On Thursday 9 November, CIS music students served as CIS ambassadors at a reception co-sponsored by the Canadian High Commission, Embassy of Finland, and the Embassy of Singapore. The event called ‘ICE IN THE TROPICS’ was part of a series of Arctic-themed events at the National Museum of Singapore to celebrate Canada’s 150th and Finland’s 100th birthdays, taking place from 9 November to 3 December.

For this inaugural event, DP music students, Agnes Widjaja, Kaelen Anderson, Pei Jie Lim, Tyler Koh, and grade 7 music student, Mindy Huang played live music on the Singapore National Museum’s nine-foot Steinway concert grand piano. Supported by CIS faculty Ann Zellhoefer (MYP/DP music) and me (MYP music), students selected and performed their own musical repertoire. Students superbly rose to the occasion demonstrating excellence, responsibility, poise, and polish, as their classical and contemporary selections entertained reception dignitaries and guests.

The striking red Steinway concert grand piano was the same piano that Chinese classical star Lang Lang played on at the Sing50 mega concert at Singapore’s 50th anniversary celebration.  The opportunity to play this stunning, one-of-a-kind concert grand piano was an experience our students will not soon forget!

Our students’ performances included the following repertoire:

Agnes Widjaja, grade 12, DP music
Liszt: Un Sospiro, from Trois études de concert No. 3
Liszt: Waldesrauschen, from Zwei Konzertetüden No. 1
Liszt: Liebesträum No. 3

Kaelen Anderson, grade 11, DP music
Russell Crowe: Stars
Coldplay: Everglow

Tyler Koh, grade 11, DP music
Gustav Lange: Blumenlied
Chopin: Piano Sonata in Bb Minor, Op. 35, 3rd Mvt.

Pei Jie Lim, grade 11, DP music
Chopin: Waltz in C-sharp Minor, Op.64, No.2
Debussy: La plus que lente

Mindy Huang, grade 7
Chopin:  Étude Op. 25, No. 2
Debussy: Arabesque No.1

Comments from Her Excellency Lynn McDonald, Canadian High Commissioner:

“Thank you to you and your wonderful students for providing the music at our “Ice in the Tropics” reception at the National Museum of Singapore on 9 November. The students were excellent – as remarked on by many guests, including Minister of State Sam Tan! We really appreciate the superb contribution of the talented students from CIS at this event, so please do pass on our sincere thanks to them. All the best – and we look forward to our next opportunity to collaborate with CIS!”