Singapore International Festival of the Arts (SIFA)

The Singapore International Festival of the Arts (SIFA), which runs between April and May, has released its festival lineup. For its 41st edition, SIFA has booked a number of musical luminaries both international and local. Audiences can look forward to performances by 24-year-old British jazz prodigy Jacob Collier, composer and Sufjan Stevens collaborator Nico Muhly, the Duke Ellington Orchestra and Cape Verde musician Tcheka. Local musicians also performing at SIFA include Intriguant, SA and NADA.

This SIFA lineup, helmed by new festival director Gaurav Kripalani, is an embarrassment of riches, to be sure, but already there are some standouts that shouldn't be missed. Besides a one-night-only concert at the Victoria Theatre, Jacob Collier – who got his start multi-tracking on YouTube and won a Grammy with his debut album in 2016 – will also be holding a free workshop on harmony and groove.

Nico Muhly's 90-minute performance at the SOTA Drama Theatre will be a collaboration with local musicians, the pianist Lim Yan and percussionist Ramu Thiruyanam, and will include his own works, like A Hudson Cycle and Skip Town, and commissioned pieces like Drones & Viola. The Duke Ellington Orchestra will close out the festival at the Botanic Gardens with a free concert featuring guest vocalists Alemay Fernandez and Nick Zavior.