Swire Pledges HK$50m for the HK Phil in Largest Corporate Sponsorship Donation in Orchestra's History

After 18 years of a partnership between the Swire Group (Swire) and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil), Swire will be continuing its sponsorship of the HK Phil as Principal Patron for another three years, from April 2024. This commitment includes a generous grant exceeding HK$50 million, marking the biggest corporate donation in the orchestra’s history.

Since 2006, Swire has been Principal Patron of the HK Phil, and has bolstered the orchestra’s long-term mission to promote artistic excellence, expand access to classical music, enhance cultural participation in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland and elevate the city’s global reputation. For this latest sponsorship term, emphasis is given to community and youth engagement. 

In addition to the ever-popular outdoor extravaganza “Swire Symphony Under The Stars”, Swire and the HK Phil are excited to launch “Swire Music for Everyone”, a brand-new educational programme that invites audiences to dive-deep into specific orchestral works. The “Swire Community Concert” series will be expanded, reaching a wider audience, and giving special attention to ensuring the concerts are enjoyable and accessible to people of all abilities and needs. Swire will also support other community initiatives, including performances at Swire venues in Hong Kong, as well as ticket giveaways to local non-profit organisations. By providing complimentary access to these initiatives, Swire aims to help maximise access to high-quality orchestral musical performances for the community.

Together with the regular concert series, “Swire Maestro Series”, “Swire Denim Series” and “Swire Family Series”, all the programmes allow the HK Phil to present a variety of music experiences to different groups of the public. For this sponsorship term, the orchestra will develop online content tailored to young people and audiences less familiar with orchestral music, and will expand its social media presence in the Chinese Mainland and internationally.

Mr Guy Bradley, Chairman of Swire Pacific Limited, said, “I am delighted we are extending our sponsorship of the HK Phil once again, a development that will mark 21 years of our enduring partnership. Sharing the same value as the HK Phil, Swire is committed to bringing classical music closer to local communities, especially the younger listeners – and our HK$50 million grant underscores that commitment. World-class orchestral music has the power to bring positive energy to audiences in Hong Kong, and also cements our city’s reputation as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, as described in the 14th Five-Year Plan. Both the HK Phil and Swire are keen to help strengthen Hong Kong’s cultural connections to the rest of the Greater Bay Area, the Chinese Mainland and the wider world.”

Mr David Cogman, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the HK Phil, said, “We are deeply grateful to the Swire Group for its unwavering backing as Principal Patron over the years. Alongside the long-term support and partnership of the Hong Kong Government, Swire is providing the largest corporate sponsorship in our history.  This will enable the orchestra to continue to flourish as Asia’s foremost classical orchestra, bringing the best of classical music to Hong Kong, and will open doors to many new opportunities around the world. We are excited about continuing our partnership with Swire for many years to come.”

Named “Orchestra of the Year” at the 2019 Gramophone Awards, the HK Phil is Hong Kong’s cultural ambassador and is committed to participating in cultural exchange work, showcasing the artistic excellence of Hong Kong to audiences around the world. Riding on the success of recent tours in the Mainland and internationally, the orchestra will continue to expand its footprint to more places in the coming years, including the Greater Bay Area and more cities in the Mainland, as well as cities in Asia, Europe and South America, fostering artistic and cultural exchange between China and the rest of the world.

Collaborating with internationally renowned conductors and soloists, the orchestra presents more than 150 concerts and attracts more than 200,000 music lovers annually. The HK Phil continues to present excellent performances with world-class musicians to engage Hong Kong audiences and attract overseas audiences to enjoy the cultural vibrancy of Hong Kong, the orchestra also promotes the work of local talented musicians by inviting home grown soloists, premiering new work by Hong Kong composers, and launching initiatives to promote cross-discipline collaboration with Hong Kong artists.

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