Swire to Continue as Principal Patron of HK Phil

At the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra's (HK Phil) annual outdoor symphonic extravaganza - Swire Symphony Under The Stars - on 11 November 2017 (Saturday) at Central Harbourfront, the Swire Group announced the renewal of its commitment to the HK Phil as Principal Patron for another three years from April 2018, with a grant of HK$46.4 million.

Swire has been Principal Patron of the HK Phil since 2006. The new grant of HK$46.4 million will be the biggest corporate donation in the Orchestra's history, and will take the Group's contribution over the years to more than HK$200 million. Swire's patronage will enable HK Phil to pursue its mission to promote artistic excellence, foster access to classical music and enhance Hong Kong's standing as one of the world's greatest cities.

Mr John Slosar, Chairman of Swire Pacific Limited, said, "Swire has had the privilege of being the principal patron of this highly talented orchestra since 2006. And tonight, it gives me great pleasure to announce that we are extending our sponsorship for another three years, bringing our total support to more than HK$200 million to date. It is an honour to partner with these exceptional musicians and we look forward to what the future holds."

Mr Y.S. Liu, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the HK Phil, said, "We sincerely thank Swire Group for its generous support over the years and expect to continue our close collaboration to promote the arts in Hong Kong."

We are honoured to have Secretary for Home Affairs Mr Lau Kong-wah present for the ceremony.

Mr Lau said, "Swire Symphony Under The Stars is among the most popular concerts of the Orchestra and it has become the highlight of the music calendar in Hong Kong. It is even more special this year as the concert is part of the celebration programmes of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region."

After the ceremony, with Hong Kong's dazzling city skyline as backdrop, the HK Phil presented a magical evening of orchestral music on both sides of the spectacular Victoria Harbour. The main arena Central Harbourfront was joined by the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza through a live relay attracting an audience of close to 20 thousand, sharing a glorious evening with great music performed by the HK Phil and local music prodigies.

M.C. of the event, Harry Wong, welcomed Principal Guest Conductor Yu Long to the stage, and the Orchestra opened the programme with Johann Strauss I's Radetzky March, followed by popular favourites from Mozart and Handel and the successful performance of Chan Kai-young's Climbing to the Light. Young local pianist Johnson Li dazzled the audience with Chopin's Grande Polonaise brillante. Another local prodigy, violinist Paloma So, took the stage with Waxman's Carmen Fantasy. The concert was brought to a rousing conclusion with an encore - Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture - accompanied by a stunning firework display in the night sky.

The HK Phil wishes to express its deepest gratitude for the generous and continued support of Swire, as well as to Hong Kong's music lovers who have helped make Swire Symphony Under The Stars such a hugely popular event throughout the Hong Kong community. HK Phil will continue to spread the joy of classical music outside the concert halls. It will reach far beyond the people who attended tonight; the event was recorded by RTHK TV and RTHK Radio 4 for subsequent broadcast.

TV Broadcast
The audio-visual recording will be broadcasted on Arts on Air TV program on 27th Jan 2017 (Sat) at 11pm.

Channels: RTHK TV31, RTHK TV31A & tv.rthk.hk

Radio Broadcast
Live relay was broadcasted live on 11 Nov 2017. A repeat broadcast is scheduled for 16th Nov 2017 (Thu) at 2pm on RTHK Radio 4 (FM Stereo 97.6-98.9 MHz and www.rthk.hk).

Photo: Andy Lam