Message from the Artistic Director
The year 2020 witnesses the Covid-19 coronavirus wreak havoc upon the world and upset the normal routines of everyday life in all parts of the world. Musical activities have invariably suffered. Although the second half of our last season was cut short due to the pandemic, the HKCO did not come to a halt - we strived to connect with music lovers digitally via Cloud, linking hearts with the people of Hong Kong with innovative programming. We have created a number of online series such as HKCO Net Festival, Digital Concert Hall, the education-oriented Chinese Music 360, ‘5G. Syncs with the Power of Drums’ Online Concert – Hong Kong’s first 5G Outdoor 4K live streaming charity concert, etc. These efforts stand testimony to our determination to counter the pandemic and to keep striving for the best in the realm of music in such unpredictable times.
As the 44th season unfolds, the HKCO will continue to present uplifting programmes that aim to empower the community. We open the season with the concert ‘One Hundred Chinese Music Classics Select - The Timeless Spring River and Ambush’. It marks the debut of our three-year project to promote the outstanding Chinese music works in our repertoire, with over a hundred pieces of orchestral, concerto and chamber music selected by our artistic team and recommended to music enthusiasts. This first concert of the project series features two adaptations of Chinese classics – Moonlight on the Spring River by Qin Pengzhang and Luo Zhongrong, and Ambush on All Sides by Liu Wenjin. They promise to be a highly enjoying listening experience for the audience.
There would also be star-studded productions, the ‘Two Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio’ concert and ‘Matteo Ricci – the Musical Concert’. The first, as the title suggests, tells two bizarre yet emotion-filled love stories between men and female protagonists from other worlds, based on Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio: A Ghostly Love Story and Adventures in the Raksha Country and the Sea Market, ingeniously composed by Jin Fuzai and Kong Zhixian respectively. The second traces Matteo Ricci’s gargantuan efforts as the first missionary in China, as he forged the “Directives of Matteo Rici” which was going to be a useful bridge between the cultures of East and West.
Our pop concert series have always been popular and over-subscribed. In this new season, ‘Liza Wang and HKCO 2020’, ‘Hins Cheung X HKCO’, and well-known music-maker Chiu Tsang-hei’s ‘Kaleid Orchestra - HKCO x HEI’ will see Chinese music going pop, with love songs melting hearts, and hearts trumping social distancing!
On another front, new works composed by influential composers of the world, commissioned by the HKCO, will be premiered in our signature ‘Music About China’ concert at the Hong Kong Arts Festival. The audience can look forward to connecting with the innovative soundscapes of Enjott Schneider, Marcel Wengler, Anthony Paul De Ritis, Leon Ko and Chan Ming-chi. Joining the impressive list would be huqin virtuoso Yu Qiwei, dizi virtuoso Tang Junqiao and conductor Daye Lin, who will realize the notes and transform them into wonderful, amazing melodies of new Chinese music.
Another musical feast not to be missed in this season is the Fourth International Conducting Competition for Chinese Music, HKCO’s signature programme with the aim of nurturing outstanding young conductors, held in collaboration with The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Emerging stars in conducting from all over the world will converge on the Hong Kong stage.
We have not only laid out a programming agenda of close to thirty concerts series, but also firmly adhered to our vision to nurture talent, offer Chinese music education, and conduct the various fields of work that are contributive to society, viz., musical instrument reform, academic research, and social responsibility. In other words, we are carrying out our mission as a cultural ambassador of Hong Kong despite all challenges.
Chinese music is a boundless, fascinating realm - let’s gather and share!
Yan Huichang
Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for Life
