Unveiling of the commemorative tree dedicated to Krzysztof Penderecki, Polish contemporary composer
23.11.2021
A trumpet tree in memory of Krzysztof Penderecki – late Polish composer and one of the most prominent figures in 20th-century music – was officially unveiled in Singapore on 23 November 2021 in the presence of Ambassador of Poland to Singapore Magdalena Bogdziewicz and CEO of Singapore Symphony Group Chng Hak-Peng
The ceremony was organised by the Embassy of Poland to Singapore with the support of The Adam Mickiewicz Institute as a part of Poland’s diplomacy action promoting “Penderecki’s Garden”.
The tree was planted at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, an iconic national monument, as part of a cultural project called “Penderecki’s Garden”, which is a virtual space inspired by the composer’s life, music and gardening passion. Singapore is one of the cities around the world where trees are planted in memory of the eminent composer.
The event was attended by several dozen representatives of the Singaporean world of music, science, business, government administration, and the Polish community, among others by Dr. Loo Choon Yong, the Singapore Ambassador to Poland, Ms. Jean Wee, Director of the National Heritage Board, and Dr. Lien Boon Hua from Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, who in 2016-2018 was the Assistant Conductor at the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice.
Opening speeches by Ambassador M. Bogdziewicz and Mr. Hak-Peng Chng, President of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) were an excellent opportunity to recall the profile of the famous Polish composer, his artistic legacy, and his great passion - the garden in Lutosławice, which inspired the creation of the project "Penderecki Garden".
The Ambassador, citing the examples of cultural cooperation between Poland and Singapore (including this year’s contacts of La Salle College of the Arts with Polish artists inspired by the embassy in the creation of a diploma performance based on Chopin’s music), underlined its significant role in tightening bilateral ties. Referring to Singapore’s aspirations to become a modern smart city, immersed in green gardens, she pointed out that the Penderecki Garden project is a perfect combination of the concept of promoting culture and nature using the latest technological solutions such as virtual reality.
The symbolic unveiling of the tree and the commemorative plaque was made by Ambassador Bogdziewicz and Mr. Hak-Peng Chng.
The celebration, organized on the 88th anniversary of the Polish composer's birth, at the historic hotel the Fullerton Building was one of the first events organized after the pandemic's solstice in the form of personal participation and was very much appreciated by the invited guests.
Penderecki's tree becomes another "Polish" sign on the Singapore map of sites commemorating important events and figures of our history and culture, after the F. Chopin statue near the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage in the Botanic Gardens, the J. Conrad Korzeniowski plaque in the city center, the Pope John Paul II Monument at the grounds of the Cathedral of The Good Shepherd and Polish Bells of Happiness from Dar Pomorza and Dar Młodzieży placed on Mount Faber.
