Hong Kong Philharmonic Australian Tour Premieres New Work

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) has announced that Quintessence, a work by noted local composer Dr Fung Lam will be included in the program for its forthcoming tour to Australia.

This is the first time the HK Phil has visited Australia with concerts in Melbourne (4 May) and Sydney (5 May).

The HK Phil Tour 2017 concert series will be led by internationally-renowned conductor Jaap van Zweden, Music Director of the HK Phil since 2012/13 and will include guest soloist Ning Feng. This year's tour also celebrates the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Having worked closely with the HK Phil over a number of years as a composer, Dr Fung Lam joined the orchestra's senior administration in February 2017 as the new Director of Artistic Planning.

"I am delighted to be able to create closer ties with my fellow musicians and artists in my home town, having previously had the honour of working with the HK Phil and Maestro Jaap van Zweden, as a composer.

"I'm also honoured that Quintessence, a work which the HK Phil premiered during its European Tour (2015) as well as its Mainland China Tour (2016), will now be heard by audiences in Seoul, Osaka, Singapore, Melbourne and Sydney," Dr Fung Lam said.

Quintessence was commissioned by the HK Phil to celebrate the orchestra's 40th anniversary in 2014 when Lam was appointed as the Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Composer-in-Residence during the 2013/14 season.

Lam describes Quintessence as a magical substance making up the fifth and highest essence after the elements of earth, air, fire and water. He says the work consists of a series of short and contrasting sections that share distinctive core musical elements including a melody line signifying a journey towards one's goal.

HK Phil Chief Executive Michael MacLeod said the orchestra's programme for Melbourne and Sydney will feature Mozart's Violin Concerto no. 4 and Mahler's Symphony no. 1.

"This is a tremendous step for the HK Phil and a very exciting one for our orchestra as it's the first time Australian audiences will be able to enjoy Asia's leading orchestra when we perform at The Arts Centre, Melbourne and the Sydney Opera House. So you can imagine how excited we are to be taking this historic step," Mr MacLeod says.

The HK Phil Tour 2017 commemorates the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR and is supported by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office.

Jaap van Zweden, conductor - Amsterdam-born Jaap van Zweden is one of today's most sought-after conductors. He has been Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic since 2012, a position he will continue to hold until at least 2022. In addition, he will become the Music Director of the New York Philharmonic in the 2018/19 season. Maestro van Zweden is currently Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Honorary Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Honorary Conductor of the Radio Chamber Philharmonic. At just 19, he became the youngest Concertmaster appointed by the Netherland basEd Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He began his conducting career in 1995, becoming Chief Conductor at the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra (1996-2000), Chief Conductor of the Residentie Orchestra of The Hague (2000-2005) and Chief Conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra (2008-2011). He was named as Musical America's Conductor of the Year in 2012.

Booking Information

Melbourne

Venue Hamer Hall, Arts Centre, Melbourne

Date Thursday 4 May at 8pm

Prices $38.80 to $118.80

Bookings www.artscentremelbourne.com.au

Sydney

Venue Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House

Date Friday 5 May at 8pm

Prices $38.80 to $118.80

Bookings www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra

Music Director: Jaap van Zweden

Principal Guest Conductor: Yu Long

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is recognised as Asia's foremost classical orchestra. The orchestra presents more than 150 concerts over a 44-week season and attracts more than 200,000 music lovers annually.

Jaap van Zweden, one of today's most sought-after conductors, has been the orchestra's Music Director since the 2012/13 concert season, a position he will continue to hold until at least 2022. In addition, Maestro van Zweden will also be the next Music Director of the New York Philharmonic starting with the 2018-19 season.

Principal Guest Conductor Yu Long was appointed for an initial three-year term in the 2015/16 season.

Under Maestro van Zweden, the HK Phil is undertaking a variety of initiatives including a four-year project to perform and record Wagner's complete Ring of the Nibelungs.

The orchestra undertook a highly successful five-country, seven-city tour of Europe in the 2014/15 season, with concerts in London, Vienna, Zurich, Eindhoven, Birmingham, Berlin and Amsterdam.

Thanks to a significant subsidy from the Hong Kong Government and long-term funding from Principal Patron Swire, the Hong Kong Jockey Club and other supporters, the HK Phil has a full-time annual schedule of classical music concerts, pops concerts, an extensive education programme, as well as collaborating for staged opera with Opera Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

The Orchestra marked its 43rd season as a professional orchestra in 2016/17.