Choo Hoey. The orchestra had 41 members, 14 of whom were Singaporean. The Singapore Symphony Chorus was then formed on 1 October 1980. On 1 October 1980, the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall became home to the orchestra and was officially opening ceremony by Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew. In 1983, the SSO gave its first outdoor concert at the Istana. Later, in 1985, the SSO made its first European tour, visiting ten cities within Scandinavia, and also performed at the Singapore Botanic Gardens for the first time, conducted by Lim Yau. From 1986 to 1991 (and briefly in 2001), the SSO also created a series of concerts entitled New Music Forum which focused on highlighting Singaporean composers. Additionally, in 1995, Okko Kamu was named principal guest conductor of the SSO. Choo Hoey stepped down as music director in July 1996 and took up the title of conductor emeritus, while Lan Shui became the orchestra's next music director in 1997. In 1999, the SSO performed at the National Day Parade. In 2003, the orchestra moved to its current performance venue, the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. The SSO expanded to its target of about 90 musicians by the early 1990s. In January 2016, the SSO took over management and operational responsibility for the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, which until then was managed by the Ministry of Education. In January 2019, Lan Shui stood down as music director, and was given the title of conductor laureate. In 2019, the SSO celebrated its 40th anniversary with a gala concert. Hans Graf first guest-conducted the SSO in 2015, and returned for a further guest engagement in 2018. In July 2019, the SSO announced the appointment of Graf as its new chief conductor, effective with the 2020-2021 season. Concerts and repertoire The main performing venue for the orchestra is the Esplanade Concert Hall, but concerts are also regularly held at the Victoria Concert Hall. It gives regular free performances and lunch time concerts at venues such as the Botanic Gardens and Gardens by the Bay. It also performs in schools and colleges and has a Community Outreach programme to promote classical music to the wider community. The orchestra has toured around the world; notable concerts include performances at the Berlin Philharmonie, New York's Avery Fisher Hall, Beijing's Poly Theatre, and The Proms in London. The repertoire of the orchestra includes Western