KUALA LUMPUR: Award-winning musician Imee Ooi is set to produce her first major concert for fans beginning Thursday at Istana Budaya in Jalan Tun Razak here.
The concert, which is a culmination of Taiping-born Ooi’s two decades of working behind the scenes in various musical productions, is titled Sound Of Wisdom.
The 51-year-old who possesses a caressing voice and excels in New Age music compositions, has composed for many acclaimed local musicals which have been staged over the last two decades.
These include Siddhartha (1999) , Above Full Moon (2004) , The Perfect Circle (2005) , Princess Wen Cheng (2008) and Kita (2010) .
Ooi, who has more than 500 pieces in her repertoire and 50 albums to date, is also known for her album The Chant Of Metta (1999) , her most famous work in Mandarin and English which has spread over many countries around the world.
“I guess it’s high time I performed in my very own concert, and it’s very much by demand. I have been invited to sing in concerts locally and overseas over the past few years but I turned them down.
“Today I’m ready to sing live in my very first concert to personally thank the people who have loved and supported my music,” she said in an interview with the NST.
Though trained as a classical pianist, Ooi has expanded her talents through the years as a prolific composer.
A one-time piano teacher, she entered the local music industry in the mid-1990s providing background music for television dramas.
Ooi worked hard on TV soundtrack projects and jingles. Later, she was called to compose songs for beauty pageants, talent quests and programmes for Astro.
In 1997, she opened a music studio IMM Musicworks in Kuala Lumpur which focused on Buddhist spiritual music.
In Sound Of Wisdom, Ooi said she would be performing most of her popular tracks, divided into chapters, as well as a few new compositions in English and Chinese.
“It is a sharing where my voice and music are a vehicle to send out the sounds of wisdom and mindfulness.
“The title means each of us has an inner wisdom that can be realised when we hear the right sounds that resonate with it. When it is being touched, this inner wisdom brings forth inner peace and happiness within us,” she said.
In the two-hour concert with a 15-minute interval, Ooi will perform along with a 23-member team comprising singers and dancers.
“There’ll also be two of my old friends, famous solo dancers Lee Swee Keong and Ming Low as guest performers. They’re extremely talented and will add lots of artistic colour to the showcase.”
“It’ll have a spectacular set - we will be performing in a giant lotus pond, complete with lovely flowers and leaves, and the set is brilliantly designed by my cousin, architect Teh Tien Yong.”
Ooi has also formed a male vocal group, which is stylish, handsome and most importantly, talented. She calls them the Jing Shi Jin Gang meaning Guardians Of Dharma.
“There are eight members aged between 25 and 38. I’m sure they’ll be a very refreshing programme for the evening too - a spiritual music Il Divo!.”
Ooi’s concert, produced by her own year-old company IMM Performing Arts, sets a high standard with the latest technology in stage lighting and multimedia presentation.
The presentation aims to bridge a new generation of concertgoers while providing the regulars with something familiar, inspiring and close to their hearts.
“The last show, an 8.30pm one on Monday (Aug 3) will be broadcast live on China’s LETV channel.”
The winner of Best Original Music and Best Music Direction in the Boh Cameronian Arts Awards 2009 and 2010 Musical Theatre category hopes to produce more New Age-themed concerts in future.
“After this I’ll embark on a tour of Hong Kong in early September and Shanghai in late October, and hopefully more places to go if things are smooth.”
Sound Of Wisdom concert
When: July 30 till Aug 3
Where: Istana Budaya
Time: 8.30pm and 3pm (Saturdays and Sundays). Tickets are priced between RM350 and RM50.
For more information, contact 011-1287-9139 / 03-9222-8811.