A Dash of Nature: Earth, Sky, and the Life Within with The klpac Symphonic Band

As 2024 draws to a close, The klpac Symphonic Band invites you to unwind to a relaxing programme that pays homage to Mother Earth. Moon gaze under the “Starry Night”, listen to “Aesop’s Fables” portrayed musically, embark on an “Ocean Odyssey” and more in A Dash of Nature, conducted by Resident Conductor and Music Director Cheryl Mah.

The band’s 2024 season finale features internationally-acclaimed American and Japanese band composers whose works are part of standard band repertoire and have made it to the editor’s top choices of various publications. This includes Tyler S. Grant, Takamasa Sakai, Scott Watson and Hayato Hirose. And interesting addition is Alex Shapiro, who is known for her acoustic and electroacoustic work.

A Dash of Nature also shines the spotlight on our very own composers – Elson Kwong, Lawrence Chiu and Melody Yeo – who were selected to be part of Rondo Production’s Emerging Composers Initiative 2024, supported by ABRSM. The trio underwent intensive mentorship, private consultation and training with renowned composers, Yeo Chow Shern and Charlotte Harding. The concert will be premiering three new works by these talented composers, marking an end to a three-month transformative journey.

An apt season closer after a busy and fruitful year, join the band in this joyous celebration of all things and people precious to us.

Programmes:
1) All the Earth and Air | Composed by Tyler S. Grant
2) I Wish To Bring You IV |Composed by Lawrence Chiu Peng Chong (Premiere)
3) Starry Night | Composed by Takamasa Sakai
4) Aesop’s Fables | Composed by Scott Watson
5) To the Sanctuary of the Mountain God | Composed by Elson Kwong Zhen Wei (Premiere)
6) Rock Music (Concert Wind Band and Pre-recorded Soundscape) | Composed by Alex Shapiro
7) Ocean Odyssey | Composed by Melody Yeo Wan Lin (Premiere)
8) The Elm Tree | Composed by Hayato Hirose
9) Bunga Raya March | Composed by Yeo Chow Shern

Parental Advice:
If your child is restless / crying, please bring them out of the hall. After they’ve calmed down, you can re-enter with the assistance of our ushers.

Ticket price :

Category	Price	Early Bird Promo (Ends 31 Oct)
Cat 1: Patrons of The Arts*	RM 150	RM 150
Cat 2: Regular	RM 68	RM 55
Cat 3: Students **	RM 48	RM 48
Cat 3: Concession (Educator / Disabled / Senior > 60) **	15% off regular-priced tickets	N/A

*POTA are arts patrons who wish to make a monetary gift on top of the ticket value. POTA ticket holders will be acknowledged on klpac’s website.
**Concession Bookings (Educators / Students / Disabled / Seniors > 60) – Please WhatsApp us at +6018 227 7212 with the necessary details (name, student’s ID / IC, school name & department, phone and email for verification).
Remark: Please WhatsApp us at +6018 227 7212 to discuss the availability of accessible theatre seats and to book.

Promotion :

Category	Regular
Eslite Malaysia White Card Members# / Yamatatsu Customers	5% off regular-priced ticket
Eslite Malaysia Gold / Black Card Members#	10% off regular-price ticket
Educator/Students Group booking***	Buy 10 Free 1

#Eslite members: WhatsApp us at +6018 227 7212 with a screenshot of your eslite member card to get a promo code.
***Group booking: Please fill in the details here, our box office staff will reach out to you soon.

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About klpac Connect
klpac Connect is an access and development initiative supported by Yayasan Sime Darby aimed at improving access to the arts through various amenities and programmes for families with young children, students / schools, persons with disabilities, talents and the general public. Find out more at bit.ly/klpacconnect.

Sponsored Student Tickets (part of klpac Connect)
Under klpac Connect, schools may register their interest to obtain sponsored student tickets for selected shows free of charge. Due to limited availability, tickets are not guaranteed – first-timers from public schools and those from rural / out-of-state locations prioritised. This show is part of the klpac Connect programme. Register your interest here bit.ly/klpac-connect-registration.  

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Buy Tickets 
Online Purchase: https://www.cloudjoi.com/
No phone sales and over the counter sales. E-tickets only.

Enquiry / Concession Booking
WhatsApp +6018 227 7212

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About The klpac Symphonic Band
Soon after The klpac Orchestra was formed, The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac) established The klpac Symphonic Band in 2009 which made its debut with “Friendship in Concert”.

Like the other music ensembles under klpac, The klpac Symphonic Band is a community-oriented initiative aimed at providing a platform for brass, wind and percussion players to hone their skills and perform regularly. It was established to fill a gap in the local music scene where many band musicians who started playing during their schooling years were left with no avenue to grow and pursue their interest after leaving school. Its members are musicians and music lovers from different backgrounds and age groups who are admitted based on an audition.

The klpac Symphonic Band has been under the leadership of Music Director and Resident Conductor Cheryl Mah since 2011. It performs a packed concert season yearly and its “Ultimate Music Crawl” concert bagged the “BEST OF 2019” Award at the 17th BOH Cameronian Arts Awards 2020.

Since 2022, the band has been running an all-important Outreach Collaborative Project annually with some of the best music educators in town and it culminates in a public concert entitled “An Uncommon Journey”. The outreach project has benefited 71 wind musicians and percussionists aged 16 to 22 from Klang Valley as well as beyond.

