Jaap Van Zweden and Hong Kong Philharmonic's Performances at The Beijing Music Festival Hailed as A Success

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) was once again invited by the Beijing Music Festival to perform this year after the widely-acclaimed closing concert in 2016. Led by its Music Director, Jaap van Zweden, HK Phil presented two programmes at the 20th Beijing Music Festival in October. The performances were an outstanding success with audiences and critics alike.

In "A Timeless Karajan Version of Wagner" (24 & 27 October), Maestro van Zweden and HK Phil restored Herbert von Karajan's Salzburg Easter Festival staged production of Die Walküre with world-class Wagner singers and a production team from Beijing and Salzburg. There was a special significance in staging Karajan's Salzburg version as it marked the 50th Anniversary of its premiere at the Salzburg Easter Festival.

Another highlight of the Festival was Bruckner's Eighth Symphony featured in the "Sounding Cathedral Architecture" (28 October). Maestro van Zweden had presented his very personal take on this glorious, magisterial and intensely beautiful symphony in Hong Kong prior to taking it to the Beijing Music Festival, and it was loved by the local audience. Jaap van Zweden is truly "the leading interpreter of Bruckner's symphonies", as BBC Music Magazine put it. To complement the performance, the Beijing Music Festival organized a special pre-concert talk in which maestri van Zweden and Yu Long shared their thoughts on Bruckner's Eighth Symphony with the audience. There was much meaningful dialogue between the participants and the audience.

HK Phil's Beijing tour was part of the celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the HKSAR. The wonderful performances were graced by the attendance of Mr. Li Jiangang, Deputy Director General of the Bureau for External Cultural Relations Ministry of Culture, PRC, and Miss Winnie So, Deputy Director of the Beijing Office of HKSAR.

During the stay in Beijing, HK Phil's Chief Executive Michael MacLeod and Director Mr. Steven Ying were invited to share their views on "Art and Charity" at the Jingshi Philanthropy Lecture held in the Tin Ka Ping Art Building, Beijing Normal University attended by teachers and students. The discussion was joined by Professor Xiao Xiangrong, Associate Dean, School of Arts & Communication, Beijing Normal University, and Professor Wang Zhenyao, Dean, China Global Philanthropy Institute.