Bfm :: Front Row

Dama Asia is back, this time featuring the return of famed soprano Tan Soo Suan, in a charity concert titled, "Delicate Dreams and Desires." The concert is raising funds for the Medical Awareness Camp Outreach (MACO), who have been working on collecting, fixing, and giving repurposed computers to school children in need. We speak to Pun Kai Loon (Artistic Director, Dama Asia Productions), Ian Ng (show narrator, co-scriptwriter) and Datin Susan Lai (concert co-organiser) to find out more about MACO and what's in store at the concert. 

In the group exhibition “Mendongeng”, artists Amir Shahlan, Mati, and RB take on the role of storytellers, weaving narratives through repurposed objects. Their exhibits are said to be rooted in folklore, tales, and myth, offering comfort, inspiration, and a profound sense of meaning, while exploring the reason for our own being and existence. We find out more about the exhibition at AP Art Gallery from artist Amir, and the two artists behind the collective Mati, Amat and Binti.

Love is in the air as the MPO celebrates Valentine’s Day with a romance-themed concert, titled "A Valentine’s Serenade." Led by Resident Conductor Gerard Salonga, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra will be joined by vocalists Sean Ghazi, Ida Mariana, Nikki Palikat and Izen Kong, who are set to perform a host of romantic favourites and Broadway hit numbers like Love Changes Everything, If We Were In Love, Cinema Paradiso, Love Me Tender, and so much more. Sean, Nikki and Izen join us to share what's in store. Image credit: Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra

After their recorder studies at the Utrecht Conservatory with Heiko ter Schegget, Teun Wisse and Thomas Triesschijn conceived the idea of inviting their former teacher to form a trio, and thus the Holborne Consort was born. They specialise in performing Renaissance music on replicas of recorders from that period and together, they have performed concerts throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. They have collaborated with numerous ensembles and conductors, and will be performing across several states in Malaysia, and here in the Klang Valley, they will be performing together with renaissance-baroque period ensemble the Wicked Music People in The Bassanos of London, a concert that showcases instrumental music from the court of the English King Henry VIII. We find out what's in store at this international R&B (Renaissance & Baroque!) crossover from Thomas Triesschijn (Holborne Consort) and U-En Ng (Wicked Music People).

For the first time in its 25-year history, the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) has launched two exhibitions simultaneously - “A Journey through Islamic Art” and “Alif Lam Ra: Contemporary Muslim Calligraphy.” In "A Journey," the astonishing breadth of art from the Islamic world is explored, covering more than a thousand years of cultures that stretch from East Asia to West Africa. The art of calligraphy has long been central to Islamic art, and "Alif Lam Ra" presents some of the best contemporary works of calligraphy in the IAMM collection, inviting visitors to witness the evolution of calligraphy as the supreme medium of expression within Islam. Featuring objects from IAMM’s own collection, both exhibitions highlight the museum’s role as a custodian, preserver and knowledge provider of Islamic art, and we speak to Hariz Ahmad Kamal, a curator with the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, to find out more.Image Credit: IAMM

Spectrum of Sentiment is described as a unique musical experience that invites us to dive deep into our inner psyche, and connect as humans. This thoughtful work combines contemporary classical flute music, movement, and images, and is produced and curated by composer/flutist Lawrence Chiu, and features six flautists, a dancer and an image maker collaborating for the first time on his original compositions. We speak to Lawrence and image maker Syahmi Hashim to discover more about this collaborative interdisciplinary production.Image Credit: Spectrum of Sentiment ticket page

AweGallery's first curated community-based art event, “Paramount Art A-fair" is a showcase of art pieces that cost less than RM5000 each - an effort to make art more affordable to the masses. Featuring works by eight Malaysian artists aged between 30-50, we'll see a mix of artworks made from oil, watercolour, mixed media and pottery at this group exhibition. We speak to sisters Dora Ong and Diane Ong, the co-founders of AweGallery, to find out more about what they are trying to achieve beyond a traditional art exhibition through Paramount Art A-Fair, and how they want to nurture emerging talents through their gallery. 

Rexperience: The ‘Otherworld’, the immersive art experience at REXKL, is entering its final two weeks. Part of the show includes 'Annihilation' - the final 17-minute show in the hour-long ‘Otherworld’ experience - which is described as a first in Malaysia to feature dancers using live motion capture technology. A collaboration with Belgian digital artist Colas Fiszman and Berlin based composer Jonas Margraf, we find out more about this performance that combines dance, digital art, lasers and a 360 spatial soundtrack from two of the performing artists involved, Grace Ng and Arifwaran Shaharuddin.Image Credit: Rexperience (RXP.KL)

Gerak Bayang: The Art of Storytelling is an exhibition featuring 39 local artists, and showcases various works of art revolving around the theme of wayang kulit. We speak to the curator of Gerak Bayang, Siti Melorinda Khuzaina binti Sakdudin, about what the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Museum and Art Gallery's biggest post-pandemic exhibition has to offer.Image Credit: Wayang Kulit Kelantan By Nik Zainal Abidin Nik Salleh, Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery

After taking the Bobo stage by 'barricade-storm' last August with their musical theatre revue, Sean Ghazi and Friends return for a re-stage of Bobo on Broadway. Once again, Sean shares the Bobo KL stage with guest soprano Lara Maigue, lyric baritone Christopher Morandi, Bobo-favourite Ida Mariana, and vocal electra Izen Kong, performing a program that includes top Broadway hits from Cabaret, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, and The Phantom of the Opera, led by musical director Nish Tham. We catch up with Sean, who is an actor, singer, and the artistic director of Bobo KL, to find out more. Image Credit: Bobo KL

