall Dance Studio.
Singapore is very lucky to experience summer all year round, and it is extremely humid. However, Singaporeans also enjoy air conditioning, so the Concert Hall actually gets quite chilly. We would recommend bringing along a layer or two to the recitals. There’s no dress code for the concerts, but most audience members dress smart-casual for performances.
There are a number of excellent hotels nearby, catering for a range of tastes and wallets. The closest hotels to the hall are Fullerton Hotel, The Fullerton Bay Hotel, Grand Park City Hall and Peninsula Excelsior Hotel.
The Victoria Concert Hall is located in one of the most historic areas of the city. In the immediate vicinity there is the National Gallery of Singapore, the Asian Civilizations Museum and The Arts House. Within a few minutes by taxi or public transport are iconic tourist destinations such as the Marina Bay Sands, Raffles Hotel, Gardens by the Bay and many more.
There are a number of dining options within close proximity to Victoria Concert Hall. You might like to try Privé Restaurant and EMPRESS at the Asian Civilizations Museum and Timbre X at The Arts House.
