HK Phil Presents Two Weeks Of Immortal Piano Classics With Music Director Jaap Van Zweden, Khatia Buniatishvili And Rachel Cheung

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) and Music Director Jaap van Zweden are excited to bring two award-winning pianists, Khatia Buniatishvili (3 & 4 May) and Rachel Cheung (10 & 11 May), to the stage of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in two glorious concerts over two consecutive weeks..

Classics: JAAP Khatia Buniatishvili (3 & 4 May)

Following on from their well-received performance of Bruckner's Symphony no. 8 in the 2017/18 season, Music Director Jaap van Zweden leads the HK Phil in Bruckner's glorious Symphony no. 7. The concert opens with Mozart's tempestuous Piano Concerto no. 20, played by the two-time ECHO Klassik prize-winner, Khatia Buniatishvili.

Mozart composed his Piano Concerto no. 20 at the same time as he was putting the finishing touches to his opera Le nozze di Figaro. He was at the peak of his powers, and the Concerto's sophisticated form and dramatic gestures make it an incomparable work. Khatia Buniatishvili is the sensational pianist making waves around the globe. Her lucid playing that pulls at the heartstrings is perfect for this throbbing concerto.

Bruckner's Symphony no. 7 is considered to be one of his greatest successes. Composed in the times of upheaval, it reflects his inner strength and is also a tribute to his idol, Wagner, making reference to Das Rheingold and Tristan und Isolde. Maestro Jaap van Zweden and the HK Phil conclude the evening with this spectacular symphony.

Classics: JAAP Khatia Buniatishvili will be held on 3 & 4 May (Fri & Sat), 8PM at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Tickets priced: HK$680, 580, 480, 380 are available at URBTIX. For enquiries, please call +852 2721 2332 or visit hkphil.org.

JAAP!: JAAP Rachel Cheung (10 & 11 May 2019)

Maestro Jaap van Zweden and the HK Phil join hands with another award-winning pianist, Rachel Cheung, in Ravel's Piano Concerto in G. In the same programme, the orchestra will perform two premieres by local composer Wong Chun-wai and eminent American composer John Corigliano.

For Ravel, the piano was not merely a musical instrument but a musical palette full of delicacy. His Piano Concerto in G combines orchestra and piano in a subtle blend of delicate pastel shades. Hong Kong pianist Rachel Cheung, the finalist and Audience Award winner at the 15th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, showcases her poetic musicianship and compelling music-making in the work.

Opening the concert is the world premiere of a new HK Phil commissioned work, Labyrinth Collapses, by local composer Wong Chun-wai, the first Chinese composer to win First Prize at the Coups de Vents International Composition Competition for Wind Orchestra. The work combines contemporary musical language and Late Romanticism in a deep reflection of human nature and society.

Closing the concert is the Hong Kong premiere of American composer John Corigliano's incredibly moving Symphony no. 1. Corigliano is best-known for his original Oscar-winning score to the film The Red Violin. His First Symphony marks things that he would like to memorialise in music, those he has lost, and reflect on those he is losing .

This concert is sponsored by the Foundation for Amazing Potentials.

JAAP!: JAAP Rachel Cheung will be held on 10 & 11 May (Fri & Sat), 8PM in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Tickets priced: HK$480, $380, $280, $180 are available at URBTIX. For enquiries, please call +852 2721 2332 or visit hkphil.org.