HK Phil to Feature Stephen Hough in Concerts in Hong Kong and Guangzhou

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: 
Dennis Wu
Director of Marketing 
Tel: (852) 2721 9035
Email: dennis.wu@hkphil.org 

Emily Hui
Media Relations and Communications Manager
Tel: (852) 2721 1585
Email: emily.hui@hkphil.org

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[29 November 2024, Hong Kong] The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil), conducted by Resident Conductor Lio Kuokman, will present concerts at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall and Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou this December. Hong Kong and Guangzhou audiences will have the opportunity to experience performances featuring the acclaimed pianist Stephen Hough, described by The Economist as one of the "Twenty Living Polymaths."

Swire Denim Series: Lio Kuokman & Stephen Hough (12 December)

“Whatever Stephen Hough plays, he either distils its essence or finds something strikingly new to say about it,” praises The Independent. His complete recordings of Saint-Saëns’ piano concertos won the Gramophone “Gold Disc” Award. Hough will perform Saint-Saëns' virtuosic Egyptian Concerto, a work the composer referred to as “a kind of voyage in the East.” The concert will open with Fazıl Say’s Grand Bazaar, a vibrant piece that weaves together diverse cultural influences. Under Lio Kuokman's direction, this musical journey will culminate in a performance of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, a monumental masterpiece inspired by the composer’s passionate infatuation with an actress and the complex nature of obsession.

“Swire Denim Series: Lio Kuokman & Stephen Hough” will be held on 12 December 2024 (Thu) at 8PM at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Tickets priced at HK$520, $420, $320 and $220 are available at URBTIX. For enquiries, please call +852 2721 2332 or visit hkphil.org.

HK Phil 2024 Guangzhou Concert (14 December)

Following the Hong Kong performance, Hough and the orchestra will travel to Guangzhou for a weekend concert. The first half of the programme will mirror the Hong Kong concert, featuring Fazıl Say’s Grand Bazaar and Saint-Saëns’ Egyptian Concerto. The evening will conclude with Lio Kuokman leading the orchestra in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, a vividly orchestrated work inspired by the enchanting tales of A Thousand and One Nights. This concert is supported by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

“HK Phil 2024 Guangzhou Concert: Stephen Hough & Lio Kuokman with the HK Phil” will be held on 14 December 2024 (Sat) at 8PM at the Xinghai Concert Hall Symphony Hall in Guangzhou. Tickets are priced at RMB¥880, ¥680, ¥480, ¥380, ¥280 and ¥180. For ticketing information, please visit www.concerthall.com.cn.

The partnership between Xinghai Concert Hall and HK Phil began in September 2019. In March and April 2025, HK Phil is set to return to Guangzhou, continuing to share exceptional music with a wider audience.

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Artists

Lio Kuokman, conductor [full description]

Currently Resident Conductor of the HK Phil, Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Macao Orchestra, and Programme Director of the Macao International Music Festival, Lio Kuokman was praised by the Philadelphia Inquirer as “a startling conducting talent”. He won the second prize, Audience Prize and Orchestra Prize at the third Svetlanov International Conducting Competition in Paris, and served as the first Chinese Assistant Conductor at the Philadelphia Orchestra. He has successfully collaborated with many leading orchestras across the globe.

Stephen Hough, piano [full description]

Named by The Economist as one of Twenty Living Polymaths, Stephen Hough combines a distinguished career as a pianist with those of composer and writer. He was the first classical performer to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year Honours 2014, and was awarded a Knighthood for Services to Music in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2022. Concerto highlights include engagements with Oslo Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony, Dusseldorf Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, and Nagoya and Seoul Philharmonic Orchestras.

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SWIRE DENIM SERIES: LIO KUOKMAN & STEPHEN HOUGH

12 | 12 | 2024

THU 8:00PM

Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall

$520 $420 $320 $220

Tickets now available at URBTIX

For ages 6 and above

Artists

Programme

HK PHIL 2024 GUANGZHOU CONCERT: STEPHEN HOUGH & LIO KUOKMAN WITH THE HK PHIL

14 | 12 | 2024

SAT 8:00PM

Xinghai Concert Hall Symphony Hall

¥880 ¥680 ¥480 ¥380 ¥280 ¥180

Artists

Programme