Celebrating the sunshine

       It's amazing how time flies. As you wake up to Bangkok's rain-soaked daylight, there comes the time of the year again: the time that allows all your senses to celebrate an artful and opulent life under the sun.
       Held at the state-of-the-art Esplanade Concert Hall, gala concerts are always the most popular happenings at the Singapore Sun Festival.
       Originating seven years ago in Tuscany, Italy, before branching out to California's Napa Valley and Singapore, the annually held Sun Festival is recognised worldwide for its rich presentation of arts and lifestyle activities. The festival's universal concept, "The Art of Living Well", is glorified through music, visual arts, film, literature, wine, cuisine and wellness.
       To be held for the third time from October 3-12, the Singapore Sun Festival - the only festival of its kind in Asia - has proved to be quite a success, with 30,000 festival goers in 2007 and over 35,000 visitors over its 2008 event. Now aiming to draw in 40,000 audiences from all over Southeast Asia, this year it will present more than a hundred free and ticketed activities with an inspiring line-up of world-famous artists, celebrities and chefs over its 10-day period.
       "Although Singapore is a small country in geographical size, it's also a country with a vibrant and deeply rich cultural heritage of its own, which has made it an international mecca for great art in all of its manifestations. And with nearly 200 artists to participate in this year's event, Singapore is poised to host a truly international festival in a unique and compelling way," said Charles Hamlen, chairman of IMG Artists, the event organiser.
       Wellness classes conducted by world class gurus are among the festival’s key activities.
       The festival is set to kick off on Saturday, October 3,with a gala opening ballet performance by members of Bolshoi and Mariinsky theatres. Your sense of hearing will continue to be indulged over the following nights with concerts from Elvis Costello, Al Jarreau, Afro Cuban All Stars and The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra featuring Jaap van Zweden, Sir James Galway, Conrad Tao, Nina Kotova, Angela Gheorghiu and Marius Manea.
       For film and literature fans, there will be a number of movies screened, with a talk with Asian superstars such as Joan Chen. And also forums on writing for screen and stage by Nobel Prize-winning playwright, poet, novelist and critic Wole Soyinka will be held.
       The issue of well living cannot be complete without honouring the art of eating. So the topic of wine and cuisine is always a very strong part of the event. Last year saw world famous chefs Charlie Trotter, Luke Mangan and Riccardo Genovesi. And joining the event this year will be Thierry Marx, France's hottest avant-garde, two-Michelin-starred chef; Floyd Cardoz, groundbreaking Indian chef from New York; and Art Smith, America's most famous homestyle chef.
       Getting a table at restaurants of these superstar chefs can take months, never mind that you would have to save for the overseas plane ticket, so this is a great opportunity to let your palate be tantalised by their world cherished cuisine right here in Asia.
       One of 2009’s highlights, Chef Thierry Marx.
       Other than signature dinners, the event also offers a number of cooking classes and wine conducted by these famous chefs. And the Singapore Wine Auction and Gala dinner that benefits the Viva Foundation for Children with Cancer will nicely wrap up the 10-day fest.
       To cater to the health-conscious, there are a wide range of health and wellness activities including yoga, Taiji, spa and seminars. This year's highlight hosts include Deepak Chopra, one of the world's greatest leaders in mind body medicine, and Saumik Bera, one of the best yoga teachers in Asia.
       With museums and art galleries as its venues, the festival also features a number of art exhibitions including painting workshops, photo contest and the first-ever Paranakans and their jewellery fashion show.
       "Even though the concept of this event is all-embracing and quite sweeping in its scope, the fact that there are so many events and world-acclaimed artists available to people of such wide cultural backgrounds and interests makes it particularly appealing to many visitors.
       The strength of the festival lies not only in the concept of bringing people together from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds but in the extraordinary quality of the participating artists, coupled with the cooperation and collaboration within the local host community," the organiser, Charles Hamlen, said.
       For more information or to book tickets, visit http://www.singaporesunfestival.com or http://www.sistic.com.sg