Take an Inspired Journey with Music by Mozart & Tchaikovsky
HK Phil’s Principal Clarinet Andrew Simon as the Soloist in Mozart’s
Sublime Clarinet Concerto in A, K.622 (6 November)

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[18 October 2012 – Hong Kong]Mozart is one of the best-loved composers. On 6 November (Tue), the Hong Kong Philharmonic (HK Phil), led by conductor Perry So, presents an evening of music by Mozart and Tchaikovsky.
 

The concert will commence with the Overture from Mozart’s opera, the Magic Flute. Hong Kong Phil’s very talented Principal Clarinet Andrew Simon will showcase his superb technique on the basset clarinet in the original version of Mozart’s sublime Clarinet Concerto in A. Famed for the delicate interplay between the clarinet and the orchestra, the concerto has brought Andrew Simon critical acclaim when he performed it with the HK Phil in 2009. The rest of the programme includes Tchaikovsky’s Suite No.4 in G, Op.61 Mozartiana and Mozart’s PragueSymphony.
 

“I Love Mozart!” will be held on 6 November 2012 (Tue), 8pm in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Tickets, priced: $180, $150, $120, $90 are now available at URBTIX.
 

Andrew Simon, basset clarinet [full biography]
 

"...he played with superb technical competence but, more importantly, managed to convey a sense of rediscovery, as though he and his audience were hearing the music for the first time."

South China Morning Post

Principal Clarinet of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Andrew Simon has won acclaim on four continents for his brilliant musicianship and "almost god-like technique" (Auditorium Magazine). Michael Tilson Thomas has noted his "formidable technique, flair, and musicianship" while Allan Kozinn of The New York Times compared him favourably to Benny Goodman.
 

Andrew Simon was invited by Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas to perform as part of a group of select musical alumni of the New World Symphony to participate in Mahler’s Ninth Symphony at Frank Gehry’s recently completed New World Center (Miami) in 2012. Andrew’s recent concerto appearances with the Hong Kong Philharmonic include performing the works of Bernstein, Stravinsky, Finzi, Mozart, and Brossé with Maestri Edo DeWaart, Samuel Wong, Lü Jia and Dirk Brossé. On short notice in June of 2009, Andrew performed to critical acclaim Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A, K.622 with guest conductor Nicholas McGegan in Hong Kong City Hall, when violinist Isabelle Faust became suddenly indisposed.
 

Andrew Simon has given more than 60 solo performances with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, performing such works as John Corigliano's Clarinet Concerto, which he studied with the Academy Award winning composer, and Baermann’s Adagio conducted by David Atherton which was recorded for the internet on GMN.
 

Recordings include his solo CD “HOT” (Musicians Showcase), described by Fanfare Magazine as "a strong and consistent display of first-class clarinet playing; Simon's interpretations are professional in the best sense of the word." .Shortly, he will release a recital CD with Warren Lee for NAXOS. 
 

A graduate of The Juilliard School, prize-winner Andrew Simon made his Carnegie Hall début and subsequently embarked on an international career, appearing as soloist and teacher of master classes in the USA, Great Britain, China, Japan, Canada, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and The Philippines.
 

Perry So, conductor [full biography]
Perry So received the first and special prizes at the Fifth International Prokofiev Conducting Competition held in St Petersburg in 2008, only the third time the top prize has been awarded. He completed in 2010 an extended nine-week residency with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducting four concerts and assisting Gustavo Dudamel, Lorin Maazel and Herbert Blomstedt, resulting in immediate re-invitation.

Perry has appeared with orchestras such as the London Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Royal Danish Theatre, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Japan, Seoul and Malaysian Philharmonics, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra Taiwan, New Zealand, Queensland and Asturias Symphony Orchestras, Zagreb Philharmonic and the State Symphony Orchestra of Russia.

In January 2012, he released his first commercial recording on the Oehms Classics Label with the German violinist Alexander Gilman and the Cape Town Philharmonic in a programme of American violin concerti. Perry So was Musical America’s New Artist of the Month for October 2009.

Perry So was Assistant Conductor (2008-2010) and Associate Conductor (2010-2012) of the Hong Kong Philharmonic. He also founded and directs the Huangshan International Music Festival, set in the mountains of central China.
 

Programme
He was one of the greatest geniuses of all time and his music is said to have a profound effect on almost everyone who hears it from tiny babies to the very old - it certainly had a profound effect on Tchaikovsky who wrote his enchanting Mozartiana in homage to the great master. Alongside this we hear three supreme examples of Mozart’s genius – his sublime Clarinet Concerto, the last orchestral work he wrote, the scintillating overture to his last opera and the symphony he wrote for his admirers in Prague.

I Love Mozart!
6 | 11 | 2012
TUE 8PM
HK Cultural Centre Concert Hall
HK$180 $150 $120 $90
Available at URBTIX from now

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HONG KONG PHILHARMONIC
Music Director: Jaap van Zweden

The Hong Kong Philharmonic is a vital part of Hong Kong’s cultural life, as the city’s largest and busiest musical organisation. In 2013/14 the HK Phil will celebrate its 40th professional season, but its roots are well over a century old. The HK Phil has now evolved to become 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 for 200,000 music lovers. Featuring an enviable roster of international and local artists, with many concerts presented free, among them the annual Swire Symphony Under The Stars. Through its acclaimed education programme, over 40,000 young people learned about orchestral music last year.

The HK Phil’s members come from every corner of the globe, joining its 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 recently commenced a multi-CD recording project for Naxos, featuring works by Chinese composers.

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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