Swire renews its commitment to the HK Phil as Principal Patron for another three years
Announcement made at Swire Symphony Under The Stars outdoor concert on 21 November 2014

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[24 November 2014, Hong Kong]At the iconic Swire Symphony Under The Stars outdoor concert  presented by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) on 21 November (Friday) at the New Central Harbourfront, the Swire Group announced the renewal of its commitment to the HK Phil as Principal Patron for another three years from April 2015, with a grant of HK$42.2 million. 

Swire has been Principal Patron of the HK Phil since 2006. The new grant of HK$42.2 million will be the orchestra’s biggest corporate donation in its history, and will take the Group’s contribution over the years to HK$155.5 million. Swire’s patronage will enable HK Phil to pursue its mission to promote artistic excellence, foster access to classical music and enhance Hong Kong’s standing as one of the world’s greatest cities.

Mr John Slosar, Chairman of Swire Pacific Limited, said, “Swire has been Principal Patron of the HK Phil since 2006 and from the outset we have had a long-term vision for working with the orchestra. We believe the HK Phil offers incredible value for Hong Kong. Classical music has a big part to play in the cultural life of this great world city and we are right behind the orchestra in its mission to promote artistic excellence and widen cultural appreciation.”

Mr Jack So, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the HK Phil, said, “We sincerely thank Swire for their generous support over the years, which nurtures the growth of the HK Phil and brings world class music to all sections of society. Over the past nine years, Swire and the HK Phil have worked very closely to promote classical music. We look forward to the 10th anniversary and to continuing to strive for the cultural development of Hong Kong.”

After the opening ceremony, conductor Perry So began this year’s Swire Symphony Under The Stars outdoor concert with Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman Overture. Offenbach’s famous Can-Can played a significant role in the concert, with the audience thrilling to the familiar tune, first played by the orchestra on stage, and then by a “virtual orchestra”, to which amateur instrumentalists from all across the city submitted their video recordings to put together a synchronised video that was shown on the big screens.

Soprano Xi Wang joined the HK Phil after the interval and performed arias from Verdi’s Rigoletto and Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet, following which the orchestra performed Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, with the audience adding fun sound effects via a pre-downloaded Smartphone app – all accompanied by stunning fireworks, providing the perfect ending to a memorable event.

Swire Symphony Under The Stars has been an extremely popular event in the Hong Kong community. With the generous and continued support from Swire, the annual outdoor concert has opened the world of classical music up to the widest possible community in Hong Kong.

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Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Music Director: Jaap van Zweden

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is the city’s largest and busiest musical organisation and is a vital part of Hong Kong’s cultural life. With its roots stretching back well over a century, the HK Phil made its professional début in 1974. It has now evolved into an orchestral powerhouse in the region, and an acclaimed cultural centrepiece of Asia’s World City.

The HK Phil is formed on the belief that a great city deserves a great orchestra. Annually it presents over 150 concerts attracting 200,000 music lovers. Through its acclaimed education programme, over 40,000 young people have learned about orchestral music last year. Featuring an enviable roster of international conductors and soloists, the HK Phil performs a broad variety of music, with many concerts presented free; among them the annual Swire Symphony Under The Stars.

The Swire Group has been the Principal Patron of the HK Phil since 2006. Through this sponsorship, which is the largest corporate donation in the orchestra’s history, Swire also 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.

The HK Phil’s members come from every corner of the globe, with a strong core of Hong Kong musicians. In September 2012 Jaap van Zweden became the orchestra’s Music Director. Future years will see an ambitious series of new projects, with major international tours, renewed local partnerships and large-scale concert events. The HK Phil has commenced a multi-CD recording project for Naxos featuring works by Chinese composers and Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle.

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

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