PETALING JAYA, Nov 21 ― Principal harpist Tan Keng Hong has been with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) since the day it opened its doors at the Petronas Twin Towers in 1998.
Twenty years on, the Batu Pahat-born and raised classical musician still recalls the day he auditioned after overhearing three students in the library of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester discussing a yet-to-be-opened concert hall in the capital of Malaysia.
Tan was in the third and final year of his music degree in harp performance and auditions were held in his school, one of the many audition locations across the globe in the MPO’s extensive recruitment exercise.
“I was in the right place and the right time. I got a notice saying I was shortlisted and a week after school ended, I started working at the MPO.
“My first day felt surreal walking through the doors of the Cesar Pelli-designed hall. I was scared but excited,” the 43-year-old told Malay Mail.
Born into a musical family, Tan’s mother played the harp and taught her son when he was 10 while his father ran a music instrument shop.
When Tan became a professional classical musician, there were not many harpists around in the region ― understandably, given the eye-watering cost to own a harp ― and he often was invited to be a guest musician in orchestras in Singapore and Australia.
Tan was 23 when started out as a co-principal harpist and said while the MPO has evolved over the past two decades, so has its audience.
“Back then, classical concerts were a new thing in Malaysia and the audience didn’t understand why some pieces are so long but now they are used to the format of these types of concerts and most people know to clap after the last movement,” he explained.
“Our repertoire has changed too ― apart from classical, we offer audiences jazz, American pop, local pop, experimental music to appeal to different types of audiences.”
Being with the MPO every step of the way has afforded Tan the experience of working with renowned conductors and observing their styles while the orchestra’s repertoire becomes more diverse.
He recalls the intimidation and “freezing up” when the late Lorin Maazel ― the revered conductor and music director of the New York Philharmonic ― was a guest conductor at the MPO.
“With big conductors like Lorin, every note has to be perfect,” he said.
“Performing with sopranos such as Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Sumi Jo were some of the most exciting and enjoyable moments in my career.”
The father of two is also an active member in the MPO’s Education and Outreach programme to cultivate the awareness of classical music among youths.
At these sessions, Tan said people are instantly drawn towards the harp’s gilded and ornate appearance which makes for an excellent icebreaker.
“I usually start with a light classical music repertoire that relates to daily life such as pieces that depict flowers and rivers. Instead of telling them they’re listening to Handel’s Concerto No. 2, I mix it up with fun facts otherwise they can’t connect with me,” he said.
The harp has also been instrumental in the MPO’s hospital visits thanks to its therapeutic abilities.
“Research shows that seeing someone playing the harp promotes calm by taking attention away from their pain,” said Tan.
As the MPO marks an important 20-year milestone, Tan said the orchestra and Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) are significant features that add to the strength of Kuala Lumpur as a city.
“What we provide is some balance to city life and in this modern world and digital age, we are playing live music from a few centuries ago,” he said.
Find out more about the MPO’s Anniversary Special Season Calendar here.
