NAFA SYT celebrates 15 years of nurturing young arts talents
The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) School of Young Talents will be celebrating its 15th anniversary from 15 to 17 August 2014 with an exciting programme of art exhibition, dance, drama, and music performance under the overarching title of ‘Our Journey’, showcasing its diverse young talents.
NAFA is reputed for its high quality curriculum to train arts professionals founded on 76 years of illustrious heritage but it was as early as 1976 that the Academy acknowledged the importance of uncovering and nurturing children’s arts potential and started painting classes for the young. With that mission, the School of Young Talents (SYT) was established in 1999, bringing together the Junior Art, Junior Dance, Junior Drama and Junior Music departments. This pioneer arts education institution for children from 4 to 18 years old has been expanding rapidly, its growth helmed by a concerted leadership, a professional team of teachers and comprehensive curriculum. The school now welcomes more than 4,700 children to its part-time enrichment classes every weekend.
SYT Principal Mdm Fang Yuan said, “Our uniquely designed curriculum complements the mainstream education in Singapore. It helps students lay a solid foundation in the arts and at the same time develop their potentials to the fullest. At SYT, we nurture the next generation of artists who are well prepared to take on the various challenges in the future.”
One of the highlights of the celebrations is the Young Talents Concert to be held on Sunday, 17 August. Split over two sessions at 4pm and 7.30pm (Gala Concert), some 120 talents from the Department of Junior Music will present a variety of performances on both Western and Chinese instruments. The gifted music programmes at the department has produced a long list of outstanding young musicians, many of whom have been showered with top accolades and honours, accumulating more than 260 awards in various prestigious international and national competitions.
On its honour roll is violinist Gabriel Ng Song Quan, 19 who started his music studies at SYT when he was four years old. He enrolled into the prestigious Yehudin Menuhin School at 11, and is now studying at the Guildhall School of Music, London. Having bagged a list of impressive accolades to his name, including the Bach prize (Senior Section) of the Menuhin Competition 2012 in Beijing, the Grand Prize and 1st prize in the intermediate category of the XIV Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition 2007 in Italy and the HSBC Youth Excellence Award in 2006,he returns to perform for his alma mater with Ravel’s virtuosic piece, ‘Tzigane’.
The younger performers at the two concerts are no less remarkable. They include the top winners in the National Piano& Violin Competition, National Chinese Music Competition, as well asthe recently heldSteinway Regional Finals Asia-Pacific2014 and Symphony 92.4FM Young Talents Project 2014. The NAFA SYT String Ensemble and Double String Quartet will also be making their debut at the concerts. In particular, the Double String Quartet made up of four violinists, two viola players and two cellists will conclude the afternoon concert on a high note with Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5 and Mozart’s Serenade for Strings in G major 1st movement.
The performances by the Junior Dance and Drama students will be held on Saturday, 16 August at 4pm and 7.30pm. Exemplifying the western and Chinese influences at NAFA, the students will present both ballet and classical Chinese dance, complimented with a Chinese crosstalk, and hosted by emcees in English.The young hosts are well-trained from the compere class in the Junior Drama department, and will be lending their expertise to the music concerts as well.
The Junior Art department will be putting up a curated exhibition from 15 to 17 August, showcasing a selection of works from its pool of more than 3,000 students.The 2D and 3D works will be a display of the students’ originality and creative potential harnessed through an enriching curriculum and inspiring teaching approach.
Events:
My ARTinerary – Junior Art Exhibition
15 to 17 August 2014, Friday to Sunday
9.30am – 7pm
Seminar Room #02-08, Level 2 Wing B NAFA Campus 1
Open to public. Admission is free.
Junior Dance & Drama Performance
16 August 2014, Saturday
4pm & 7.30pm
Lee Foundation Theatre, NAFA Campus 3
Open to public. Tickets at $18 and $22 (Sold out)
Young Talents Concert
17 August 2014, Sunday
4pm & 7.30pm (Gala Concert)
Lee Foundation Theatre, NAFA Campus 3
Open to public. Tickets at $15 and $20 (Limited tickets)
Enquiries: 6512 4168. Tickets will be available at the door an hour before.
Guest of Honour: Mdm Liew Wei Li, Director (Student Development Curriculum Division),
Ministry of Education
For enquiries or interviews:
Hazel Chan
Senior Manager, Media Relations
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
DID: 6512 4017 / Mobile: 9144 0841/ Email: [email protected]