Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra to Celebrate 25 Years

Tonight, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) is celebrating twenty five years of music making. Featuring two of the country’s young musicians of this generation, it will open with a new work Panaon (Journey) composed by Eugene Tong. Tong describes it as ‘a call to treasure the voyage of existence and to celebrate the profound symphony that is life itself.’

Malaysian composer Eugene Tong comes from Sabah where he studied music at the Sabah Institute of Art. Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in composition and arranging at the Academi Seni Budaya, this ASEAN Theme Song Competition finalist is a shining representative of Malaysia’s growing stature within the classical orchestral genre.

Tong’s composition will feature the sundatang, a traditional, plucked, two-stringed instrument from Sabah’s ethnic group, the Rungus.

Full program on Aug 19:
TONG Panaon (Journey), 10 mins
LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2, 22 mins
MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition, 30 mins

At 25 Tengku Irfan is already a prominent pianist, conductor and composer. After his conducting debut with the Musica Nova Orchestra in 2015, Irfan made his first appearance with the MPO at its 20th Anniversary Gala Concert in 2018.

Irfan holds a double major in piano and composition at the Juilliard School. And was recently chosen to become the Assistant Conductor of the National Youth Orchestra of the USA that toured in July 2023. He will be at center stage tonight performing Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto – perhaps the most popular symphonic poem of all time.

Tengku Irfan will also be conducting Schumann’s Symphony No. 4 with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra this Sept 2, 2023. MPO’s very own Piano Chamber Music Masterclass with Tengku Irfan will be happening on the Aug 27, 2023. To book a spot, click here.

The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra gave its inaugural performance at Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS (DFP) on 17 August 1998. Internationally acclaimed artists including Lorin Maazel, Sir Neville Marriner, Yehudi Menuhin, Joshua Bell, Jose Carreras, Andrea Bocelli, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Vladimir Ashkenazy, among many other talents.

Along international names, MPO’s commitment to showcasing the best talents of Malaysia saw artists including SM Salim, Sheila Majid, M. Nasir, Siti Nurhaliza and Jamal Abdillah perform.

PETRONAS is the main benefactor of the MPO, and its patron include YABhg. Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah Haji Mohd Ali.

The article is updated on August 21, 2023.

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