It would be an understatement to say that Maestro Foo Say Ming is a master of the violin.
Holding many key positions and one of Singapore’s most veteran musicians, Maestro Foo has had an incredible journey performing to many audiences and mentoring many young talents locally and abroad.
Today, we take a deeper look at the man behind the instrument.
(Image credits: re:mix)
Mr. Foo, why did you choose the violin when you started learning music?
This was way back in my Primary One days at Maris Stella High School when one of the Brothers announced to the whole school during Assembly that they were organising violin classes for those who are interested to learn.
We were to go home, ask our parents for permission, and to return to school the next day and sign-up with him. Being the naughty and impetuous boy that I was (and I have been told that I still am) I enrolled on the spot without asking my parents. Needless to say, I didn’t have slightest of clue what I had gotten myself into, the forced rigours of hours of repetitive practice and discipline severely quenched my youthful thirst for adventure and the unknown, perhaps only for a little while.
Fortunately, music was something that my parents have always encouraged us to learn, and through their patience, a touch of wisdom, and not a small dose of tough persuasion, they managed to keep me on the fiddle just a little longer.
Is there any story behind your current instruments?
I think for every instrumentalist, every instrument has a unique story of how their relationship started.
It is not without a whole lot of sentiment that I look back at my earliest full-sized instruments. They hold much emotional value when you know that it is not without tremendous personal sacrifice on the part of your parents for you to be able to develop and grow with these instruments.
For my first fiddle which carried me forward into my professional career as a musician, through Divine Providence and the kind graces of a beloved uncle who had always supported his nephew's interest in music, a modest yet a gem of a French violin found its way into my violin case and has since accompanied and supported me through my first important and eventful steps into the music arena.
It is also with a tinge of sadness that he never got to witness and listen for himself the fruits of his kindness and generosity. The lovely French is still with me today.
Mr. Foo, please describe your experiences with the various groups that you have led throughout the years (SSO, Take5, and re: mix)
It has been, and still is, a tremendous privilege to be an active member of wonderful groups of musicians, like the SSO, Take5 Piano Quintet, and re: mix. The wonderful thing about being part of groups is meeting and working with great musicians whose varied strengths inspire and spur you forward, and to explore genres of music which you would have never otherwise encountered.
In the SSO, while you are surrounded by musicians who are at the top of their game, but under the baton of a great and knowledgeable conductor, you get to see the music you play from a different vantage point which is an education in itself.
Playing in Take5 is always a blast! Not only are you surrounded and nourished by the island's top musicians, you get to hang out and explore underrated piano quintet repertoire with four of the most hilariously jovial musicians around!
re: mix takes musical exploration to the stratosphere for strings, venturing into territory that straddles between the classically established and the contemporary. Here, while the classical string instruments are the musicians' common denominator, our diverse musical/artistic interests and ideas collide which is quite evident in our very colourful programming.
Please give us one of your earliest memories on the violin.
As previously mentioned, the rude reality of what I had done by impetuously signing up for violin lessons in school reared its ugly head when dad instructed our domestic helper that there must be sound from the violin after he and mom left for work until the school bus arrived to take me to school at noon.
Unlike the present, domestic help then had full "disciplinarian authority". It wasn't surprising that I was top in my violin class for the first 4 years of my violin journey, until my parents decided not to look for a replacement when my helper announced that she had to return to Malaysia to start a family.
It took me a while to figure out why I was suddenly the teacher's pet no more.
Please describe to us one of the biggest career milestones you have had.
"Milestones" would be too generous a word to describe the wonderful opportunities and memories that I have the privilege to treasure as a musician.
Apart from the wonderful musicians I have had the good fortune to work with in chamber music, various events, and the opportunities to be presented as soloist with the SSO on a few occasions, I will always look back with much fondness for the opportunities to lead the SLO Orchestra in Bolshoi's Ballet performances of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake in 2013, and American Ballet Theatre performances of the same in 2018.
The opportunity to conduct and lead the orchestra "à la Johann Strauss" in Lehar's Merry Widow for SLO's Gala Concert at the Shangri-la Hotel is also unforgettable.
Then, there is re: mix, with whom we have been making very different and special music for the past 20 years, of which the recent collaboration with WildRice in their production of Tunggu Sekejab, a tribute to P Ramlee set to Julian Wong's wonderful treatment of Ramlee's most iconic music has been one of the most moving and meaningful.
Do you have any words of advice/wisdom for younger musicians?
I am constantly in awe of our younger musicians.
While I don't imagine to have had any form of influence nor impact these fine musicians, the Chinese phrase "青出于蓝, 而胜于蓝" keeps coming to mind.
I am amazed by their tenacity, resilience, creativity, and I see how they shoulder and elevate the arts and music scene in Singapore! It is going from strength to strength because of them. Other than my sincere admiration, I would offer my encouragement to them to continue to do what they do.
They are the giants whose shoulders on which the future of Singapore music and art already stand.
Maestro Foo Say Ming is the teacher of many notable musicians including Loh Wei Ken and Jocelyn Ng.
He currently holds an active position in the Singapore Symphony Orchestra as 1st Violinist and is the Music Director of re:mix String Ensemble.