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We have moved to artsylumquartet.blogspot.com!


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Our new profile (and everything else) resides at artsylumquartet.blogspot.com!

In a few words or less
String Quartet in Singapore. Average age 21.5 years old. Have a love-hate relationship with our instruments.

What's with T.H.E name?

Before you think us egoistical young punks, or (*gasp*) S.H.E wannabes, our name came to us in a strange fit of desperation and serendipity. Lacking the necessary creativity in coming up with a name while signing up for our first masterclass, we decided on "the string quartet" before we found out that T.H.E. were actually the initials of our debut performance, The Haydn "Emperor's" String Quartet. The name has since been changed to Artsylum Quartet. Find us on Facebook!


Who's the man with purplish-grey hair standing next to us in one of the photos?
(if you happen to spot him in the slideshow)

That would be our very kind coach, Mr Leslie Tan of the T'ang Quartet, who found us after our debut performance, and offered to subject us to rewarding and enlightening (though especially arduous for the cellist) 2-hour coaching sessions on a semi-regular basis.


What do we do?

In our free (or not-so-free time), we play for weddings, company functions, dinner events, fashion shows, pop concerts, soundtrack recordings, free-for-all concerts, and even private, home-based events. When we are not playing for gigs, you'll find us playing for one orchestra or another, or stressing over learning a new quartet work for Leslie's Coaching Session.

tang tee tong

ong xin yi

chiew yu yang, jeremy

tan geok teng, elizabeth


Celebrate December @ Esplanade Concourse

Long overdue pictures of our longest performance at the Esplanade concourse. Long performance, long photo-processing time, long blogging time, it all adds up...

(Yeah right! We have wonderful excuses for tardiness..*sheepish grin*)

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And the mic goes to...Jeremy the violist
Every concourse performance, it has sort of become an imperative for someone do Audience Interaction, where we introduce the pieces we're playing (or wake everyone up before they fall asleep when we play). However, as most of us are kinda shy (or act shy), Speaking Duty gets pushed around like some Pass the Parcel game. Of course, the guy, being the rose among the thorns, gets endowed with The Parcel.

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So we get down to the playing business, and...

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the turnout was pleasantly surprising!
Normally, the concourse crowd is way smaller, like about 20-30 people per set. We think it might have something to do with the very soft, and Garfield-attracting huge cushions near the stage (the boy in yellow is sitting on one!).

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The violist is getting tired from all the talking, so the cellist props him up from the back with her bow. The 1st violin is too far away to prop him up, so she channels energy with her telepathic powers.

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See the way the first violin's fingers are spread?
Dt's playing a harmonic! (whee..) and the cellist is smiling because she thinks harmonics are cute. The others are more normal so they are seriously focusing on the music.

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Happy tappy feet

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More serious playing shots. (yawn.)
This was quite the marathon concourse session. We had 3 sets to play for, presumably because more people would be wandering around the area as it was the eve of New Year's Eve. Major fight against lapses of concentration and rumbly stomachs.

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So. The cellist tried to squirm out of Speaking Duty, with the excuse of nursing a hoarse voice, but failed. The 2nd violin is amused at the cellist's ability to amuse herself during Audience Interaction. Violin 1 and Viola are busy with looking through the next piece to make sure they don't miss the confusing 'repeat' signs.

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Still playing.
(And doing the silent countdown to FOOD.)

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T.H.E (leaning) quartet.
Notice how all the girls gravitate towards Jeremy the violist. One would think he should feel happy to be so priviledged, but his Botoxed smile says it all! hmph.

[ Dear reader, if you sympathise with the way Violist is being treated on this blog, rest assured we treat him very well in real life. (like giving him special service for his hair.) He's quite the willing sacrifice to up the entertainment value of each entry. I think.]

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So it's finally over
(and we get to sit on the really comfortable cushions ourselves. Awesome!)

Oh and in case you were wondering who's the nice and obliging photographer who sits through most of our performances and takes gorgeous shots with his bazooka-lookalike camera, it's w.k.cheah,jon. - bird photographer with a blue mercedes van that has space for us to huddle at the back in the dark with our instruments.

11:42 PM
stringing out!




Our updated repertoire list resides at artsylumquartet.blogspot.com!

