Photo Flash: Kahchun Wong, Bomsori Kim And So Young Park Celebrate New York Philharmonic Debuts In Lunar New Year Concert
By: Stephi Wild Feb. 13, 2019
The New York Philharmonic welcomed the Year of the Vermillion Pig at the eighth annual Lunar New Year Concert and Gala, a festive fire-themed evening - representing warmth, light, energy, and prosperity - presented by Starr International Foundation on February 6th.
Kahchun Wong, 32, Chief Conductor of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra and first prize winner of the 2016 Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition, made his New York Philharmonic debut conducting the orchestra's annual Lunar New Year Concert at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center in New York. A native of Singapore, Wong is only the second conductor-following Long Yu-given the honor to lead the Philharmonic's annual concert celebration of Asian culture and heritage. This concert also marked Wong's New York conducting debut.
The program included the U.S. premiere of Tan Dun's Violin Concerto: Fire Ritual (performed by Bomsori Kim in her Philharmonic debut); Shin Arirang, Dong-Jin Kim's version of the iconic Korean folk song "Arirang," and Mozart's "Der Hölle Rache" from The Magic Flute, both performed by soprano So Young Park in her Philharmonic debut; Liu Yuan's Train Toccata; and Stravinsky's Firebird Suite (1919 version). Continuing the annual tradition, the concert also featured the Spring Festival Overture by composer Li Huanzhi, recognizing the composer's centenary in 1919.
Honorary Gala Chairs included Mr. and Mrs. Maurice R. Greenberg and Gala Co-Chairs included Angela Chen, Guoqing Chen and Ming Liu, Misook Doolittle, Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar L. Tang, Sharon Wee and Tracy Fu and Shirley Young.
The elegant evening started with a champagne reception on David Geffen Hall's Grand Promenade and the seated dinner for 300 guests following the concert featured a Singaporean cuisine themed menu curated by Gala Co-Chairs Agnes Hsu-Tang and Sharon Wee. The evening raised $1,135,000 to support the Orchestra's activities.
Photo Credit: Lia Chang
Gala Co-chairs Oscar Tang and his wife Agnes Hsu-Tang with Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong
Gala Co-Chairs Agnes Hsu-Tang, Oscar Tang and Shirley Young
Tonya Vachirasomboo, Agnes Hsu-Tang and Lia Chang
Gala Co-chairs Oscar Tang and his wife Agnes Hsu-Tang, Soprano So Young Park and her sister Jihyang Park
Gary Parr, Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong and President and CEO Deborah Borda
Gala Co-Chairs Oscar Tang and Sharon Wee, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations Burhan Gafoor and his wife, Zarina Varukatty, Gala Co-Chair Agnes Hsu-Tang and Henr
Violinist Bomsori Kim after her New York Philharmonic debut with Gala Co-Chair Misook Doolittle
Gala guests
Gala guests
The Singaporean cuisine themed menu was curated by Gala Co-Chairs Sharon Wee and Agnes Hsu-Tang.
Gala Co-Chair Sharon Wee with Ambassador Burhan Gafoor and his wife Zarina Varukatty
New York Philharmonic concertmaster Frank Huang and Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong
Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong and the New York Philharmonic musicians
Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong and the New York Philharmonic musicians
Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong greets guests in the Green room.
Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong greets guests including Ambassador Gafoor and Gala Co-Chair Oscar Tang in the Green room.
Gala Co-Chair Oscar Tang chats with Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong in the Green room.
A guest, Kahchun Wong, Zarina Varukatty and her husband Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations Burhan Gafoor, a guest and Gala Co-Chair Oscar Tang
Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong greets guests in the Green room.
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations Burhan Gafoor
Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong, Zarina Varukatty and her husband Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations Burhan Gafoor
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations Burhan Gafoor and Gala Co-Chair Agnes Hsu-Tang congratulate Soprano So Young Park on her New York Philharmonic debut
Ben Hildner, Lia Chang, Ed Yim, Sarah Ludwig
Ben Hildner and Carlos Tome
Beatrice Pei, Han Feng and David Barboza
New York Philharmonic concertmaster Frank Huang and his wife Sarah Ludwig
George Sycip, Ambassador Nicholas Platt, Lucia Hwong-Gordon and Gala Co-Chair Angela Chen
Gala Co-Chair Oscar Tang with Barbara and Donald Tober
Gala Co-Chair Sharon Wee and guests
Orchids graced each table as a nod to Singapore?s national flower.
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