Hong Kong Philharmonic Announces its 40th Professional Season (2013/14 Season )

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[7 May 2013, Hong Kong] Hong Kong Philharmonic (HK Phil) today announces the 2013/14 Season. In 1974 the HK Phil became the first professional orchestra in Hong Kong. It has been bringing beautiful music to the city ever since. In the 40th professional season, the HK Phil will present 64 main stage concerts of orchestral, instrumental and choral music featuring an impressive roll-call of over 50 guest artists and groups.

Maestro Jaap van Zweden with the HK Phil
In his second season at the helm, Music Director Jaap van Zweden will lead the HK Phil in 14 compelling concerts in 7 weeks. To open this remarkable season, he will be joined by world renowned pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet in Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. Other outstanding artists include pianist Boris Berezovsky, baritone Matthias Goerne, violinist Ning Feng and ensembles including the Bach Choir from London, The Hong Kong Children’s Choir and the Jussen Brothers from The Netherlands.

New this Season
Lorin Maazel Fest
2014 marks not only the anniversary of the HK Phil, but also of two great musical titans – it is the bicentenary of Wagner’s birth and the centenary of Britten’s birth. The HK Phil is honoured to invite one of the world’s greatest conductors, Maestro Lorin Maazel, to conduct concerts which highlight two magnificent masterpieces – Wagner’s The Ring Without Words(an arrangement of Wagner’s epic music by Maestro Maazel) and Britten’s War Requiem. A special educational project will see the Maestro working with young instrumentalists from Hong Kong side-by-side with the HK Phil.
Maestro Maazel conducts HK Phil thanks to a generous donation from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust

Schumann Fest
Schumann stands at the very heart of Romantic music. Into his symphonies he poured his most personal and heartfelt emotions. In a two-week Schumann Fest, the HK Phil will explore this great genius in five events, performing all four of his symphonies, two concertos, selected chamber music, a lieder recital and a dialogue evening. To commence the festival,conductor Hans Graf will be joined by cellist Li-Wei Qin in Schumann’s refreshing Cello Concerto sandwiched between the First and Second symphonies. Young piano virtuoso Zhang Haochen will showcase his artistry in Schumann’s Piano Concertoand conductor Johannes Wildner will return with the composer’s Third and Fourth symphonies. Zhang will partner the HK Phil’s principal players in a Chamber Music Concert introducing Schumann’s more intimate music. To round off the Fest, the Lieder Recital will bring an exquisite selection of Schumann’s greatest songs.
To find out more about this most enigmatic of Romantic composers, the HK Phil will present, with the generous support of the Goethe-Institut, Hong Kong, a discussion evening featuring Maestro Hans Graf in conversation with other notable Schumann authorities.
Dialogue Eveningis supported by Goethe-Institut, Hong Kong

City Hall Series
Nearly 40 years to the day after its first concert as a professional orchestra, the HK Phil will join forces with its former Music Director Maestro David Atherton and pianist Chen Sa to celebrate the very first programme of 11 Jan 1974 in its original home, Hong Kong City Hall. Another two concerts not to be missed are Jaap’s Gran Partita and The Young Mozart featuring HK Phil’s new Concertmaster Jing Wang and Principal Viola Andrew Ling.

Roll-call of International Artists
World renowned soloists joining the HK Phil’s 40th Season include Grammy Award-winning pianist Emanuel Ax, Lang Lang, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Boris Berezovsky, vocalists Sumi Jo and Matthias Goerne,cellist Sol Gabetta, and violinists Ning Feng and Patricia Kopatchinskaja.

Distinguished guest conductors include Vladimir Ashkenazy, Hans Graf, Nicholas McGegan, Carlo Rizzi, Jun Märkl and Yu Long.

Must-See Rising Stars
2013/14 Season will also see a number of emerging young talents lighting up the Hong Kong stage. These include pianists Zhang Haochen, the Jussen Brothers and Hong Kong’s new young star Johnson Li. More than that, this season’s Swire Maestro series introduces two of America’s most promising and talented young conductors, Andrew Grams and Case Scaglione.

