Grandioso V: Tales of Japan

From the stillness of sacred groves that tell the tale of princesses to the beat of dance under the neon skylines, Japan sings many voices - ancient, imagined and modern. ‘Tales of Japan’ takes the audience through a journey with these voices, unfolding in three acts that explore the rich, diverse cultures across time and space. Each act invites the audience to inhabit a different realm of Japanese culture: one of memory, one of dream and one of style. Together, the individual pieces weave a musical tapestry that resonates deeply with the soul of Japan.

Terms of Ticket Sales

• Once sold, tickets are strictly non-refundable or exchangeable unless the Singapore government mandates the closure of events in Singapore. All information given is correct at the time of publishing, but is subject to change without prior notice. The Promoter reserves all rights to amend any terms and conditions without prior notice, and, in the event of any dispute, the Promoter’s decision is final.

Conditions of Entry

• Admission is subject to valid tickets produced at the entrance.
• Each ticket admits one person, regardless of age.
• No admission for infants in arms and children aged below 6 years old.

General

• Doors will open at 7pm.
• In the interest of all patrons, latecomers will not be seated until a suitable break in the performance.
• Patrons are required to follow all house rules and regulations set out by the venue. The House Rules are displayed within the venue premises.
• Any complaints regarding the event will be directed to and dealt with by the organiser.
• The organiser reserves the right not to admit patrons who do not comply with prevailing safe management measures and/or whose conduct is disorderly or unbecoming without refund
• There will be a 15 minutes intermission.

Venue Codes

• Inappropriate dressing will not be allowed into the Singapore Conference Hall premises.
• No flowers are permitted in the venue.
• No food and drinks are allowed in the venue.

Photography, Audio and Video Recording

• All mobile phones and beeping devices are to be switched to silent mode during the performance.
• Only Flash Photography is not allowed for this event.

_{All information is correct at time of publishing but may be subject to change without prior notice.}

_{The Organiser reserves the right to amend the above without prior notice. In the event of any dispute, the Organiser’s decision is final.}

Established in 2003, SMU Symphonia has grown into a full-fledged wind and strings symphonic group where we engage in various music genres and art forms. We pride ourselves as music enthusiasts who strive to emulate the values of Music, Friends, and Fun through our annual productions. We operate under the guidance of our resident conductor, Mr Adrian Chiang.

To date, SMU Symphonia has performed in a wide range of performances ranging from university-wide events such as SMU Annual Arts Festival, SMU Patron’s Day, and SMU Open House, to external gigs with various external parties such as NParks. The band performed Photosymphony at the Botanic Gardens in 2019 to monumental success. Our first online production Homebound was a part of SMU Arts Festival 2020, winning People's Choice Award. Meanwhile, Festiva XIV's rehearsals, recordings, and post-productions were carried out completely online, and to date has garnered 2.5k views. SMU Symphonia's SMOOJazz production in Arts Fest 2021 also won Best Marketing and Director's Pick. In 2023, SMU Symphonia celebrated our 20th anniversary. We celebrated this big milestone with our largest concert to date in March 2023, Festiva XVI, with several past and present Symphonians joining us on stage to celebrate all our past achievements! We also collaborated with SMU VOIX in our most recent continuation of our signature winds series, Grandioso IV: Once Upon A Dream, and held our very first strings-only recital, Capriccioso: The Hero’s Journey!

SMU Symphonia has travelled to countries like Australia in 2007 & 2009, and Vienna in 2013 to compete in various international band competitions. In 2018, the club journeyed to Japan to attend the 20th Conference of the Asia Pacific Band Directors’ Associations where we performed alongside bands from Korea, Australia, and many more. Aside from that, SMU Symphonia also hosts our own concerts, including our annual concert Festiva, and internal events within SMU, such as Grandioso.

SMU Symphonia’s continual pursuit of excellence in music is not confined to concerts and competitions; the club believes in sharing the joy of making music, emulating our values of Music, Friends, and Fun with community performances such as the Commonwealth Science Conference 2017 at Istana, and collaborations with sister universities in Singapore like the SMU x SUTD Alma Mater Strings Concert in 2021, or the Inter-University Band Exchange in 2025.