HK Phil 45th Anniversary Gala Dinner
In celebration of the timeless and finest music-making
29 MAR 2019
Hong Kong
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Meggy Cheng
Director of Marketing
Tel: (852) 2721 9035
Email: meggy.cheng@hkphil.org
Flora Fung
Media Relations and Communications Manager
Tel: (852) 2721 1585
Email: flora.fung@hkphil.org
[29 March 2019, Hong Kong] The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) held the 45th Anniversary Gala Dinner – “The Timeless” on 22 March 2019 (Friday) at the Grand Ballroom of Conrad Hong Kong. We were honoured by the presence of the Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Matthew Cheung, GBM, GBS, JP.
The HK Phil became fully professional in 1974. Over the intervening years, the orchestra has tirelessly worked to present quality, timeless music in Hong Kong as well as in the international arena. Under the leadership of Music Director Jaap van Zweden, the HK Phil has attained new heights of artistic excellence, earning international critical acclaim for such recent achievements as the epic four-year journey through Wagner’s “Ring Cycle” opera-in-concert and live recordings.
Dinner guests were treated to performances by the HK Phil musicians, including a string quartet performance by Wang Liang (Second Associate Concertmaster), Gui Li (First Violin), Kaori Wilson (Assistant Principal Viola) and Timothy Frank (Cello), and a brass quartet performance by Esteban Batallán (Principal Trumpet), Christopher Moyse (Co-Principal Trumpet), Homer Lee (Horn) and Christian Goldsmith (Trombone), showcasing the timeless quality of great music. Musicians and staff of the orchestra attended the dinner to celebrate this priceless moment together. At the end of the evening, a number of long-serving staff members and musicians were commended on stage for their dedicated contribution to the HK Phil, including the Stage Manager who has been with the orchestra for over 40 years.
The HK Phil gratefully acknowledges many individuals and companies who attended the dinner, financially supported it, and donated auction and raffle prizes to make the event a great success. Proceeds of the Gala Dinner will be used to support the long-term development of the HK Phil, as well as its education and outreach programmes.
Distinguished guests (in alphabetical order of family name) who joined the gala dinner included Ms Elisa Chan, Dr Darwin Chen, Ms Sharon Choa, Mr Chow Fan Fu, Mr and Mrs Richard Hui, Prof King-man Lo, Mr Anthony Lun, Mrs Cherry Tse and the orchestra’s Principal Guest Conductor Yu Long.
Board and Committee members who joined the celebrations included Mr Y. S. Liu, MH (Chairman of Board of Governors), Mrs Janice Choi, MH, JP (Vice-Chairman of Board of Governors), Board members Dr Allen Fung, Mr Edward Ng, Dr John Yeung, SBS, OBE, JP and Fundraising Committee members, Ms Au Lai Chong, Ms Cherry Cheung, Ms Ming Lie, Barrister-at-law, Ms Jin Ling and Ms Angela Yau.
The HK Phil would like to give its heartfelt thanks to the HK Phil 45th Anniversary Gala Dinner Committee:
Chairman:
Ms Au Lai Chong
Committee Members:
Ms Cherry Cheung
Mrs Janice Choi, MH, JP
Mr Fan Ting
Ms Jin Ling
Mr Edward NgMr Wong Hing Fung
Click the thumbnails to download press images
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Mr Y. S. Liu, Chairman of Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society, gave a warm welcoming speech. | ||
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The Hon Mr Matthew Cheung, Chief Secretary for Administration of HKSAR, gave a speech. | ||
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Ms Au Lai Chong, Chairman of the HK Phil’s 45th Anniversary Gala Dinner Organising Committee, gave a speech. | ||
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Group Photo: (from left to right) Mrs Vennie Ho, Dr Allen Fung, Ms Cherry Cheung, Mr Fan Ting, Mr Edward Ng, Mr Y. S. Liu, Mrs Janice Choi, Mr Michael MacLeod, Ms Au Lai Chong, Ms Jin Ling, Dr John Yeung, Mr Wong Hing Fung and Ms Kary Hon toasted with guests at the dinner. | ||
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Cake-cutting ceremony to celebrate the HK Phil’s 45th anniversary. | ||
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HK Phil Musicians Wang Liang, Gui Li, Kaori Wilson and Timothy Frank performed Mozart’s 1st movement from Divertimento. | ||
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HK Phil Musicians Esteban Batallán, Christopher Moyse, Homer Lee and Christian Goldsmith performed Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” and Hornpipe from The Water Music. | ||
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Music Director: Jaap van Zweden
Principal Guest Conductor: Yu Long
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is recognised as Asia’s foremost classical orchestra. Presenting more than 150 concerts over a 44-week season, the HK Phil attracts more than 200,000 music lovers annually.
Jaap van Zweden, one of today’s most sought-after conductors, has been the orchestra’s Music Director since the 2012/13 concert season, a position he will continue to hold until at least 2022. Maestro van Zweden is the 26th Music Director of the New York Philharmonic from the 2018/19 season.
Yu Long has been Principal Guest Conductor since the 2015/16 season.
Under the dynamic leadership of Music Director Jaap van Zweden, the HK Phil has attained new heights of artistic excellence, garnering international critical acclaim.
Following on from the success of the European tour which included a filmed concert from Vienna’s Musikverein, the HK Phil has toured extensively within the mainland China. In 2017, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, and with support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices, the orchestra performed in Seoul, Osaka, Singapore, Melbourne and at the Sydney Opera House.
Jaap, the HK Phil, a superb cast of soloists and a chorus successfully completed an epic four-year journey through Wagner’s “Ring Cycle” in January 2018. The concert performances and live Naxos recordings have been enthusiastically received by audiences and praised by critics at home and abroad. The recording of Götterdämmerung was released in November 2018.
Conductors and soloists who have recently performed with the orchestra include Vladimir Ashkenazy, Joshua Bell, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Matthias Goerne, Stephen Hough, Evgeny Kissin, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Ning Feng and Yuja Wang.
The HK Phil promotes the work of Hong Kong and Chinese composers through an active commissioning programme, and has released recordings on the Naxos label featuring Tan Dun and Bright Sheng, each conducting their own compositions. Its acclaimed education and community engagement programmes in schools, hospital and outdoor space, bring music into the hearts of tens of thousands of children and families every year.
The Swire Group has been the Principal Patron of the HK Phil since 2006. Through this sponsorship, which is the largest in the orchestra’s history, Swire endeavours to promote artistic excellence, foster access to classical music and stimulate cultural participation in Hong Kong, and to enhance Hong Kong’s reputation as one of the great cities in the world.
Thanks to a significant subsidy from the Hong Kong Government and long-term funding from Principal Patron Swire, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and other supporters, the HK Phil now boasts a full-time annual schedule of core classical repertoire and innovative popular programming, extensive education and community programmes, and collaborations with, among others, Opera Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Arts Festival and the Hong Kong Ballet.
Originally called the Sino-British Orchestra, it was renamed the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 1957 and became fully professional in 1974. The HK Phil is a charitable organisation.
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and is Venue Partner of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
SWIRE is the Principal Patron of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.