On the audience development front, the band initiated its “Music Play Date” series in 2022, which is an interactive concert held outdoors for families particularly those with young children.

2023 marked another major milestone for the band as it proudly represented Malaysia during its first international tour to the Chiayi City International Band Festival (CCIBF) in Chiayi, Taiwan where it performed alongside over 100 bands from five different countries.

Cheryl Mah, Resident Conductor & Music Director, The klpac Symphonic Band
After graduating from the Elder Conservatorium of Music (Australia) with concurrent majors in Piano Performance and Music Education, Cheryl Mah completed a performance-based Master’s Degree in Conducting and Directorship from Salford University (England, UK) under the tutelage of Professor Dr. David King and the late Dr. Roy Newsome, specialising in Brass Band Conducting.

As an active active music educator, Cheryl regularly conducts the UCSI University Orchestra
(Malaysia). She has been the Resident Conductor and Music Director of the award-winning klpac Symphonic Band, which is part of The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac), since 2011.

Apart from directing various ensembles, Cheryl actively advocates for music education. Two education and outreach initiatives she has led recently were collaborative band programmes that involved young band musicians of diverse backgrounds, ethnicities and culture, local band directors, local community bands and a university. One of the projects was a 13-week Outreach Collaborative Programme entitled An Uncommon Journey which culminated in public performances in August 2022 at Pentas 1, klpac, hosted by klpac. The other was a one-day IMus Wind Orchestra Day – which featured a series of performance, masterclasses, workshops, and podium time, in October 2022 at the Recital Hall, hosted by Institute of Music, UCSI University.

Cheryl co-founded the Kuala Lumpur-based Birdian Saxophone Quartet in 2000 for which she also plays the baritone saxophone. The quartet initiated the “Chamber Wind Project” in 2012 which features distinguished chamber wind ensembles from the region. It has presented five editions since then, receiving significant recognition for promoting the growth of wind chamber playing to a wider community.

Cheryl is currently a lecturer at the Institute of Music, UCSI University.

Social Media:
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Creative & Production Team

Executive Producer: Dato’ Dr. Faridah Merican
Artistic Director: Joe Hasham OAM
Music Director & Resident Conductor / President: Cheryl Mah
Lighting Designer: Lim Ang Swee
Sound Engineer: Ong Yuan Shun
Production Stage Manager: Soo Choy Wah

The klpac Symphonic Band
President: Cheryl Mah
Vice President: Chew Sze Gee, Chris Lai Su Theng
Secretary: Tan Su Fen
Vice Secretary: Chrissie Kuan
Treasurer: Lai Pak Kin
Librarians: Pah Chee Choong, Chris Wong Ken Lun
Publicity: Tai Wen Ying

Section Leaders for Year 2024
Flute: Chew Sze Gee, Evynne Lim Ee Wenn
Oboe: Cheong Wei Xuan
Clarinet: Chong Tao Xin
Saxophone: Ian Chan
French Horn: Jon Handley
Trumpet: Yeow Boon Sim, Tan Kai Xiang
Trombone: Mustaqim Abdullah, Low Wei Xiang
Euphonium & Tuba: Chris Wong Ken Lun, Chrissie Kuan
Percussion: Bryan Cheah Zi Hau, Lee Si Yuan

The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre & The Actors Studio Team List
Executive Producer: Dato’ Dr. Faridah Merican 
Artistic Director: Joe Hasham OAM 
Associate Artistic Director: Christopher Ling
Group General Manager: Ian Chow 
General Manager (Marketing Communications): Ang Yue May 
Assistant General Manager (Theatre & Technical Management): Lawrence Selvaraj 
Assistant General Manager (Admin, Finance & Production): Easee Gan
Assistant General Manager (Publicity & Marketing): Maggie Ong
Assistant Technical Manager: Mathanakumar Murthi
Senior Technicians: Mohd Helmi Md Khairi, Mohd Faridzuan Bin Abd Rahim 
Junior Technician: Yogeshwaraan A/L Shandre Sakran
Assistant Manager (Front of House & Theatre): Muhammad Hazim Bin Mansur
Production Stage Manager: Desmond Ngooi
Assistant Production Stage Managers: Chia Jing Sheng, Hafiza Husna, Jech Wong
Orchestra Manager: Soo Choy Wah
Senior Art Director: Joel Wong
Publicist: Wong Kar Yee
Multimedia Content Creator / Videographer: Jeremy Loo
Assistant Box Office Supervisors: Jennifer John, Vaideggy Vijayasagaran 
Accounts Manager: Esther Kuan 
Assistant Manager (Accounts & Admin): Amanda Chan
Head of Academy: Kimmy Kiew
Academy Administrator: Harsvini Loganathan
Resident Choreographer: Zhafir Muzani
TUTAS Coordinator: Xavier Chen
MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) Instructor: Toh Wei Keith
Personal Assistant to Artistic Director: Farah Nadia
Personal Assistant to Executive Producer & Group General Manager: Nadia Masra 
Assistant Maintenance Manager: Selva Rajoo
Security Manager: Balasubramaniam Ganapathy
Assistant Security Manager: Mahendra Karuppiah
Senior Security Officer: Shandre Sakran Kumaravale
Security Officers: Balasivasubramaniam Arunasalam, Nadarajan Maruthamuthu, Parameshvaran Perumal