The combination worked well in the inaugural performance. For his audience of dignitaries, Bakels chose a repertoire of evergreens by Strauss, Rachmaninoff and Ravel, as well as a flowery symphonic overture by Aaron Alfred Lee, a young Malaysian composer living in the U.S. The highlight of the evening was a performance of Pablo Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy by the brilliant Yura Lee, a 13-year-old violin prodigy from South Korea. The critics were impressed. "It's on the way to becoming--if it isn't already--the best orchestra in Southeast Asia, and that includes Auckland and Melbourne," raved Hans-Theodor Wohlfahrt, who reviews classical music for German, Austrian and Swiss publications. Members of other orchestras in the region marveled at the state-of-the-art concert hall. "We didn't start out like this," said an impressed Tisa Ng, general manager of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.
That must be music to the ears of Petronas chairman Azizan Zainul Abidin, the prime mover behind the concert hall, and Mahathir's wife Siti Hasmah Ali, the orchestra's patron. The twin cultural projects were conceived in 1995, before the current economic crisis was a twinkle in George Soros' eye. And Azizan swears the orchestra won't go the way of other grand Malaysian projects that have been abandoned or postponed in the wake of the downturn. Petronas will pay "whatever it takes" to sustain the orchestra, he says. "This is a public service, not a money-making venture."
To encourage the public to enjoy the service, the orchestra's 1998-99 season will feature performances packaged into accessible themes like "Completely Piano" and "Very Violin." Tickets will start at a reasonable $6. At the moment, however, not many Malaysians even know of the orchestra's existence. "Oh, is there a concert hall in the same building?" asks Albern Abdullah, a young professional on his lunch hour at the adjoining Suria klcc shopping mall. "I guess it's good we have an orchestra, but I'd never go." At these prices, though, he may find it hard to resist.
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