THE Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra turns 20 this year and so does classical music prodigy Tengku Ahmad Irfan Tengku Ahmad Shahrizal.
It was fitting then that the two performed together for the recent gala concert which kicked off the new 20th Anniversary Special season at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas.
Music lovers were treated to four enchanting 19th century works from two Czech and two Russian composers.
Easing the audience into the mood were two overtures, starting with The Bartered Bride by Bedrich Smetana, that provided a sampling of the comic opera filled with humour, exuberance and melodic invention.
Helmed by Netherlands-born conductor Jac Van Steen, the MPO painted an aural picture of joy and delight, punctuated by riotous moments as well as softer and delicate passages.
The upbeat sounds of merrymaking, laughter and revelry continued with the next overture through Antonin Dvorak’s Carnival, this time conducted by Tengku Irfan, who has grown by leaps and bounds.
His youth and appearance belied his talent and impressive musicality as he confidently coaxed out a solid performance from the MPO and took the audience on a heady journey of melody and rhythm.
The overture certainly mirrored elements of life, love and nature, from the passionate singing of the violins to the moving resonance of the woodwinds and the dainty yet graceful notes from the harp.
During the more spirited segments of the piece, Irfan was seen getting into the thick of things as his body swayed wildly on the podium and his baton swerved swiftly to various positions of the orchestra.
His enthusiasm carried on to the next performance, where he took to the grand piano, for Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor.
The 35-minute piece, made up of three movements, saw Irfan dextrously manoeuvring his fingers along the 88 ivory keys with dynamic precision to showcase the beautiful and lyrical passages of the famous concerto.
Helmed by Van Steen, the MPO was Irfan’s perfect foil as it provided the sonic breadth and depth to the young soloist.
From the highly recognisable opening pomp from the horn section to the various alluring violin phrases, it was definitely one of the highlights of the night.
The post-interval portion had Van Steen once again conducting the MPO in a magical performance of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s four-movement symphonic suite, Scheherazade.
Based on well-known tales from The Arabian Nights, the 47-minute work saw the MPO showcasing its orchestral splendour which made it easy for the imagination to run wild, which was the perfect closure to the two-hour gala concert.
It was indeed a pleasure to see Irfan doing what he does best onstage, whether on the piano or helming the MPO.
Currently in the midst of completing his studies in New York, he started his piano lessons at age 7 and made his debut with the MPO in 2009 when he was only 11.
He has since performed with the MPO in multiple concerts, as well as with the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and made his conducting debut at the DFP last year.
Having also composed several works already, hopefully he will be able to inspire more young talent after his recent appointment as the MPO Youth Brand Ambassador.
Here’s to another two decades and more great music from the MPO and Irfan.
Visit www.mpo.com.my for details on the 20th Anniversary Special season and download the new brochure. Call 03-2331 7007 (Box Office) or email boxoffice@dfp.com.my.