Swire Denim and Swire Sunday Family
An innovation from the last season, the Swire Denim and Swire Sunday Family series have quickly become one of the most popular musical activities in the city. The Swire Denim Series will feature three programmes starting at 9pm – “Gershwin Live!” with Gershwin himself playing ‘live’ with the orchestra, “Charlie Chaplin – City Lights” to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the birth of this great cinematic icon, and “The Eight Seasons” combining the evocative “Four Seasons” of both Vivaldi and Piazzolla. Swire Sunday Family concerts have fast become a highlight of the weekend for Hong Kong’s children, with fun activities in the Cultural Centre before and after each show, plus a chance to meet the musicians and get up close to the music.

Holiday, Pops & More
The HK Phil’s acclaimed and popular Holiday, Pops & More series presents four happy, fun-filled concerts for all music lovers. To celebrate National Day, renowned Chinese Maestro Zhang Guoyong will lead the HK Phil in a programme of evergreen classics from the great Chinese folk tradition. Cellist Trey Lee will take up the stage for Dvořák’s soulful Cello Concerto.
Sunwah and Wing Lung Bank are sponsors for the opening and 28 September performances respectively

“Christmas Around the World” takes the audience on a journey to discover how Christmas is celebrated in different countries. A full-length concert including popular Christmas carols will be the perfect gift for the family to share in the seasonal spirit.
Title Sponsor: Great Eagle Holdings Limited

Maestro Johannes Wildner joins the HK Phil direct from his native Vienna to bid farewell to 2013 and welcome in the New Year in true Viennese style in The Macallan Bravo Series: “New Year’s Eve – Viennese Treats”.
Title Sponsor: The Macallan

Bugs Bunny and his friends are coming to Hong Kong in Warner Bros. presents: “Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II” – a hilarious collection of Looney Tunes projected on the big screen with their original musical scores played live by the orchestra.

Major Projects
Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus
After its highly acclaimed début in Handel’s Messiah in March 2013, the HK Phil Chorus returns this season to feature in a number of major works including Britten’s War Requiem, Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloéand Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Title Sponsor of A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The Macallan

A Three-Year Composer in Residence Programme
HK Phil’s new Composer in Residence Programme, and the Commissioning of New Works, are generously sponsored by The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, with the aim of enabling emerging young Chinese composers to work closely with one of Asia’s finest orchestras. Through a series of commissioned short works created during the residency, the composer will explore the interchange between Chinese culture and the Western symphonic tradition. The first of the three composers will be Fung Lam whose work is to be premièred in the HK Phil 40th Anniversary Gala in June 2014.

CD Recording Project
In the second year of the multi-CD recording project with Naxos, the HK Phil will release works composed and conducted by the great Chinese composer, Bright Sheng (Programme: Colors of Crimson – fantasy for marimba and orchestra, The Song and Dance of Tears – sheng, pipa, violoncello, piano and orchestra and The Blazing Mirage – for violoncello and strings), featuring pianist Chen Sa, marimba virtuoso Pius Cheung, cellist Trey Lee, sheng player Wu Tong and pipa player Li Hui.
Sponsored by: AIA International Limited

Education and Outreach
The HK Phil’s widely-acclaimed education programme brings wonderful music and a lot of fun to over 40,000 students every year. Supported by a 3-year sponsorship from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Jockey Club Keys to Music Education Programme invests in Hong Kong’s musical future through purpose-designed schools’ concerts, ensemble visits, instrumental masterclasses and teachers’ seminars.

Swire Symphony Under The Stars, the biggest annual outdoor symphonic concert in Hong Kong, will take place on 29 November 2013 at the New Central Habourfront and isexpected to attract a “full house” of over 15,000 music lovers.

