East Meets West at New Hong Kong Philharmonic Concert

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is proud to present a concert in which East meets West on 18 & 19 January in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Our Principal Guest Conductor Yu Long, who is an ambassador for contemporary Chinese music, will open the concert with The Five Elements by renowned Chinese composer Chen Qigang. Zhang Haochen, winner of the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, will then take the stage for Rachmaninov's lyrical Piano Concerto no. 1. The programme closes with Rachmaninov's last composition, a magnificent showpiece for the orchestra, Symphonic Dances.

The MD Theatre Guide described Zhang Haochen's playing of Rachmaninov "...with a gentleness and ease, effortlessly flowing throughout the sporadic shifts within Rachmaninov's score". The Hong Kong audience now has a chance to appreciate how the winner of the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition captivates listeners with his unique combination of deep musical sensitivity, fearless imagination and spectacular virtuosity. The Piano Concerto no.1 was premiered in New York in 1919 with Rachmaninov himself as soloist.

After the interval, the programme concludes with Symphonic Dances also by Rachmaninov, and composed after he left Russian for America. From the very beginning of the First Dance, Rachmaninov reveals his fascination with the different sounds created by the instruments of the orchestra. His Russian roots also bring a strong sense of grandeur, tragedy and intense beauty to these three seductive dances.

The opening piece of the programme is The Five Elements by Chen Qigang. Chen's music is amongst the finest examples of Chinese composers finding the strengths of Chinese culture but making use of the musical culture of the West. The music of The Five Elements is based on the idea of the five elements "metal, wood, water, fire and earth" that constitute the universe. The composer expresses his personal vision of the relationships between these elements, and what each element symbolises for him.

Swire Maestro Series: Zhang Haochen Plays Rachmaninov will be held on 18 & 19 January 2019 (Fri & Sat), 8PM in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Tickets price: HK$480, $380, $280, $180 are now available at URBTIX. For enquiries, please call +852 2721 2332 or visit hkphil.org.

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