Red Dot Baroque

Established in 2018, Red Dot Baroque is Singapore’s first professional baroque ensemble and Ensemble-in-Residence at the Yong Siew T oh Conservatory of Music. Led by violinist Alan Choo, the ensemble is dedicated to bringing out the spirit and essence of Baroque music on period instruments, and to present music in fresh perspectives for the modern audience.

The ensemble celebrates its fifth anniversary in 2023 with a presentation of all six of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos in collaboration with guest artists from Europe. This event marks the first-ever complete period performance of the Brandenburg concertos in Singapore.

Internationally, the group embarked on a tour of Malaysia in 2019 in collaboration with guest artists from The Netherlands, and made their virtual debut at the Boston Early Music Festival Fringe Series and the Indianapolis Early Music Festival in 2021. The ensemble is looking forward to resuming a tour to the USA – cancelled due to the pandemic – which would have featured appearances at the Kennedy Center and collaborations with the Grammy Award-winning Apollo’s Fire.

Cross-genre collaboration is also a signature of Red Dot Baroque’s productions. Their performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons included a recitation of “The Lost Seasons” by poet Dr. Sara Florian, specially commissioned for the project. Lighting designs by Alberta Wileo featured alongside classical string quartets by Mozart, Mendelssohn and Arriaga in Child Prodigies, performed in an intimate setting with the audience around the performers. In keeping with the roots of their music, music of Lully and Purcell were presented with baroque dancing by T an Qin Ying in The Seasons of Love and One Charming Night.

The group also maintains an active digital presence via their YouTube channel and social media platforms, notably with the production of a series of high-quality music videos during the pandemic with support from the National Arts Council’s Digital Presentation Grant. These videos included a commission of “A Barojak Suite” from local composer Phang Kok Jun, and various baroque classics filmed in iconic locations around Singapore.

Other recent notable projects include Handel’s Alcina and Messiah with The Opera People, and Bach’s St. John Passion performed without a conductor in collaboration with the YST Conservatory – “a performance not lacking in conviction and passion.” (The Straits Times, 2022).

Website: reddotbaroque.com
Instagram/Facebook: @reddotbaroque
Youtube Channel: @RedDotBaroque

Alan Choo, Founder and Artistic Director

Singaporean violinist Alan Choo has established himself on the global stage as a leading soloist, chamber musician and historical specialist. He made his solo debut with the Grammy Award-winning baroque orchestra, Apollo’s Fire, at the T anglewood and Ravinia Music Festivals in 2017, and currently serves as Artistic Leadership Fellow for the ensemble, where he takes on soloist, concertmaster and guest director roles. He is also Founder and Artistic Director of Red Dot Baroque, Singapore’s first professional period ensemble, which has enjoyed multiple sold-out concerts and critical acclaim since their formation in August 2018. In May 2019 he was invited as guest concertmaster and soloist with the Shanghai-based baroque ensemble, Shanghai Camerata.

As a modern violinist, Alan has appeared as a soloist with the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Orchestra of the Music Makers and more. A proponent of contemporary music, Alan is co-founder of SG Inspirations, a project dedicated to performing works by Singaporean composers. In 2015, he recorded the SG Inspirations commemorative CD album with pianist Lin Hengyue as a gift to their nation on Singapore’s 50th anniversary. His piano trio Trio Phoenix combines both worlds of early and contemporary music by performing works by living composers and exploring the wealth of baroque repertoire performed with stylistic awareness on modern instruments. The trio completed their Asia Summer T our in 2015 to critical acclaim, with repertoire ranging from Jean-Philippe Rameau to Alfred Schnittke, and were guest artists at the Lexington Bach Festival 2017.

Alan’s achievements in all areas of performance have earned him awards such as the Early Music Award 2016 from Peabody Conservatory, the Paul Abisheganaden Grant for Artistic Excellence 2015, the Goh Soon Tioe Centenary Award 2014, the Grace Clagett Ranney Prize in Chamber Music 2014 and 1st prize in the National Piano and Violin Competition 2011, Artist Category. He has also given masterclasses and lectures in violin performance, performance practice and stage presence to college students at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bowling Green State University, Yong Siew T oh Conservatory and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. A graduate of the Yong Siew T oh Conservatory and Peabody Conservatory, Alan is currently finishing a Doctorate in Historical Performance Practice at Case Western Reserve University under Julie Andrijeski. His past teachers include Victor Danchenko, Alexander Souptel and Risa Browder.