Be with Us
Club Bravo
Club Bravo connects our orchestra with lovers of symphonic music and the HK Phil with its audience. As a Club Bravo member, you have exclusive access to a side of the orchestra not usually seen by members of the audience; there are backstage visits, meet-the-artist sessions, open rehearsals, and much more. Members also enjoy special privileges including ticket discounts, priority booking, regular updates of HK Phil news and concert information, and a dedicated hotline.
bravo.hkphil.org

The Tung Foundation – Young Audience Scheme
Young Audience Scheme offers those aged 6 to18 the chance to get close to their orchestra. Members can buy tickets with special discounts, attend selected concerts and events for free, save on their shopping with participating merchants – and have a heap of fun! A Young Audience membership is the perfect gift for any musical child.
yas.hkphil.org
The Young Audience Scheme is sponsored by The Tung Foundation

Social Media
The HK Phil’s informative website hkphil.orgoffers the latest concert and ticketing information. Music lovers can also stay tuned for the HK Phil’s updates on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/HKPhil, Twitter at www.twitter.com/hkphilharmonicand Sina Weibo at www.weibo.com/hkpo. Video from the HK Phil is also available on YouTube at www.youtube.com/HKPhilharmonic

Radio and TV Broadcast by Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK)
Music lovers can enjoy some of the most memorable performances by the HK Phil through the broadcasts of Radio Television Hong Kongwhich connect the HK Phil with an audience in all parts of the world.

The HK Phil would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the following partners for their support:
The Government of the HKSAR
Principal Patron SWIRE

Programme Sponsors (In alphabetical order of company name)

1. AIA International Limited
2. Bank of China (Hong Kong)
3. Great Eagle Holdings Limited
4. The Macallan
5. Sunwah
6. Wing Lung Bank

Education Project Sponsors (In alphabetical order of company name)

1. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust
2. The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation
3. The Tung Foundation
4. Wing Hang Bank

3 May Season Launch and Luncheon Media Photos (Photographer: Cheung Chi Wai)
[Please click the thumbnails to download the images]

01.Mr Y.S. Liu, Chairman of the Board of the Governors, Hong Kong Philharmonic Society, delivers his welcoming speech

02.Officiating Guests (from left): Mr Michael MacLeod, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Maestro Jaap van Zweden, Music Director, Ms Florence Hui, Under Secretary for Home Affairs and Mr Y.S. Liu at the lighting ceremony

03.Maestro Jaap van Zweden and Mr Raff Wilson, Director of Artistic Planning talk about the new season


04.Maestro Jaap van Zweden

05.+ 06. Officiating Guests and other distinguished guests in group photos

 

DOWNLOAD
- 2013/14 Season Press Kit (For users of IE7 or above, please use file explorer for direct access) / Link: ftp://1314_pc:0503@202.60.244.165/
- Download Concert Calendar [PDF]
- Download 2013/14 Season Brochure [PDF]

Hong Kong Philharmonic
The Hong Kong Philharmonic is a cultural centre-piece of Asia’s World City and is a highly versatile and acclaimed ensemble. The HK Phil will celebrate its 40th professional season in 2013/14, but its roots are well over a century old. Boasting members from every corner of the globe and a strong core of Hong Kong musicians, the HK Phil is considered one of the leading orchestras in Asia.

Alongside regular concerts in Hong Kong and its substantial education and outreach activities, the orchestra has commenced an ambitious series of new projects, with major international tours, large-scale concert events and recording projects.

Jaap van Zweden
Jaap van Zweden is one of the most sought-after conductors in the world. He became Music Director of the HK Phil in 2012, the same year he won Musical America’s ‘Conductor of the Year’ award. He is also Music Director of the Dallas Symphony, and regularly conducts the world’s most prestigious orchestras to universal acclaim.

The Hong Kong Philharmonic is financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
SWIRE is the Principal Patron of the Hong Kong Philharmonic
The Hong Kong Philharmonic is a Venue Partner of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre

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