In their semi-staged production of Richard Wagner’s Siegfried at the Esplanade Concert Hall, Singapore’s Orchestra of the Music Makers (OMM) departs from traditional staging by bringing the entire orchestra out of the hidden pit and onto the stage alongside the vocalists. 

Members across the ensemble, including oboist Chan Chen, percussionist Derek Koh, horn player Chloe Lau, and soprano Victoria Songwei Li (the Woodbird), highlight the demanding mental stamina, nuanced acoustic balancing, and collaborative focus required to navigate long rests, cut through heavy Wagnerian textures, and ensure the unamplified singers can shine without being drowned out by the powerful orchestra.

“Our staging of Siegfried puts the music front and centre… A concert setting gives us an opportunity to distil the opera into its essence and give the music centre stage.”
— Tan Shou Chen, Stage Director

“Unlike typical slow, sweeping Wagnerian lines, the Woodbird’s line consists of many complex consonants that have to be delivered rapidly and clearly, while maintaining a legatissimo line. Achieving all that with the vocal line sitting in a high register can prove to be a challenge at times, not to mention having to project over the large Wagnerian-sized orchestra.”
— Victoria Songwei Li, Soprano (Woodbird)

“Wagner’s brass writing can be incredibly powerful, but we have to remember that the singers are the ones carrying the story… In the end, it’s about being powerful as an ensemble while leaving space for the music and the voices to speak.”
— Chloe Lau, Horn / Wagner Tuba Player

https://thebandpost.com/2026/09/behind-the-music-inside-omms-siegfried/