Concerto & Symphony · Scaling Mahler’s Titan

Hannu Lintu Conducts the Singapore Symphony Orchestra

19:30 · Sunday, October 18, 2026 · Concert Hall, National Centre for the Performing Arts

Hannu Lintu, conductor　Chloe Chua, violin　Ziyu He, viola　Singapore Symphony Orchestra

From Mozart’s elegance to Mahler’s Titan

Highlights

From the balanced beauty of Classicism to the grand narratives of late Romanticism, this concert brings together two masters who lived in Vienna roughly a century apart. Mozart was one of Mahler’s most revered composers, yet Mahler recognized in him more than elegance, lightness and innocence. He also heard Mozart’s seriousness, emotional depth and dramatic power—qualities concealed beneath an apparently natural and simple musical language. Despite their very different styles, something of Mozart’s spirit can still be heard in Mahler’s symphonic world.

Hannu Lintu｜conductor

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

The Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu is one of today’s leading interpreters of the symphonic repertoire, renowned for his precise command of large-scale Romantic structures. He is therefore an ideal guide to Mahler’s “Titan”. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra, one of Asia’s leading ensembles, brings a rich sonority and exceptional discipline to this appearance at the Beijing Music Festival—an inspiring encounter between musical forces from across Asia.

Chloe Chua｜violin

Ziyu He｜viola

The two young soloists in the first half represent the vibrant energy of a new generation of Asian musicians, resonating with the Beijing Music Festival’s commitment to supporting young talent. Singaporean violinist Chloe Chua has emerged as one of the most prominent young musicians of her generation and won the Menuhin Competition for Young Violinists. Her playing is pure, agile and full of life. Violist Ziyu He is likewise an accomplished artist active on the international stage. In Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, their violin and viola will engage in both intimate dialogue and lively competition.

The second half presents Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, “Titan”—the composer’s symphonic debut and his first great declaration to the world. From the mysterious introduction, where nature awakens at dawn, to the eerie funeral march based on the melody of “Frère Jacques”, and finally the last movement’s storm-driven journey toward triumphant brilliance, the work expresses the passion and ambition of youth while establishing one of the great peaks of this year’s symphonic programme.

The dialogue between the two works is especially compelling. Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante is built around the intimate partnership of violin and viola—the conversation of two instruments. Mahler’s “Titan”, by contrast, expands the orchestra into an entire world, a collective cry. Mahler once said that a symphony must contain the whole world; “Titan” is the earliest declaration of that belief. In a single evening, listeners will travel from the refinement of chamber music to the vastness of the symphonic universe, traversing nearly a century of musical change.

Programme Notes

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat major for Violin, Viola and Orchestra, K. 364

Completed in 1779, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante is a masterpiece that blends the concerto and symphony into a single form. It is also an undisputed summit of the repertoire for the violin and viola—the instrument’s “sister voices”. In a sinfonia concertante, the orchestra is not merely accompaniment but an equal partner, participating actively in the development of the music. Mozart instructed the violists to raise all four strings by a semitone, giving the instrument a brighter and more penetrating tone capable of matching the violin. The slow movement is deeply moving: the two solo instruments pass melodies between them in a tender, consoling dialogue, and it is widely regarded as one of Mozart’s most affecting creations. Written after Mozart’s return to Salzburg from his Mannheim and Paris journey, the work also reflects the orchestral techniques he encountered in the French and Mannheim traditions.

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D major, “Titan”

Completed in 1888, Mahler’s First Symphony was his symphonic debut. Its nickname, “Titan”, comes from the novel by the German writer Jean Paul. The work opens with an extremely soft sustained sonority extending across several octaves, evoking nature slowly awakening at dawn. It soon introduces the bright melody of Mahler’s song “Ging heut’ Morgen übers Feld”, filled with the joy of youth. The third movement is the most unusual: Mahler transforms the children’s song “Frère Jacques”—familiar to Chinese listeners as “Two Tigers”—into a minor-key funeral march that is grotesque, ironic and tinged with melancholy. Fragments of popular street music add a darkly comic absurdity. The finale erupts in a storm of almost hellish force before, after struggle and reflection, seven horns lead the orchestra toward an overwhelming and radiant victory. A “Titan” is born, and Mahler’s symphonic world begins in full grandeur.

Chloe Chua｜violin

Singaporean violinist Chloe Chua began studying the violin at the age of four. In 2018, she was awarded joint First Prize at the Menuhin Competition, bringing her to international attention. She has performed in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, China, Thailand and Singapore, and has been invited to appear at the Copenhagen Summer Festival, the Queenswood “Young Artists” Masterclass, the Atlanta Festival and the Singapore Violin Festival.

Chua has collaborated with the Basel Chamber Orchestra and served as leader of the Geneva Chamber Orchestra in an unconducted performance during the Menuhin Competition. During the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons, she was Artist-in-Residence with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, becoming the youngest artist ever to hold the position in the orchestra’s history. All 18 concerts in her residency were sold out, and she also completed several recording projects.

Her recordings of the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto and Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra were released in 2024 and reached No. 1 on Apple Music’s classical music chart in their first week. Her complete recording of Mozart’s Violin Concertos with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Hans Graf was released in July 2025.

Chua has won First Prize at the 24th Andrey Postacchini International Violin Competition, Third Prize at the Zhuhai Mozart Youth Music Competition, Gold Prize in the Junior Division of the Thailand International String Competition and First Prize in the Junior Division of Singapore’s National Piano and Violin Competition.

Now based in Berlin, Chua studies at the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin with Kolja Blacher. She currently plays a violin made in 1753 by the Milanese luthier Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, generously loaned by the Rin Collection.

Ziyu He｜viola

Ziyu He received the European Young Musicians Award in 2014 and, in 2016, won the Salzburg Mozart International Violin Competition and the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition. In 2017, at the age of only 17, he performed at the Musikverein in Vienna with the Vienna Philharmonic and conductor Adam Fischer, becoming one of the youngest soloists ever to appear with the orchestra.

He has collaborated with the Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, WDR Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra and numerous other European and Asian ensembles. His musical partners have included conductors Adam Fischer, Valery Gergiev, Hui Zhu, Dongjie Zhuang and Hans Graf.

In recent years, He has performed and recorded with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and made a collaborative debut with the Vienna Symphony. He has also been invited to appear at the BBC Proms, the Menuhin Festival Gstaad in Switzerland and the George Enescu Festival in Romania.

As a member of the Altenberg Trio, He regularly performs at the Brahms Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna, as well as at major concert halls and festivals around the world.

He began studying the violin at the age of five with Zhang Xiangrong in Qingdao, China, and continued his studies at the Mozarteum University Salzburg from the age of ten. In 2021, he received a master’s degree in violin under Benjamin Schmid. In 2023, he completed a master’s degree in viola with distinction under Thomas Riebl.

He plays a 1698 “ex Rouse-Boughton” Stradivari violin provided by the Austrian National Bank, as well as a 1797 viola by Giuseppe Guadagnini, made available by a private sponsor.

Hannu Lintu｜conductor

Hannu Lintu has been described by Bachtrack as “vital and incisive on the podium”, while The Washington Post praised his “exceptionally sensitive ear for instrumental colour and blend”. He is regarded as one of the leading conductors of his generation.

Beginning with the 2026/27 season, Lintu will officially become Music Director of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. He is also Music Director of the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon, Artistic Partner of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra in Finland and Artistic Director of the International Sibelius Festival.

In recent seasons, Lintu has conducted the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Berliner Philharmoniker, Cleveland Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin and Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, among many other leading ensembles.

Lintu is equally active in opera and symphonic repertoire. His operatic engagements have included productions at the Bregenz Festival, the Paris Opera, the Bavarian State Opera and the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, with works including Oedipus, The Flying Dutchman, Pelléas et Mélisande, Der Ring des Nibelungen, Dialogues des Carmélites, Don Giovanni, Turandot, Salome and Billy Budd.

Lintu has recorded for Ondine, BIS, Naxos, Avie and Hyperion. His discography includes orchestral works by Magnus Lindberg, the complete Beethoven Piano Concertos, the complete symphonies of Lutosławski, and concerto recordings featuring Bartók, Sibelius and Thomas Adès. His recordings have received International Classical Music Award and Grammy nominations.

Lintu studied cello and piano at the Sibelius Academy before studying conducting with Jorma Panula. In 1994, he won First Prize at the Nordic Conducting Competition in Bergen.

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Founded in 1979, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra is Singapore’s flagship orchestra. Presenting more than 60 concerts each year, it forms an integral part of the country’s cultural life.

In addition to its regular concert season, the orchestra presents outdoor performances, community concerts and education programmes in schools. Its artistic excellence has earned international acclaim: in 2021, it placed third in Gramophone magazine’s Orchestra of the Year awards, and in 2022 it was named by BBC Music Magazine as one of the world’s 23 finest orchestras.

The orchestra is based at the Esplanade Concert Hall and Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore. Its repertoire ranges from canonical masterpieces and major symphonic works to contemporary commissions and premieres, with a continuing commitment to music by Singaporean and Asian composers and musicians.

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra has performed across Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States, appearing at the Berliner Philharmonie, the BBC Proms in London, the Dresden Music Festival and the Prague Spring International Music Festival. It has also toured China on numerous occasions.

The orchestra has released more than 50 recordings, including over 30 albums on the BIS label. Recent highlights include Ein Heldenleben, Synchronicity: A Tribute to Bill Evans and the complete Mozart Violin Concertos recorded with Chloe Chua and Hans Graf.

The orchestra has collaborated with artists including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Dutoit, Joe Hisaishi, Neeme Järvi, Lorin Maazel, Martha Argerich, Janine Jansen, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma and Daniil Trifonov.

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is supported by Temasek Foundation