Today, this same symphony has been renamed Utopia — a piece Tay now envisions is absolutely befitting and reflective of the hope and trepidation of the times we find ourselves in. Performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) and Choir, the piece was recorded last November at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London, under the baton of LPO Principal Conductor Vladimir Jurowski.
Founder and director of the Foundation for The Arts and Social Enterprise, Michael Tay, has loved music since he was a child. Having served as ambassador for Singapore to Russia, among other diplomatic roles, in his long and illustrious career, it was music that remained his constant. This exuberant, articulate and vibrant audiophile tells Options about the Foundation’s flagship project Utopia, a musical project absolutely suited for the times we live in today.
In 2003, then-ambassador of Singapore to Russia Michael Tay commissioned avant-garde Russian composer Vladimir Martynov to compose a symphony — something Tay envisioned would be a venture that would alter Russia’s perception of Singapore and fortify ties with the two nations. The symphony premiered in 2005 in Russia as 'Singapore: A Geopolitical Utopia'. Two year later, it was performed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra at the Esplanade Theatres by the Bay and attended by then-Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and then-President S R Nathan.
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