Singapore Symphony Orchestra founding music director Choo Hoey dies at 90
Considered one of the most instrumental figures in Singapore's musical scene, Choo Hoey was born in Palembang, Indonesia, in 1934 and moved to Singapore in 1946, where he studied at The Chinese High School. In 1947, he began training under the esteemed violinist Goh Soon Tioe and subsequently studied with numerous prominent musicians worldwide, including Aubrey Brain, Igor Markevitch and Andre Gertler.
In 1958, Choo started his career in the Belgian National Orchestra and was reportedly the first Asian musician to conduct a European national orchestra. Ten years later, Choo became the principal conductor of the Greek National Opera.
In 1979, he was invited by the Singapore government to become the founding music director and resident conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. He was among the first recipients of Singapore's inaugural Cultural Medallion for his contributions to music.
Under his leadership, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra made its international debut in Scandinavia.
In 1996, he stepped down from his role and was named conductor emeritus.
Some of the other accolades received by Choo in his lifetime include the Public Service Star in 1982. He was made an Honorary Doctor of Letters of the National University of Singapore in 1989 and was appointed a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government in 1997.
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AsiaOne
44 minutes ago
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Singapore indie cinema The Projector owes over $1.2m to creditors, Money News
SINGAPORE — Ahead of a meeting with creditors set for Aug 29, the firm behind Singapore indie cinema The Projector has revealed that it owes them more than $1.2 million. In an e-mail sent out to creditors on Aug 19 and seen by The Straits Times, Pocket Cinema listed 33 different creditors comprising individuals and organisations. The highest amount — $382,888.03 — is owed to Overseas Movie (Private), while others named in the list include the firm's director, Karen Tan, as well as other shareholders, including one of The Projector's founders, Blaise Camille Trigg-Smith. Tan, who is also one of The Projector's founders, is owed more than $120,000, while Trigg-Smith is owed slightly above $100,000. ST has contacted Tan for more information. Other creditors include those who held memberships with The Projector that have yet to expire. These comprise 2,295 people who are owed a total of more than $89,000. The majority of them, or 1,566, held memberships with The Projector Fan Club. Although membership information on the indie cinema's website has been replaced with a notice of suspension as of Aug 20, a version dated July 9 on the Internet Archive showed that it costs $85 to hold a membership through this tier. All members are entitled to four free tickets, $2 off standard ticket prices, 10 per cent off the total bill at the Intermission bar at Golden Mile Tower and No Spoilers Bar at Cineleisure, special giveaways and prizes, as well as invites to exclusive members-only events and screenings. Other membership tiers include The Projector Student Club, for those with valid student identification, and The Projector Senior Club, for those above the age of 55. Both cost $67. To one 24-year-old patron of The Projector, the $7 he is owed in membership fees is but a petty sum. The patron, who declined to give his name, said: "I'm not really bothered about them owing money to me, since it is a relatively small amount, but more so about losing a space where I can find curated films through their various film festivals and events. "It was also a space for many smaller organisations to host events and share stories." The cinephile added that he, alongside other friends who are regulars, have decided not to claim their refunds to help the now-shuttered indie cinema with their finances. Meanwhile, those with unused tickets were also included in the list of creditors, with a total of $14,302 owed to them. A 28-year-old moviegoer who had bought two tickets to the Aug 20 screening of Punch-Drunk Love, a 2002 romantic comedy starring Adam Sandler, told ST that he too was on the list of creditors. He said: "Fortunately for me, the refundable amount of $23 was relatively low. I'm just surprised at the speed at which operations were shut down." One person has 16 unused tickets — the most, compared with others on the list. The meeting for creditors is set for 2.30pm on Aug 29 via video conference, according to the e-mail. The Projector's sudden closure on Aug 19 after more than a decade of operations took many by surprise, with its screenings and events scheduled after the date cancelled. It cited rising operational costs, shifting audience habits and the global decline in cinema attendance as reasons for its closure. Diane Chan, the management consultant of KillerMud Films, said The Projector's announcement had taken the company by surprise. The boutique film distribution company, which focuses on Asian, genre and independent films, is owed more than $1,800, according to the list of creditors. Chan said: "The Projector has built up such a loyal audience for art-house and alternative content over the years. We sincerely hope that they can reinvent themselves and surface again. "We need an independent exhibitor like The Projector for our local cinema industry and arts scene to progress." Incorporated on Sept 16, 2014, Pocket Cinema's records with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra) showed that it started out as a loss-making venture. In the financial year ending on Dec 31, 2014, it reported a loss of slightly more than $45,000 after taxes. The company's fortunes turned in the financial year ending on Dec 31, 2016, when it made a profit of almost $166,000 after taxes, with its revenue reported to be about $1.16 million. But its profits shrank the following year by more than 2½ times to $64,122 after taxes, despite a revenue of about $1.3 million. Based on Acra records, the latest financial statement was filed in December 2017. Separately, a listing on CommercialGuru showed that The Projector's 10,000 sq ft space at Golden Mile Tower was listed for rent at $33,000 a month from July 28. While the listing was removed as at 11am on Aug 20, it was put up again about four hours later. [[nid:721508]] This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Straits Times
