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One of the world's top orchestras, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, under the baton of its music director Esa-Pekka Salonen, will give two long-awaited concerts tomorrow and Thursday (October 29 and 30) in Hong Kong, 52 years after its last appearance here.
Response of local concert goers to the two performances, which are presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, has been overwhelming. Only limited tickets for the Thursday concert are still available. To enable more music lovers to enjoy the shows, the concerts will be telecast live to screens set up at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazzas.
Admission to the live telecast of the two concerts at Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza is free on a first-come, first-served basis. People will be admitted to the piazza from 7pm. A 45-minute pre-concert documentary (in Cantonese), showing the splendid history of the orchestra and excerpts of its past performances, will be screened before the telecast.
Under the baton of Salonen, who will end his tenure at the conclusion of the 2008-09 season, the orchestra will bring two individual and unique evening programmes to the Concert Hall of HKCC. Tomorrow's concert will feature the world-acclaimed pianist, Yefim Bronfman, in a programme including Tchaikovsky's popular "Piano Concerto No. 1" and Stravinsky's "Fireworks" and "The Firebird", two modern works interpreted with the Salonen hallmark style. Thursday's programme will feature Falla's "Three Dances" from 'El Amor Brujo', Debussy's "La Mer" and Ravel's "Ma Mere l'Oye" and "Bolero".
Being Los Angeles' first permanent symphony orchestra founded in 1919, the Los Angeles Philharmonic is defining the concept of a "21st century orchestra" with innovation and exuberance under Salonen's dynamic leadership since 1992. Inspired to consider new directions, Salonen and the orchestra aim to offer a programme that remains faithful to tradition, yet also seeks new ground, new audiences, and ways to enhance the symphonic music experience.
Concerts by the Los Angeles Philharmonic are presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The performance on Thursday is sponsored by Mr Albert Hung and Mr Wilfred Ng.
For enquiries, call 2268 7321.
Ends/Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Issued at HKT 11:21
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