Following a successful run in 2023, local improv comedy troupe, AIIA Improv, returns with One Word Wonder, described as a performance where long form improv comedy meets live music, for a hilarious night out. In this unique performance, the audience plays a pivotal role by suggesting a single word that the improvisers will use to create an entire show on the spot. The show will feature the talents of AIIA Improv members Tung Jit Yang, Farah Rani, Shamaine Othman, Iedil Dzuhrie Alaudin, and Ashraf Modee Zain, alongside musical guest, Irena Taib of The Impatient Sisters. We catch up with Farah and Shamaine to find out what's in store. Image Credit: AIIA Improv

Self-taught artist Syahbandi Samat’s fifth solo exhibition, The Road Less Travelled, is described as a mini-review of the artist’s career that began in 2011, when at the age of 19, he was selected as one of the five winners of the 2011 Malaysia Emerging Artist Awards (MEAA). Thematically, Syahbandi’s artworks selected for this exhibition focus on his more introspective works, surreal renderings filled with metaphors and symbolism, as he comes to terms with past traumas and articulates the insights he’s gained on his continuing journey of self-realisation. Presented by Artemis Art in partnership with  HARTA Space, we find out more from Syahbandi himself, and Ivan Gabriel, a co-curator of the exhibition with Artemis Art.Image Credit: Artemis Art

Motets - Bach & Poulenc is a performance featuring sacred music compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and Francis Poulenc (1899-1963), two composers from different periods in classical music history, each with distinct styles and influences. In this concert presented by the VerSeS Music Ensembles, we will be treated to two (of only six) of Bach’s motets composed in the 1700s, namely, Komm, Jesu, komm (BWV 229) and Jesu, meine Freude (BWV 227), and then jumping ahead two centuries, we will hear Poulenc’s Quatre motets le temps pour Noël. We find out more about what's in store by this performance from Scott Woo, the director/ tenor of the performance, and UK-based guest collaborator, Ibrahim Aziz, who specialises in the performance of baroque, renaissance and contemporary music for the viola da gamba.

Beauty in Elements is the first joint collaboration between the Fugee School and Satu: Creative Collective, and is an attempt to expose potential creative works done by students of the Fugee School, alongside more established artists in a curated exhibition. This charity exhibition hopes to spread awareness about the struggles of refugees among the general public, and to cultivate an interest in the visual arts among students. We find out more from Dr. Elias Yamani Ismail, the Founder of Satu: Creative Collective.

The mf Music Fest: Identity Crisis! invites both music enthusiasts and curious souls to embark on a musical journey that reflects the diversity of Malaysia's music scene. Supported by ThinkCity, this music festival encourages open dialogue across genres through an array of programmes which includes two concerts, that brings together Western classical, local traditional and contemporary music and sounds. We find out more from the festival's co-founders, See Yun Chuan & Howard Ng.

Immerse yourself in a Tony-award winning masterpiece Once On This Island, a captivating saga of gods, lovers, and societal clash. Presented by the Monday Show Entertainment team, this locally reimagined musical will showcase over 50 homegrown talents and promises an unforgettable musical experience that explores themes of love, class, and the power of storytelling. We find out more from the production’s director, Dominic Lucien Luk, and cast member Bihzhu.Image Credit: Monday Show School

Cultural organisation, PUSAKA have a delightful December planned for us, with two performances coming up. Firstly on the 3rd of December, they are presenting the Kompang Jawa Showcase in Kuala Lumpur, which is part of a larger project that aims to revitalise and enhance the sustainability of the authentic Kompang Jawa (Teruntung and Hadaro) traditions, which are older forms of Kompang that are becoming increasingly rare in Malaysia. Then on the 15th of December, they are bringing us Tinariwen, poet-guitarists and soul rebels from the Southern Sahara desert, for a one-night only performance called Tinariwen Returns to Malaysia. All Tinariwen's songs are sung in their native Tamashek language, and expresses the aspirations of their people - the Kel Tamashek or 'Touareg' of the southern Sahara desert - specifically about the need for reconciliation and dialogue in Mali, where political tensions and threats of war are still high. Pauline Fan, the Creative Director of Pusaka, joins us to discuss both the upcoming

The Choir of the Philharmonic Society of Selangor (or The Phil as they are affectionately known) caps off its 65th Anniversary celebration with a Christmas concert called Songs for the Season. The theme for this year’s production is ‘A Gift of Music’ and true to form, the programme will showcase traditional and other seasonal favourites. The Phil’s volunteer-powered community choir will be accompanied on stage by live music from a string ensemble and keyboardist, and we find out more from Brenda James, the Chairperson of the Philharmonic Society of Selangor.Image Credit: Philharmonic Society of Selangor

Symbiocene is described as an “ecopunk” tale of love, grief, and a wild re-imagination of a world where humans, plants, and animals live together symbiotically. We speak to Lim Sheng Hui (Writer, Director, Co-Producer) and Emma Martin (Production Manager and Stage Manager) to discover the inspiration behind this original work, and what we can expect in this three-act devised play.Image Credit: Symbiocene

For the first time, Hands Percussion's professional percussionists will be performing with current students from the Little Yellow Flower Foundation and the Hands Percussion Academy (HPA),  as well as former students who are now professional performers, DeafBeat. We're promised a showcase of the 24 Festive Drum in this year-end production called RhapsoD, which will explore the fluidity of rhythms on the gamelan, to reworkings of a classical Beethoven piece using the Japanese Taiko drums as a centrepiece, and more. We catch up with Bernard Goh, the Founder & Artistic Director of Hands Percussion to find out what's in store.Image Credit: Hands Percussion