Music: The Singapore Symphony Orchestra (tel: 6338 1230; website: www.sso.org.sg) gives regular performances including every Friday, Saturday and some Sundays at the Victoria Concert Hall, Empress Place (tel: 6338 6125; website: www.vch.org.sg), and at its home, the Esplanade Concert Hall (tel: 6828 8222; website: www.esplanade.com/) as well as open-air concerts. Founded in 1979, the SSO bridges Asian and Western music and has a growing, if still fragile, reputation helped by the occasional international tour. The Singapore Chinese Opera (tel: 6440 3839; website: www.sco.com.sg) performs Chinese opera at its headquarters, the Singapore Conference Hall, 7 Shenton Way (tel: 6440 3839; website: www.sch.org.sg). Singapore Lyric Opera, 155 Waterloo Street (tel: 6336 1929; website: www.singaporeopera.com.sg), usually performs Western classical pieces, occasionally fusion, at assorted venues. The National Arts Council (tel: 6746 4622; website: www.nac.gov.sg) organises alfresco concerts by local arts companies in parks. For a truly local experience, a Wayang is a Chinese Opera, usually in Mandarin. These highly elaborate performances are most often held during August and September during the Hungry Ghost Festival.