The Penang Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO; ms, Orkestra Filharmonik Pulau Pinang) is an

amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

funded by the state of

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. The formation of the orchestra aims to build a community that enhances the standard of

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

in Penang. Established in 2010, the PPO performs a wide-ranging of

music genre A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions. It is to be distinguished from ''musical form'' and musical style, although in practice these terms are some ...

, mainly classical music from various

repertoire A repertoire () is a list or set of dramas, operas, musical compositions or roles which a company or person is prepared to perform. Musicians often have a musical repertoire. The first known use of the word ''repertoire'' was in 1847. It is a l ...

. Todate, it has a total of 80 musicians and holds regular concerts throughout the year. This orchestra is under the umbrella of Penang Philharmonic, which is formerly known as ''Penang State Symphony Orchestra and Chorus'', founded in 1996.

Music directors / conductors

* Jascha Yasufumi Shimano (2003–2009) Music Director / Resident conductor (Note: Under Penang State Symphony Orchestra) * Woon Wen Kin (2010–2012) Music Director / Resident conductor * Ng Choong Yen (2013–) Resident conductor

Penang Philharmonic Chamber Choir

"Voices of Penang Philharmonic (VOPP)" is the resident

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

for Penang Philharmonic. It was established in 2012 In March 2019, Penang Philharmonic Orchestra has announced that VOPP, which was originally formed for youth choir to be opened to choristers aged between 18 and 40, and later changed its name to Penang Philharmonic Chamber Choir (PPCC) This rebranding strategy is coherent with Penang Philharmonic's vision to push the resident choir to greater heights. The age restriction has also been removed to recruit the crème de la crème in the local choral scene. As of 2019, the chorus is led by the artistic directors and choral conductors Lim Ai Hooi and Yong Chee Foon, and assistant conductor, Ong Geok Cheng."Message from Chairperson"
Penang Philharmonic Orchestra Facebook page. Retrieved 15 August 2018

References

External links

Penang Philharmonic Orchestra official website

Penang Philharmonic Choir official website

Penang Philharmonic main site
{{authority control Malaysian orchestras Musical groups established in 2010 2010 establishments in Malaysia