Forget Me Not

Forget Me Not is a theatrical concert that reimagines the identity of the twenty-first-century classical musician. Framed as a reunion between two friends, Howard the oboist and producer, and Akkra the pianist and composer, the performance becomes both a memory and a manifesto. It recalls what first connected them, the shared passion for traditional arts, and reflects on the ongoing struggle to adapt, survive, and remain meaningful in a rapidly changing world. The title “Forget Me Not”, takes inspiration from the delicate flower, symbolizing love, fidelity, devotion, and fragility.

Through piano and oboe music, theatrical acting, and multimedia, the two artists retrace their divergent journeys: one shaped by creative production and community engagement, the other by performance and artistic inquiry. Together they rediscover the beauty of the old, the expressive depth of classical repertoire, and the urgency of the new through innovative media, cross-disciplinary storytelling, and new ways of performing and composing. The concert asks what it means to stay musical when the industry no longer guarantees permanence. It celebrates the evolving possibilities of the classical artist as performer, composer, storyteller, educator, technologist, and producer, and affirms that artistry today flourishes through connection.

PROGRAMME

An Alienated Artist
Edvard Grieg - Solitary Traveller, Op. 43 No. 2 (for piano solo)

Incomplete, but Sufficient
Edward Elgar - Soliloquy (for oboe and piano)

Mirrors & Narcissus, an Identity Crisis
Thea Musgrave - Take Two Oboes (for two oboes): IV. Frisky

Let’s Go with the Flow
Maurice Ravel - Jeux d’eau (for piano solo)

Words Unsung I: Singing a Song for the Orinoco.
André Jolivet - Chant pour Les Piroguiers de L'Orenoque (for oboe and piano)

Words Unsung II: With the Nightingale and the Rose, A Journey to Persia.
Saint-Saëns - Le rossignol et la rose from Parysatis (for oboe and piano)

Words Unsung III: An Intersection - A Modern Pop Song or a Sonata-Allegro?
Yeunyonghattaporn - Ohne Worte (for English horn and piano)
I. Above the Stars

A Popular Sonata
Beethoven - Piano Sonata, Op. 13 (for piano solo)
I. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio

Minimalism Finds an Enemy in the Shortest Waltz Ever Written
Louis Andriessen - Forget Me Not (for oboe left hand and piano right hand)

INTERMISSION (15 minutes)

From Deep Affliction I Cry Out to You
Druschetzky, arr. Yeo Chow Shern - Canone a quatro voci del Sig. Kirnberger in A minor (for oboe and piano)

It Is Prussian Blue! And It Will Fade!
CPE Bach - Sonata G minor (for oboe and harpsichord)

All Shall Be Well
J.S. Bach - Sheep May Safely Graze, arr. Egon Petri (for piano solo)

Of Friends and Fond Memories
Louis Andriessen - Memory of Roses (for piano and toy piano)

My Only Love Sprung from My Only Hate!
Marina Dranishnikova - Poem (for oboe and piano)

Dessert, for the Broken-Hearted
Madeleine Dring - Polka (for oboe and piano)

Howard Ng Su Chee, oboe

Howard Ng is a musician and arts practitioner based in Singapore and Malaysia.

As an oboist, Howard Ng has performed for audiences on three continents. As an orchestral musician, Howard has performed with Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Asian Youth Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra (MY), Orchestra of the Music Makers (SG), Singapore Lyric Opera, The Philharmonic Orchestra (SG), Asean-Russia Youth Orchestra, Pro Musica Bangkok and others.

From 2017-2023, Howard worked at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, where he co-produced major broadcast and multidisciplinary initiatives, working in over 800 events with artists such as Les Arts Florissants, Calefax Reed Quintet, Sir András Schiff, Midori, Masaaki Suzuki, Vadim Gluzman, Nobuko Imai, Igudesman & Joo, Eric Hoeprich, Margaret Leng Tan, Gabor Takács-Nagy and many others.

From 2014-2019, Howard was a grant recipient of the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music for the creation and administration of the Malaysian Wind Music Prize, which has led to substantial professional development and training opportunities for aspiring young musicians in the country. The Prize continues to be offered by Rondo Production today.

In the spirit of life-long education, Howard experienced a brief attachment in 2022 at the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, studying with renowned production company Polyhymnia International.

Event highlights of 2025-2026 include performing for Singapore stop of Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular World Tour, concerts with the Malaysian Philharmonic & Metropolitan Festival (SG) orchestras, touring with Ensemble Virama to Taiwan, performing at the inaugural International Bachfest Malaysia, as well as producing for Esplanade Singapore and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.