Classical music prodigy Darrell Ang is arguably one of Singapore’s best-known music exports. However, Melissa Gail Sing discovers that talent alone will not get one far in the music world.
From Most Inspiring CEO to Best Director to Most Promising Young Achiever to Best for Community Contribution, there are countless awards that honour deserving individuals every year. In a country that places high value on success and achievement like Singapore, prestigious awards are a means of recognising talent and identifying potential success tatler_tatler_stories, distinguishing the very best from the mediocre, and providing inspiration all around.
The first significant award is perhaps the most memorable and the strongest affirmation to keep striving and developing oneself. But subsequently, when even your work files start fighting for office space with your growing collection of medals and trophies, what do those awards mean? And conversely, is the well-decorated individual with an unrivalled medal tally really better than one who simply prefers to let his work speak for itself rather than through awards?
Melissa Gail Sing asks notable award winners in society to share their take on the meaning of an award, how they like to celebrate a big honour, and what distinctions they’d like to see given out in future.
Darrell Ang
Classical music prodigy Darrell Ang is arguably one of Singapore’s best-known music exports, but talent alone will not get you far in the music world. After training in St. Petersburg and Yale, the 36-year-old went on to lead some of the finest orchestras on home ground and abroad. A string of awards including Allianz Young Conductors' Academy Award 2010-2011, the Grand Prize in the Audience Prize & Orchestra Prize of the Besançon International Young Conductors' Competition 2007, Winner of the Antonio Pedrotti International Competition 2006 and Winner of the Arturo Toscanini International Competition 2008, have helped to launch his music career. He is now music director of Orchestre Symphonique De Bretagne in France.
You’ve won a string of awards throughout your career. What do they mean to you?
Although they are nothing new to me now, they meant a lot at first. When I received my first prestigious award, I felt a mixture of shock and disbelief, which was precipitated by an uneasy stomach-upsetting nervousness. This poisonous cocktail of emotion completely numbed me and prevented me from feeling anything else or properly exhibiting the right expression on my face.
How have the awards helped you?
They helped launched my career, but sustaining it is harder still—and that is something awards cannot do.
Conversely, if you never won any awards, would that mean you were less successful at what you do?
Yes.
Other than awards, what are some other forms of recognition that you value?
In my industry, if you don't have a big-name maestro speaking on your behalf then it is impossible to go very far.
What’s the one award that has never been given out which you’d like to see given out?
A whole string from "Worst Leader" to "Biggest Disappointment in Community Contribution". I think recognising the sinners could be a more effective way of kickstarting healthy habits in people who would never dream of doing good, as well as urge the do-gooders to do even more.
What’s the best way to celebrate an award?
Over good food and good wine.
Next week, we speak to the man behind a group that has over 40 restaurants in Singapore, Indonesia, China, Japan and India.
Other tatler_tatler_stories in this series: