Swire Symphony Under The Stars 2020 Moves ONLINE 
“BE THE STARS”
PREMIERES ONLINE 12 December 2020 (Saturday), 7:30PM on hkphil.org, YouTube and Facebook
#HKPhilSUTS2020

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

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[10 November 2020, Hong Kong] The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s (HK Phil) signature concert SWIRE SYMPHONY UNDER THE STARS (SUTS) will take place virtually, for the first time, on 12 December 2020 (Saturday) at 7:30PM, and everyone is invited to take a starring role – “Be the STARS” together.

Traditionally held as a large outdoor event, SUTS has become an annual favourite for thousands of families and fans. This year’s event will take a personal approach – “Be the STARS” – connecting people’s values to the stars and capturing their messages in a collective expression of gratitude and hope.

This year, the HK Phil has introduced a new campaign – “Your Starry Moment”, inviting the audience to “be the stars” in the concert! This is an opportunity for audience members to send a photo of someone or something special in their life – a loved one, a pet, a special object or memento. The HK Phil will build a collage of these photos and set to music in the concert, creating a uniquely personal performance. Photos can be submitted from 11 to 25 November 2020 on the “Your Starry Moment” webpage.

The concert includes music by Copland, Mozart, Bizet, Vivaldi, Debussy, and Bernsteinthat celebrates, comforts and uplifts. Combining photo collages, animations, and multi-media effects, the concert will be presented on the HK Phil’s website, YouTube channel and Facebook page. This online event will be accessible world-wide, bringing images representing people’s aspirations and joys to a global audience.

Renowned conductor Lio Kuokman will be at the podium for this event curated by Creative Director of this year’s event, Phoebus Chan.The concertwill feature HK Phil musiciansLin Jiang(Principal Horn), Jing Wang(Concertmaster), Andrew Simon(Principal Clarinet) and Richard Bamping(Principal Cello)alongside members of the HK Phil. More details about the concert are available at suts.hkphil.org.

Thanks to the Swire Group, the orchestra’s Principal Patron since 2006, the HK Phil is able to present this popular Hong Kong event in a new and special way this year. Together the HK Phil and Swire will bring the world of classical music to the widest possible audience.  

FAST FACTS ABOUTSWIRE SYMPHONY UNDER THE STARS 2020 ONLINE – “BE THE STARS”
Date:                12 December 2020 (Saturday) at 7:30PM
PREMIERE on HK Phil website hkphil.org, YouTube channel and Facebook page
Admission:      FREE ONLINE and accessible WORLDWIDE
Get ready:        Yourself and your STARS to enjoy the evening with the HK Phil!

Programme

Artists
Lio Kuokman, conductor [full biography]
Praised by the Philadelphia Inquirer as “a startling conducting talent”, Lio Kuokman was the laureate at 2014 Svetlanov International Conducting Competition. Lio served as Assistant Conductor to Music Director Yannick Nézet-Seguin at the Philadelphia Orchestra, the first Chinese conductor to be appointed in this position in the history of the orchestra. He is currently Programme Director of the Macao International Music Festival.

Phoebus Chan, creative director of SUTS 2020 & presenter [full biography]
Phoebus Chan, Founder and Executive Director of PA House Asia Ltd.; Vice-Chairman of Hong Kong Innovision ; Chairman of Mainland Hong Kong Macau Arts and Culture Youth Alliance  ; Vice- Chairman of Hong Kong QingDao Association; Chairman of Worldwide Chinese Foundation; Board member of Faith in Love Foundation; Chairman of Haoxue Action ; Chairman of Alumni Association of Music Department of the Chinese University of Hong Kong ; Columnist of Sing Tao Daily and Kung Kao Po.

Lin Jiang, horn[full biography]
Principal Horn of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Lin Jiang is considered an extraordinarily gifted horn player of his generation. Born in Shanghai in 1986, he moved with his family to Australia at the age of five and began playing the horn at the age of ten. He continued his studies at Scotch College Melbourne, the Victorian College of the Arts and graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Music degree with honours.

Jing Wang, violin[full biography]
Critically acclaimed Canadian violinist Jing Wang is one of the most versatile and dynamic violinists of his generation. Since his solo recital debut in Marseilles, France at the age of six, Wang has garnered prizes in top international competitions, including the first prize at the 2007 Irving M. Klein International Strings Competition. In 2003, Wang was awarded the "Young Soloist of the Year" by Les Radios Francophones Publiques, a broadcast network of four countries including France, Canada, Switzerland, and Belgium. As a part of the award, Wang’s first CD album including works by Beethoven, Ravel and Gershwin was released in Europe.

Andrew Simon, clarinet [full biography]
Andrew Simon has appeared as soloist and guest lecturer on four continents. As Principal Clarinet of the HK Phil, he has recorded solo works by Baermann and Stravinsky and has performed concerti over 60 times, including John Corigliano's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra which he studied with the Academy Award-winning composer. Among his notable performances are those with the Mainly Mozart Orchestra (US), the Singapore Symphony, as well as giving the Australian and Asian premieres of the original, unpublished version of Copland’s Concerto.

Richard Bamping, cello [full biography]
Richard Bamping has been the Principal Cello of the HK Phil since 1993. He has performed with many of the finest musicians of recent history - Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Leonidas Kavakos, Mstislav Rostropovich, Carlo Maria Guilini, Valery Gergiev, Leonard Bernstein, Lorin Maazel, Sir Colin Davis and Claudio Abbado, to name but a few. Bamping has performed many of the staples of the solo cello repertoire with orchestras from Europe to the Far East. He has a great passion for playing chamber music with friends and colleagues whenever he gets the chance.

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Lio Kuokman Photo Credit: Tey Tat Keng	Phoebus Chan	Lin Jiang Photo Credit: Ka Lam/HK Phil
Jing Wang Photo Credit: Cheung Wai-lok	Andrew Simon	Richard Bamping Photo Credit: Cheung Wai-lok
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra Photo Credit: Ka Lam/HK Phil