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Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, "Bass Fiesta" by the Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra will feature several young local musicians playing bass instruments, including the double bass, English horn, bass clarinet, trombone and cello.
Under the baton of Dr Yip Wai-hong (Music Director/Compere) and guest conductor Francis Kan, the orchestra and young soloists will perform numerous classical works. The programme will include Saint-Saens's "The Elephant" from "Carnival of the Animals" with soloist Nickie Yu on double bass; Vivaldi's "Cello Concerto in A Minor RV418" with cello solo by Jonathan Leung; an excerpt from the second movement of Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, "From the New World" with Rachel Wong on English horn; Popper's "Tarantellon, Op.33" with cello solo by Teddy Chow; Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46 with Charlie Cho on bass clarinet; Popper's "Hungarian Rhapsody, Op.68" with cello solo by Wong Tsz To; Alexandre Guilmant's "Morceau Symphonique" with Felix Tam in a trombone solo, and the first movement of Dvorak's "Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op.104" played by Marcus Mok.
The youngest soloist, Nickie Yu, is eight years old. She has been learning double bass with Mr Edmond Cheng since the age of six. Nickie attained merit in the double bass solo - junior competition at the 60th Hong Kong School Music Festival.
Rachel Wong's teachers include Prof Anthony Camden, the former Dean of Music of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), Diana Doherty and Dr Rhondda May. She has been invited to play with the Sydney Conservatorium Chamber Orchestra and Canberra Chamber Orchestra.
Clarinettist Charlie Cho joined the Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta Orchestra and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra as a freelance player while he was still studying at the HKAPA. In 1996 he held a public recital at the academy as his graduation recital.
Seventeen-year-old Felix Tam started trombone lessons at the age of 10. In 2006 he passed the Grade 8 trombone examination of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. Felix is active in children's music education, following his teacher Philip Lee. He is now a teaching assistant in the Wind Band and often attends inter-school music performances.
Nine-year-old Jonathan Leung is studying cello with Russian cellist Artem Konstantinov in Hong Kong. He has won several prizes with cello, violin and piano solos in past Hong Kong School Music Festivals.
Thirteen-year-old Teddy Chow started learning cello, piano, singing and ballet at the age of five. Since the age of nine, he has been a student of Mr Ray Wang. He has won numerous awards in the past few years, including the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival Scholarship for String Concerto (Open) in 2007, Hong Kong Young Musician of the Year 2006 – Strings, the 6th National Professional Cello Competition for Young Cellists in China, and "Hong Kong Outstanding Teens" in 2008.
Wong Tsz To, a Form Four student, has studied the cello since the age of five. He joined the Hong Kong Children's Symphony Orchestra in 2003 and participated in a concert tour to Thailand in August 2005, to Malaysia and Singapore in July 2006, and to the United States and Canada in the summer of 2007.
Aged 14, Marcus Mok has received a number of top awards in classes including cello solo senior, cello sonata, string duo and string quintet. In piano classes he was awarded first place in both Grade 6 and 7. For these achievements Marcus is much indebted to his cello teacher for five years, Ms Anna Kwan.
Detailed information on concerts of the "Bass Fiesta" by the Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra are as follows:
October 31 (Fri) 8pm Theatre, Sheung Wan Civic Centre
November 1 (Sat) 8pm Theatre, Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre
November 2 (Sun) 3pm Theatre, Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre
Tickets priced at $100 and $80 are now available at all URBTIX outlets. Half-price concessions will be granted to senior citizens aged 60 or over, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. (Limited tickets for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients are available on a first-come, first-served basis.) For more details about group booking discounts, please check the programme leaflet.
For programme enquiries, call 2268 7321; for ticketing enquiries and reservations call 2734 9009. Internet bookings are available at www.urbtix.hk. For credit card telephone bookings, call 2111 5999. Visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/cp for more information on the programme.
Ends/Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:32
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