HK Phil Kicks Off 2025/26 Season with Daniel Harding and Paul Lewis

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra has announced the opening of its 2025/26 Season with a programme featuring conductor Daniel Harding and pianist Paul Lewis at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Before this  season kick-off, the HK Phil will celebrate with a pre-season programme dedicated to the  movie music of composer James Horner at the Tsuen Wan Town Hall Auditorium.

Swire Denim Series: The Epic Movie Music of James Horner (12 & 13 September)

Join the HK Phil for a heartfelt tribute to James Horner, marking the 10th anniversary of his passing. Experience the sweeping melodies and cinematic brilliance that made him one of Hollywood’s most beloved composers. A classically trained musician celebrated for his masterful orchestrations and memorable themes, Horner created some of Hollywood’s most iconic soundtracks, spanning over 100 film scores, and garnering two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, and numerous Oscar nominations.

Led by internationally acclaimed conductor Sir Dirk Brossé, this programme includes beloved scores from The Rocketeer, Aliens, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Avatar, Braveheart, Legends of the Fall, Krull, Sneakers and Titanic. Multitalented, award-winning actress and vocalist Crisel Consunji will perform All Love Can Be from A Beautiful Mind and the timeless classic My Heart Will Go On from Titanic.

“Swire Denim Series: The Epic Movie Music of James Horner” will be held on 12 September 2025 (Fri) at 7:30PM and 13 September 2025 (Sat) at 3PM at the Tsuen Wan Town Hall Auditorium. Tickets priced at HK$420, $320, $220 and $50 are available at URBTIX. For enquiries, please call +852 2721 2332 or go online.

Season Opening: Daniel Harding & Paul Lewis (18 & 19 September)

Currently the Music and Artistic Director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Harding will launch the HK Phil’s new season with a captivating programme, featuring pianist Paul Lewis in Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 25. As one of the foremost interpreters of the Central European piano repertoire, Paul Lewis has received universal critical acclaim for his performances and recordings. The concert will open with Haydn’s intense La passione symphony, infused with dark and violent emotion that captures the spirit of the Sturm und Drang movement.

The concert’s second half highlights Richard Strauss’s seventh tone poem Don Quixote, also known as “Fantastic Variations on a Theme of Knightly Character”. With a prominent part for solo cello, it is often treated as a full-blown cello concerto, though the viola also plays a significant solo role alongside the cello. HK Phil Principals Andrew Ling and Richard Bamping step into the spotlight as Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, guiding the audience on a whimsical and poignant journey between dream and reality.