“Staple of the Avant-garde” Max Richter’s Hong Kong Debut with the HK Phil
Amazing the audience with his best-known pieces - Recomposed and Memoryhouse
(30 November & 1 December 2018)

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[2 November 2018, Hong Kong] The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is honoured to welcome Max Richter, the pre-eminent Neo-Classical/Ambient composer of our era, to perform on the Hong Kong stage for the first time, with conductor Robert Ziegler, violinist Mari Samuelsen, soprano Grace Davison and the orchestra. They will perform two of his best-known compositions - Recomposed and Memoryhouse.

The artistry of composer and pianist Max Richter transcends boundaries and his wide range of works can be heard not only in the concert hall but also in dance and cinema (such as Shutter Island and Arrival). This prolific composer is best known for interweaving contemporary classical with popular music styles.

“Music”, says Max Richter, “is - to me - principally a way to talk to people. It’s about having a conversation, and if you want to have a conversation you have to speak intelligibly. You also have to have content: something to say. I wanted to develop a language that was plain-speaking and direct… so I looked for alternative ways to connect to an audience.”

Recomposed is a reinterpretation of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, in which Richter retained 25% of Vivaldi’s original material, and the parts he used are phrased to emphasise his grounding in postmodern and minimalist music. Recomposed, an album that won Max Richter the 2018 ECHO Klassik Award and topped the classical charts in 22 countries, will be performed on the stage LIVE.   

“[Max Richter’s] Memoryhouse has become a landmark of the amorphous scene that would eventually earn the tags ‘post-classical’ or ‘indie classical.’”
--- Pitchfork

Memoryhouse is Max Richter’s first solo album. Recorded with the BBC Philharmonic, this debut album was described by the BBC Music Magazine as "a masterpiece in neoclassical composition". Max Richter and the HK Phil will explore real and imaginary stories and histories together with the audience.

Silver Screen Series: Max Richter Plays Max Richter will be held on 30 November & 1 December 2018 (Fri & Sat), 8PM in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Tickets price: HK$580, $480, $380, $280 are now available at URBTIX. For enquiries, please call +852 2721 2332 or visit hkphil.org. 

Artists
Max Richter, piano and keyboard [full biography]
Max Richter’s work embodies both the rigour of the Classical tradition and the experimentalism of contemporary electronica and is unafraid of appealing directly to our emotions. Richter’s name has recently entered public consciousness through his many collaborations with filmmakers including Golden Globe-winner Waltz with Bashir, HBO’s drama The Leftovers, and Tom Hardy’s Taboo, which gained Richter his first EMMY nomination. Numerous directors, including Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island) and, most recently, Denis Villeneuve (Arrival), have used Richter’s catalogue.

Robert Ziegler, conductor [full biography]
In a lively and versatile career, Robert Ziegler has conducted masterpieces from Albinoni to Zappa and collaborates with artists across the musical spectrum. His extensive guest conducting includes London Philharmonic, Royal Opera House, San Francisco Symphony, Japan Philharmonic and many more. Ziegler has also recorded extensively, including Max Richter’s ballet Woolf Works for DG, Ludovico Einaudi’s Divenire with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic etc. Extensive works in the film include conducting and orchestrating Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and conducts films screened with live music including the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, Psycho, and Taxi Driver. 

Mari Samuelsen, violin [full biography]
Norwegian violinist Mari Samuelsen has enjoyed a remarkable rise in the international concert stage through a characteristic mixture of artistry and enterprise. For more than 25 years she has collaborated in duo with her brother, cellist Hakon Samuelsen. In 2015 they released their debut album, Pas de Deux, Mercury/Decca (Universal), the centrepiece of which was a new work written for them by the Oscar-winning composer, James Horner. Samuelsen is the founder and artistic director of ‘A Christmas concert from Norway’ which she started together with her brother in 2003. She has also been artistic director of Yellow Lounge in Norway, bringing the Berlin-born club night to Oslo, keeping classical music in the mix at the forefront of contemporary art. 

Grace Davidson, soprano [full biography]
Grace Davidson is an English soprano who specialises in the performance and recording of Baroque music. She won the Early Music Prize while studying singing at London's Royal Academy of Music. Her technical mastery plus musicality and exceptional purity of tone have broadened her career into the worlds of contemporary classical and film music and she has performed Lord Of The Rings in Europe and Australia. Davidson is a featured voice on over 100 film soundtracks including The Hobbit, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Great Gatsby, Red Sparrow and many more. Most notable has been her work with acclaimed composer Max Richter whom she has recorded Sleep and Woolf Works for Deutsche Grammophon.

SILVER SCREEN: MAX RICHTER PLAYS MAX RICHTER
30 | 1 & 1 | Dec | 2018
FRI & SAT 8PM
Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall
HK$580 $480 $380 $280
Tickets are now available at URBTIX
For ages 6 and above

Artists

Max Richter	piano & keyboard
Robert Ziegler	conductor
Mari Samuelsen	violin
Grace Davidson	soprano

Click the thumbnails to download press images

Max Richter Photo Credit: Mike Terry	Robert Ziegler Photo Credit: Matthew Andrews	Mari Samuelsen Photo Credit: Kaja Bruskeland _Decca
Grace Davidson	The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra Photo Credit: Cheung Wai-lok/HK Phil

Programme

Max RICHTER	Recomposed (HK premiere)
Max RICHTER	Memoryhouse (Asian premiere)