SINGAPORE – Even before he officially takes over as the music director of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) in July 2026, Finnish maestro Hannu Lintu has assigned himself homework – to familiarise himself with the sounds of contemporary Singapore.

“What I’m doing now is trying to understand what kind of composers you have in Singapore,” says Lintu, who was in town in February for talks with the SSO about programming for the 2026/2027 season. He is leaving empty slots in the programme to fill with Singapore works that resonate.

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