From Joe Hisaishi to homegrown composers, SSO’s 2025/2026 season reads like a cultural reset

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s (SSO) 2025/26 season reads less like a programme guide and more like a curatorial statement. There’s intent in how it’s been put together — a careful balancing act between reverence and risk. Familiar masterworks anchor the season, but the premieres, new commissions, and emerging voices signal where the SSO is headed.

You’ll find the familiar masterworks, of course. But what’s more interesting is how confidently the SSO has committed to new commissions, world premieres, and lesser-heard voices — both international and homegrown. The gesture is subtle but unmistakable: This is an orchestra that isn’t afraid to reframe its role in the cultural landscape.

What makes this line-up worth paying attention to is the range. A Japanese stalwart whose music shaped an entire generation of filmgoers. A Singaporean composer crafting a response to Holst’s The Planets. A saxophone quartet rewriting the rules of orchestral sound. And a young pianist premiering a new local concerto under the baton of Hans Graf. Every one of these feels like a stake in the ground.

If you’ve been waiting for the SSO to lean into boldness, it’s happening now. Here are four programs we love that you absolutely must catch.

JOE HISAISHI AND SSO IN CONCERT

World Premiere: The Boy and the Heron Symphonic Suite

Asian Premiere: Harp Concerto

July 3 & 4, 2025

Hisaishi’s long-awaited return to Singapore unveils not one, but two premieres. Expect cinematic grandeur as the beloved Studio Ghibli composer debuts a symphonic suite from The Boy and the Heron alongside the Asian premiere of his Harp Concerto. With Hisaishi himself conducting, this is both a concert and a cultural moment.

FROM THE NEW WORLD

World Premiere: Søren Nils Eichberg’s Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra

January 16, 2026

The Raschèr Saxophone Quartet, known for reshaping perceptions of classical saxophone, partners with the SSO for the world premiere of Danish-German composer Søren Nils Eichberg Saxophone Quartet Concerto. This commission invites listeners into a world of tonal invention, where tradition meets the avant-garde in thrilling ways — all anchored by Dvořák’s beloved Symphony No. 9.

HANS GRAF & CHUREN LI

World Premiere: Jonathan Shin’s Piano Concerto (SSO Commission)

December 19, 2025

Two Singaporean talents take centre stage as pianist Churen Li premieres a new concerto by Jonathan Shin, commissioned by the SSO. Conducted by Maestro Hans Graf, the evening pairs Shin’s new work with Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony, a massive saga of gloom and terror that sends listeners hurtling to its victorious conclusion.

EARTH AND THE PLANETS

World Premiere: Joyce Koh’s Earth

January 22 & 23, 2026

This elemental programme opens with the world premiere of Earth by Singaporean composer Joyce Koh. It is followed by Elgar’s Cello Concerto, performed by rising star Julia Hagen, which brings lyricism and fire in equal measure. Holst’s The Planets rounds off the night, offering a cosmic scale to complement the concert’s grounded emotional intensity.