Work In Progress

Haydn String Quartet Op. 76 No. 2 "Fifths"

Dvorak Piano Quartet in Eb Major, Op. 87


Previously Done

Mendelssohn String Octet in Eb Major 4th mvt

Mendelssohn Quartet in A Minor Op. 13

Mozart Divertimento in D Major, K. 136

Beethoven String Quartet in F Op 18 No. 1

Haydn String Quartet Op. 76 No. 3 "Emperor"


Others

Opera stuff from Faust, Carmen, Cavalleria Rusticana, Marriage of Figaro, Magic Flute, Gianni Schicchi, Lakme, Tales of Hoffman etc. Jazz stuff from Gershwin to Cole Porter to Ella Fitzgerald. plus jazzed up holiday pieces. Leroy Anderson. Film classics. Cats the Musical. Nutcracker Suite. Scott Joplin's Rags. Wedding Albums I to III. Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and many more.


Upcoming Performances

Check out the updated list at artsylumquartet.blogspot.com!



Past Concerts

nafa composer's graduation recital 2008
13 may 2008
nanyang academy of fine arts lee foundation theatre

um-nus golf tournament 2008
6 may 2008
orchard hotel grand ballroom

huayi festival 2008
15/16/17 february 2008
esplanade concourse

wedding of daryl and evelyn
23 february 2008
raffles ballroom @ raffles hotel

wedding of timothy and ju min
17 Dec 2007

wedding of stephen and huicheng
20 December 2007
the lawn @ raffles hotel


Wedding Dinner
27th October 2007
One Rochester Park

At the Concourse - Childhood Memories
24-25 October 2007
Esplanade Concourse

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP function
17th October 2007
Asian Civilisations Museum

private dining event
30th September 2007
One Rochester Park

NAFA Composer's Recital
1st August 2007
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts


NAFA composer's recital
"In Search of Light"
22nd July 2007
young Musician's Society (YMS)

wedding of Dr Martin David Adams and Hui-shin
20th July 2007
Fort Canning Hill

Singapore Police Force Annual Dinner
12th June 2007
Istana

viva violino 3
10th June 2007
YMS

Danish queen's birthday
16th April 2007
residence of the Danish ambassador, HE Klavs A. Holm

wedding of christopher gregory and elisabeth willett
7th April 2007
raffles Hotel

SIM faculty appreciation dinner 2007
10th feb 2007
carlton hotel

opening of the NUS centre for life sciences
5th feb 2007
oriental hotel

official reopening of the singapore cricket club clubhouse
2nd feb 2007
singapore cricket club

nafa commuter concert series
22nd jan 2007 (mon), 630pm
lee foundation theatre

wedding banquet of michelle loke and paul tye
20th jan 2007
grand hyatt grand ballroom

exxon-mobil campus concerts series
"journey through time"
nus symphony orchestra chamber concert
10th jan 2007
nus lt13

celebrate december
26th/30th december 2006
esplanade concourse

christmas dinner
24th december 2006
victoria's condo

rotary club
19th october 2006
conrad hotel ballroom

pois fashion show
11th october 2006
paragon shopping centre

"opera fortnight"
12th/13th july 2006
esplanade concourse

wedding of francis and debbie kee
27th may 2006
shangri-la ballroom

wedding of samuel and karen
20th may 2006
CHIJMES

style magazine's wedding glamour bash
23rd april 2006
raffles city ballroom

"romantic rhapsodies"
22nd/23rd feb 2006
esplanade concourse

mediacorp 8 Days 800th anniversary
17th feb 2006
raffles city atrium

wedding of zac and lay mui
17th dec 2005
four seasons hotel, ballroom

wedding of act3 theatrics director r chandran and amy cheng
4th dec 2005
grand hyatt

wedding of beng siong and chuin sia
8th oct 2005
chevrons – chevrons ballroom

"music for strings"
22nd sept 2005
esplanade concourse

nus centennial celebration
2 july, 21 aug 2005
university cultural centre theatre
shaw foundation symphony stage, botanic gardens

nus commencement dinner 2005
16 July 2005
university cultural centre – concert hall

"kvalite boga" by grechaninov
with international baptist church & the celebration chorus
15 – 16 April 2005
victoria concert hall

singapore chamber music festival 2005
masterclass with australian string quartet & post masterclass recital
23 March – 1 April 2005
esplanade recital studio