UCSI International School, Port Dickson
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Dewan Filharmonik Petronas

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Dewan Filharmonik Petronas

Introduction

Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS (DFP) is home to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) and is Malaysia's concert hall devoted specifically to classical music. Located in the PETRONAS Twin Towers, it was officially opened on 17 August 1998 by the patron of the MPO, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Haji Mohd Ali and former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Designed by Cesar Pelli, the hall takes its inspiration from the traditional shoe-box shape of the great 19th-century European concert halls with the magnificent Klais Pipe Organ providing a spectacular backdrop to the hall's stage and platform. The hall seats 920, which includes box seats, 20 luxurious corporate suites and a royal suite. Acoustics experts Kirkegaard and Associates have incorporated unique acoustical devices into the design to maximize the hall's natural qualities, leading Yuri Temirkanov, Chief Conductor of the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, to remark that "…it's beautiful, the sound is warm, woody and kind … it's one of the best halls I've played in."

Celebrating its 15th Anniversary this 17 August 2013, DFP is an integral part of the music and cultural fabric of Malaysia and the city of Kuala Lumpur. It attracts audiences and continues to enthral listeners as it has done since the day it first opened its doors. In addition to stimulating and enriching concerts by the MPO, DFP has hosted some of the world's leading artists and orchestras. These include the legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, conductors Lorin Maazel, Sir Neville Marriner, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Sir Andrew Davis and Yehudi Menuhin.

World renowned orchestras that have performed in this beautiful hall include the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, BBC Symphony, Vienna Symphony, Sydney Symphony and NHK Symphony. As a chamber music venue, DFP has also attracted such eminent ensembles as the Belcea Quartet and Shanghai Quartet.

Beyond classical music, DFP has hosted such prominent artists as Harry Connick Jr, the Count Basie Orchestra, Yellowjackets, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Pink Martini, Gotan Project and sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar. In addition, Malaysian artists including Tan Sri SM Salim, Dato' Sheila Majid, Dato' M Nasir and Dato' Siti Nurhaliza have mesmerised audiences at DFP.

Concerts from the energetic Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (MPYO) and the annual Seni Festival featuring local music and traditional performing art forms continue to be hosted at this venue.

Always innovative in its programming, DFP has introduced many new ideas including the first-ever Artists-in-Residence (the Borodin Quartet), the crowd pleasing DFP Showcase and Spotlight series which have featured international stars such as Laura Fygi, Zakir Hussain and Larry Carlton, in addition to local talents like Noryn Aziz, Rachel Guerzo, Yuna, Aizat, Najwa, Hafiz and many others.

DFP's success is also attributed to its exceptional architectural design, superior acoustics and recording studio modelled after that at Abbey Road. Bryn Terfel, the Welsh bass-baritone star said of it, "DFP excels in its wonderful acoustics and good lighting that creates a very intimate setting. I only wish I could put the hall in my pocket and take it with me everywhere I perform. It is truly a pearl in the Malaysian musical heritage".