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Founded by a group of young local musicians, Hong Kong Sinfonietta will meet local audience in "Christmas Wonders" concerts conducted by Peter Stafford Wilson with local soprano Margaret Yim Wai to perform lots of Christmas songs.

The concerts will be held in the Tai Po Civic Centre Auditorium at 8pm on December 23 (Friday) and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall at 3pm on December 24 (Saturday). The Sinfonietta will bring you "Silent Night", "Christams Medley", "A Christmas Overture", "A Sleigh Ride", "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear", Mozart's "Allelujah from Exsultate Jubilate", Johann Strauss' "Overture to Die Fledermaus" and more.

Peter Stafford Wilson is a rising star in the conducting world today. He studied in the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music where his primary mentor was the late Thomas Schippers. He then furthered his studied at various professional Institutes. Wilson has appeared with such orchestras and conductors as Dallas, Youngstown, the American Symphony Orchestra, Jeffery Siegel, Garrick Ohlsson, Mark O'Connor, etc. He was also invited to lead the Symphony Orchestra of the Hong Kong Youth Music Camp in 1998. Wilson is currently the Music Director of the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Westerville Symphony Orchestra; the Assistant Conductor of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra; Principal Conductor of Opera Charleston, South Carolina and the Kent Sinfonia.

Margaret Yim Wai was graduated from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts under Dr. Magreta Elkins. She won the Hong Kong Jockey Club Overseas Scholarship in 1994 and furthered her study in Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Australia. Yim has participated into such operas as "La Traviata", "Turanadot", "Die Zauberflote" and she was the soloist in various oratorios such as Mendelssohn's "Elijah", Handel's "Messiah" and Schubert's "Mass in G". She is currently the vocal lecturer of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong International Institute of Music.

Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, tickets priced at HK$ 80 and 60 for the Tai Po Civic Centre and at HK$150, $120 and $80 for the Hong Kong Cultural Centre are now available at all URBTIX outlets, with half-price concessions for senior citizens, people with disabilities and full time students. Limited student tickets are available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Programme enquiries can be made on 2734 2935 while ticketing enquiries and reservations on 2734 9009.

End/ Thursday, November 23, 2000

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