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Hong Kong artists with disability have today (October 18) delighted Expo 2010 Shanghai China (Shanghai Expo) audiences with a musical and visual art crossover performance of piano paired with live flower arrangement.
"The Flowering of Piano by Hong Kong Artists with Disabilities" was presented by the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong (ADAHK) at the Expo Park's Baosteel Stage (Large), which is the highlight of Hong Kong Week activities at Shanghai Expo from October 18 to 22.
Outstanding pianist Lee Hin, who is visually impaired, played solo classical pieces which included Chopin's "Raindrop" and "Nocturne" to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Chopin's birth.
Accompanying him on stage was Mandy Tang, a flower arrangement bronze medal winner at the seventh International Abilympics, whose floral flourishes added a new dimension to the classical music.
The stage setting, a beautiful flower garden with a swing and balloon, was also arranged by Mandy Tang.
Inspired by the vibrancy and cosmopolitan nature of Hong Kong, Mandy used 16 different coloured flowers to create the garden as well as two decorations which resembled the Brand Hong Kong dragon symbol.
Echoing the Hong Kong touch, Lee Hin, also performed a duet debut with erhu maestro Wong On-yuen for a beautiful rendition of "Beneath the Lion Rock".
In addition to the piano recital, Lee Hin also sang "I can't sing" and played the song at the same time.
"In spite of our disabilities, Mandy and I want to bring to Shanghai Expo the best of Hong Kong- the unique diversity and the 'can-do' spirit of Hong Kong people that define Hong Kong as Asia's world city," said Lee Hin.
"It is this 'can-do' spirit that helps us sail through difficulty and challenge we face in playing piano, flower arrangement and our lives," said Mandy.
At the invitation of Life and Sunshine Pavilion, the first pavilion for the disabled ever set up at a World Expo, Lee Hin and Mandy Tang will tomorrow (October 19) jointly stage another performance to promote respect and equality for people with disabilities.
Founded in 1986 with the vision of "Arts are for everyone", ADAHK has been working hard to nurture artistic talent among the disabled, fostering their social integration to build a harmonious society.
The five-day Hong Kong Week programme runs until Friday (October 22) with a kaleidoscope of performances, activities and events covering a broad range including art, music, dance, design, fashion to innovative applications of smart card technology.
For details, please visit www.hkexpo2010.gov.hk.
Ends/Monday, October 18, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:56
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