Singapore's The Projector owes over $1.2m to creditors
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Creditors include over 2,000 moviegoers who held memberships with The Projector that have yet to expire. SINGAPORE - Ahead of a meeting with creditors set for Aug 29, the firm behind Singapore indie cinema The Projector has revealed that it owes creditors more than $1.2 million. In an e-mail sent out to creditors on Aug 19 and seen by The Straits Times, Pocket Cinema listed 33 different creditors comprising individuals and organisations. The highest amount - $382,888.03 - is owed to Overseas Movie (Private), while others named in the list include the firm's director Karen Tan, as well as other shareholders, including one of The Projector's founders Blaise Camille Trigg-Smith. Ms Tan is owed more than $120,000, while Ms Trigg-Smith is owed slightly above $100,000. Other creditors include those who held memberships with The Projector that have yet to expire. These comprise 2,295 people who are owed a total of more than $89,000. The majority of them , or 1,566, held memberships with The Projector Fan Club. Although membership information on the indie cinema's website has been replaced with a notice of suspension as of Aug 20, a version dated July 9 on the Internet Archive showed that it costs $85 to hold a membership through this tier. All members are entitled to four free tickets, $2 off standard ticket prices, 10 per cent off the total bill at the Intermission bar at Golden Mile Tower and No Spoilers Bar at Cineleisure, special giveaways and prizes, as well as invites to exclusive members-only events & screenings. Other membership tiers consist of The Projector Student Club, for those with valid student identification, and The Projector Senior Club, for those above the age of 55. To one 24-year-old patron of The Projector, the $7 he is owed in membership fees is but a petty sum. The patron, who declined to give his name, said: 'I'm not really bothered about them owing money to me since it is a relatively small amount but more so about losing a space where I can find curated films through their various film festivals and events.' ' It was also a space for many smaller organisations to host events and share stories.' The cinephile added that he, alongside other friends who are regulars, have decided not to claim their refunds to help the now-shuttered indie cinema with their finances. Meanwhile, those with unused tickets were also included in the list of creditors, with a total of $14,302 owed to them. A 28-year-old moviegoer who had bought two tickets to the Aug 20 screening of Punch Drunk Love, a 2002 romantic comedy starring Adam Sandler, told ST that he too was on the list of creditors. He said: 'Fortunately for me, the refundable amount of $23 was relatively low. I'm just surprised at the speed at which operations were shut down.' One individual has 16 unused tickets - the most compared with others on the list. The meeting for creditors is set for 2.30pm on Aug 29 via video conference, according to the email. The Projector's sudden closure on Aug 19 after over a decade of operations took many by surprise, with its screenings and events scheduled after the date cancelled. It cited rising operational costs, shifting audience habits, and the global decline in cinema attendance as reasons for its closure. Separately, a listing on CommercialGuru showed that The Projector's 10,000 sq ft space at Golden Mile Tower wa s listed for rent at $33,000 a month from July 28. It has since been removed as at 11am on Aug 20.
New Paper
15 hours ago
- New Paper
Local indie theatre The Projector to cease operations on Aug 19
Local indie theatre The Projector announced on Aug 19 that it is winding down after a decade of operations. In an Instagram post, it said that it "will enter voluntary liquidation after a decade of championing alternative films, local creativity, and community-led programming". Its operations will cease on Aug 19 with immediate effect. In a press statement, it cited rising operational costs, shifting audience habits and the global decline in cinema attendance as reasons for its closure. These have made sustaining an independent cinema in Singapore an increasingly difficult endeavour, it said. Alongside these pressures are the broader realities of operating in the arts and culture sector in Singapore, "where independent ventures navigate limited resources while contributing to the country's evolving cultural landscape", it added. The Projector first opened its doors in 2014 at Golden Mile Tower, a historical building known for its Thai discos and eateries. It was started by three female co-founders: Ms Karen Tan, Ms Blaise Trigg-Smith and Ms Sharon Tan. In the past decade, it has played host to many film festivals, and screened countless indie films from across the globe. More than just a place to watch movies, it has also evolved into a cultural and events space where artists, filmmakers, and audiences gather to engage with diverse communities, it said in its statement. "It breaks our hearts to make this decision," said Ms Karen Tan. "We've fought to keep The Projector alive through every challenge - from breathing new life into a disused cinema at Golden Mile Tower, to weathering the pandemic, to expanding to new spaces." She added that she is immensely grateful to everyone who has been part of The Projector's journey, including its team, collaborators, partners and loyal audiences. "The Projector may be closing, but we hope its spirit will live on in the conversations, ideas, and communities we've nurtured," she said. The Straits Times has contacted The Projector for more information.
