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The following is issued on behalf of the Provisional Urban Council:

The world-class Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, under its inspiring and highly gifted Music Director cum Conductor Daniele Gatti, is certain to enrapture audience when it performs two famous music pieces: Mahler's "Symphony No.5 " and Schubert's "Symphony No.8, 'Unfinished'" at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall on June 20 (Sunday) as part of the celebration programme of the Centre's 10th anniversary.

This is also the second of two concerts jointly presented by the Provisional Urban Council and the Provisional Regional Council, and supported by the Hong Kong Tourist Association as "A Spotlight Hong Kong" event. The first performance will take place on June 19 (Saturday) at the Auditorium of the Tsuen Wan Town Hall, featuring well-known works from three great composers: Wagner, Beethoven and Brahms.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1946 by Sir Thomas Beecham and conferred the Royal title by Her Majesty the Queen in 1966, has been bringing exciting music of the highest quality to a worldwide audience. With its core activities at the Royal Albert Hall and Barbican Centre in London, the Orchestra has received exceptionally rave reviews in its recent concerts. Both The Daily Telegraph and Financial Times lauded the ensemble as having one of London's richest string sections, while their brass was immaculately tuned.

Last year, the Orchestra made a prestigious tour to Vienna with the late Yehudi Menuhin, the Orchestra's President until his death in March this year. Under the musical directorship of Daniele Gatti, who has taken up the position since 1996, the Orchestra had been making successful tours to Europe and the U.S.

Gatti has inspired audiences and critics alike with his captivating performances which have received many favourable reviews. On a recent tour of the United States with the Orchestra, The Los Angeles Times found Gatti "the real thing...I can recall no performance...live or recorded, so purposeful, compelling and coherent."

With fire and flair, Gatti has established his mastery of the orchestra and the opera stage, imbuing his interpretations with acute understanding and refined sensitivity. He was Music Director of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome from 1992 to 1997, Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Opera House, Covent garden from 1994 to 1997 and is currently Music Director of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna.

His latest release with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Mahler's "Fifth Symphony", was made Editor's Choice in Gramophone magazine, which rated it an eruption of youthful enthusiasm and a triumph. Local audience will be able to hear for themselves this masterful rendition in the concert at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

Gatti has also conducted many first-class orchestras including the American Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia, London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Bayerischer Rundfunk, San Francisco Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic and Boston Symphony orchestras.

The Royal Philharmonic is visiting South East Asia and South America this year and will undertake another tour to the U.S., as well as visits to major European summer music festivals in 2000.

Tickets for the concert at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre are at $650, $500, $350 and $200, with half-price concessions for senior citizens, the disabled and full-time students. There will be a 10 per cent discount for each purchase of four or more tickets of a single programme. Reservations can be made at 2734 9009 and programme enquiries at 2734 2000.

End/Tuesday, June 1, 1999

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