HK Phil Gala Dinner at Government House “Harmonious Connections”
Hong Kong’s social elite joins hands to support the orchestra’s long-term development
13 APR 2018
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
[13 April 2018, Hong Kong]Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) held the Gala Dinner at Government House “Harmonious Connections” on 14 March 2018 in the honourable presence of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, The Hon Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, GBM, GBS, who spoke at the event about the Government’s commitment to supporting the cultural sector in Hong Kong.
The event was chaired by the Vice-Chairman of HK Phil’s Board of Governors, who is also the Co-Chair of the Fundraising Committee, Mrs Janice Choi, MH, JP. The dinner’s Organising Committee included Ms Jin Ling, Mrs Harriet Tung, Mr Edward Ng, Ms Ming Lie and Miss Philippa Wong. Ms Jin Ling also acted as the Mistress of Ceremony with Miss Jocelyn Choi.
The gala dinner was in support of the HK Phil’s long-term development as well as its outreach and education work, which reaches out to around 200,000 audiences every year. As said in the speech delivered by Mrs Janice Choi, MH, JP, ticket sales and government subvention cover around 75% of the operational costs of the HK Phil, so support from the private sector is essential for enabling the orchestra to continue to inspire through the finest music-making.
Guests were treated to performances by the HK Phil’s First Associate Concertmaster, Mr Leung Kin-fung, and aspiring young music lovers, including M.int Academy Guitar Quintet, Mr William Chan, Mr Alan Song, Miss Lutina Kwok, Mr Daniel Kwok and Miss Lene Lin.
Other prominent social figures who graced the night included Mr Y. S. Liu, MH, Chairman of the HK Phil’s Board of Governors, Ms Winnie Chiu, JP, HK Phil’s Board of Governors and Co-Chair of Fundraising Committee, Mr Michael MacLeod, HK Phil’s Chief Executive, Prof Cheng Ming Ming, BBS, Ms Tam Yuk Ching Jenny, Ms Alice Hung, Mr and Mrs Richard Hui, Dr Lilian Leong, BBS, JP, Ms Ming Ho, Mr Ivan Sze, BBS, Mr Ricky Yeung, BBS, Dr Kay Jay Foon Lok, Mrs Michelle Lam, Miss Anita Pang, Ms Olivia Lo, Ms Rosa Lee, Ms Clara Li, Ms Zaneta Wong, Mr Victor Chang and Mr Robert Ma.
The HK Phil is very grateful to the many individuals who attended the dinner, financially supported it, and donated auction prizes.
Click the thumbnails to download press photos
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Mr Y. S. Liu, Chairman of Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society gave a welcome speech. | Mrs Janice Choi, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Gala Dinner and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society gave a speech. | |
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Photo with The Hon Mrs Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of HKSAR, Mr Y. S. Liu, Chairman of Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society and Mrs. Janice Choi, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Gala Dinner and Vice-Chairman of Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society. | Mistresses of Ceremonies: Ms Jin Ling and Miss Jocelyn Choi. | |
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The Hon Mrs Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of HKSAR presented souvenir to the Gala Dinner Key Supporters or their representatives accompanied by Mr Y. S. Liu, Chairman of Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society. Key Supporters including Mrs Janice Choi, Dr Kay Jay Foon Lok, Ms Ming Lie and Miss Philippa Wong.
| M.int Academy’s Guitar Quintet performed Clair de Lune by Debussy. | |
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HK Phil’s First Associate Concertmaster Mr Leung Kin-fung and Mr William Chan performed Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni. | Four young supporters of HK Phil, Lutina Kwok, Daniel Kwok, Alan Song, and Lene Lin, performed vocal and harp. | |
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Photo with The Hon Mrs Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of HKSAR, Mr Y. S. Liu, Chairman of Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society, Mrs Janice Choi, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Gala Dinner and Vice-Chairman of Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society, Ms Winnie Chiu, Member of Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society and Mrs Harriet Tung, Member of Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society and Advisor of the Gala Dinner. | Photo with Mr Michael MacLeod, Chief Executive of HK Phil and Ms Alice Hung. | |
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Photo with Mr Edward Ng, Member of Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society and Advisor of the Gala Dinner and Ms Zaneta Wong. | Photo with Gala Dinner Key Supporter Ms Ming Lie, Mr Leonard Chan and Mr William Chan. | |
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Photo with Mrs Vennie Ho, Senior Director of Administration and Finance of HK Phil, Mr Richard Hui and Mrs Rachel Hui. | Photo with Gala Dinner Supporter Prof Cheng Ming Ming, Dr Lilian Leong, Mrs Michelle Lam and Ms Olivia Lo. | |
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Photo with Mrs Vennie Ho, Senior Director of Administration and Finance of HK Phil, Mr Richard Hui and Mrs Rachel Hui. | Photo with Gala Dinner Supporter Prof Cheng Ming Ming, Dr Lilian Leong, Mrs Michelle Lam and Ms Olivia Lo. | |
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Photo with Gala Dinner Supporter Ms Jenny Tam, Ms Ming Ho and Ms Clara Li. | Photo with Gala Dinner Supporter Mr Victor Chang, Mr Robert Ma, Mr Ricky Yeung and Mr Ivan Sze. | |
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Photo with Ms Carol Cheung, Member of Fundraising Committee of HK Phil and Ms Cherry Cheung, Member of Fundraising Committee of HK Phil. | Photo with the representatives of Gala Dinner Key Supporter Hong Kong Tianjin Business and Professional Women Association Vice Chairman Ms Rosa Lee and Vice Chairman Miss Anita Pang. |
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 2022. Maestro van Zweden will be the next Music Director of the New York Philharmonic from the 2018/19 season.
Yu Long was appointed Principal Guest Conductor with the HK Phil for a three-year period commencing with 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 celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, and with support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices, the orchestra recently performed in Seoul, Osaka, Singapore, Melbourne and at the Sydney Opera House.
Jaap, the HK Phil, and a superb casts of soloists, have presented concert performances and recordings of the four operas from Richard Wagner’s epic Ring cycle. These have been enthusiastically endorsed by both audiences and critics at home and abroad, and in recognition of their quality, the orchestra and Jaap have been invited to perform Wagner’s Die Walküre in staged performances at the Beijing Music Festival last October in a co-production with the Salzburg Easter Festival.
Conductors and soloists who have recently performed with the orchestra include Vladimir Ashkenazy, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Matthias Goerne, Stephen Hough, 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 of 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 and the Hong Kong Arts Festival.
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.