The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra to Play Music From Classic Movies This Valentine's Day

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) will present romantic love songs from classic movies this Valentine's Day, 14 February 2018 (Wed), 8PM, in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, including:

Gone with the Wind: Tara's Theme - Lyrics were later added to the theme by Mack David and became the song My Own True Love, sung by Margaret Whiting and widely known since its release in October 1948.

Titanic: Suite - The Suite comprises incidental music and the main theme "My Heart Will Go On". The music takes the audience back to the ocean which holds the "Heart of the Ocean" necklace and the transcending love of Jack and Rose. It was composed by James Horner, who also wrote the scores for A Beautiful Mind and Avatar. Horner added his signature choral and Celtic elements to the score for Titanic to create a very moving effect. The Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus will present this touching melody with the HK Phil.

Love Actually: Love Theme Suite - The Suite was written by Craig Armstrong, the winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song with Moulin Rouge!, who also composed Me Before You which will also be presented in this concert.

The Banquet: Only For Love - The song was sung by Jane Zhang and won the Best Film Song of the 12th Golden Bauhinia Awards. The choral version performed in this concert offers the audience a different taste of the score.

The Piano: Concert Suite - The score closely followed the story of the movie. It touches the hearts of the audience and is well loved by many piano players.

The scores of Cinema Paradiso and La Califfa were both written by Ennio Morricone who was the winner of the Honorary Academy Award in 2007.

Also in the concert is Somewhere in Time which was voted by the public members on the HK Phil's Facebook Page as their favourite movie love song. The version presented in this concert will include Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini (Variation 18). Lovers, this is a concert not to be missed!

Tickets priced: HK$480, $380, $280, $180 are now available at URBTIX. For orders of limited lovers' package and other enquiries, please call +852 2721 2332 or visit www.hkphil.org.

Limited Lovers' Package

Want to charm your loved one in this concert with a surprise? The HK Phil has prepared a limited lovers' package (HK$1,888), which includes two tickets for prime seats, one BYDEAU gift box with fresh florals, candle and sweet treats, two VIP lounge intermission drink coupons, and a message to your beloved printed in the Valentine's Day house programme! The limited lovers' package is available for order until 31 January 2018. Place your order or enquire by email to ticketing@hkphil.org or call 2721 2332.

Artists:

Gerard Salonga, conductor [full biography]

Gerard Salonga is a multi-awarded musical director, conductor and arranger. He has guest-conducted various orchestras including the Philippine Philharmonic, Shanghai Opera House Orchestra and Chorus, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. In 2016 he was selected to be one of the assistant conductors of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. His orchestral arrangements have been performed by various international orchestras.

Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus [full biography]

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus was established in 1980. Over the years, it has collaborated with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra to perform a range of different works by composers including Britten, Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Haydn and performed under renowned conductors Lorin Maazel, Nicholas McGegan, Brett Weymark and Jaap van Zweden.

Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra Music Director: Jaap van Zweden

Principal Guest Conductor: Yu Long

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is recognised as Asia's foremost classical orchestra. Presenting more than 150 concerts over a 44-week season, the HK Phil 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 2022. Maestro van Zweden will be the next Music Director of the New York Philharmonic from the 2018/19 season.

Yu Long was appointed Principal Guest Conductor with the HK Phil for a three-year period commencing with the 2015/16 season.

Under the dynamic leadership of Music Director Jaap van Zweden, the HK Phil has attained new heights of artistic excellence, garnering international critical acclaim.

Following on from the success of the European tour which included a filmed concert from Vienna's Musikverein, the HK Phil has toured extensively within the mainland China. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, and with support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices, the orchestra recently performed in Seoul, Osaka, Singapore, Melbourne and at the Sydney Opera House.

Maestro Jaap van Zweden, the HK Phil, and a superb casts of soloists, have presented concert performances and recordings of the first three operas from Richard Wagner's epic Ring cycle. These have been enthusiastically endorsed by both audiences and critics at home and abroad, and in recognition of their quality, the orchestra and Jaap were invited to perform Wagner's Die Walküre in staged performances at the Beijing Music Festival this October in a co-production with the Salzburg Easter Festival.

Conductors and soloists who have recently, or shortly will have, performed with the orchestra include Vladimir Ashkenazy, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Matthias Goerne, Stephen Hough, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Ning Feng and Yuja Wang.

The HK Phil promotes the work of Hong Kong and Chinese composers through an active commissioning programme, and has released recordings on the Naxos label featuring Tan Dun and Bright Sheng, each conducting their own compositions. Its acclaimed education and community engagement programmes in schools, hospital and outdoor space, bring music into the hearts of tens of thousands of children and families every year.

The Swire Group has been the Principal Patron of the HK Phil since 2006. Through this sponsorship, which is the largest in the orchestra's history, Swire endeavours to promote artistic excellence, foster access to classical music and stimulate cultural participation in Hong Kong, and to enhance Hong Kong's reputation as one of the great cities of the world.

Thanks to a significant subsidy from the Hong Kong Government and long-term funding from Principal Patron Swire, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and other supporters, the HK Phil now boasts a full-time annual schedule of core classical repertoire and innovative popular programming, extensive education and community programmes, and collaborations with, among others, Opera Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

Originally called the Sino-British Orchestra, it was renamed the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 1957 and became fully professional in 1974. The HK Phil is a registered charitable organisation.

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and is a Venue Partner of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre

SWIRE is the Principal Patron of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.