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Four great young musical talents from different parts of the world, Alexander Prior (UK), Simone Porter (USA), Nathan Chan (USA) and Aristo Sham (Hong Kong) will get together in Hong Kong for the first time this July, joining with the City Chamber Orchestra to perform "Prodigies From Around the World".
These young stars of the classical stage were featured in the Channel 4 documentary, "The World's Greatest Musical Prodigies". Prior is a conductor-composer, Porter a violinist, Chan a cellist and Sham is a pianist. In the concerts, they will perform excerpts from solo concertos with the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong as well as the world premiere of Prior's triple concerto for violin, cello, piano and chamber orchestra. They will also share their experiences as young stars of the classical stage with radio personality Jonathan Douglas.
Nineteen-year-old Alexander Prior was born in London. He began playing the piano at the age of three and was composing at the age of eight. He completed his studies in music at the St Petersburg Conservatory in Russia, and has since written more than 40 works. His compositions have been performed at the Barbican Centre in UK, the Great Philharmonic Hall in St Petersburg and the Kremlin Theatre in Moscow. He has guest conducted the Northern Sinfonia and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and served as an assistant conductor of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra in 2008.
Thirteen-year-old Simone Porter was born in the US. She began violin studies at the age of three and made her solo debut with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra at the age of ten. She featured on the Grammy Award-winning radio show, From the Top, which led to her televised Carnegie Hall debut.
Sixteen-year-old cellist Nathan Chan was born in San Francisco, California, to Hong Kong parents. He made his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of two and recorded with the legendary singer Roberta Flack at age thirteen. He has appeared as soloist with the San Francisco Symphony and Chamber Orchestra.
Fifteen-year-old Aristo Sham was born in Hong Kong and began piano lessons at the age of three. Under the tutelage of Professor Eleanor Wong at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, he has won prizes at the Gina Bachauer International Junior Piano Competition and the 10th Ettlingen International Competition for Young Pianists in Germany (under 15 category).
Performing alongside these musical talents is the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong (CCOHK), one of the most active chamber orchestras in the Asian region. Comprising an international group of professional musicians living in Hong Kong and Asia, the CCOHK frequently performs with local and internationally renowned artists. Annual family programmes such as The Snowman and The Bear, The Magic Jungle and Sing The Sounds of English are also a special part of the orchestra's mission to bring classical music to young audiences.
"Prodigies From Around the World" is one of the programmes of the large-scale summer festival "International Arts Carnival" (IAC) presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Details are as follows:
(1) July 29, 7.30pm
Sha Tin Town Hall Auditorium
$220, $160, $100
(2) July 30, 7.30pm
Tsuen Wan Town Hall Auditorium
$200, $150, $100
Tickets are available at URBTIX. Half-price tickets are available for full-time students, senior citizens aged 60 and above, people with disabilities and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. Booking discounts of up to 20% are available for full-price performing arts/film programmes.
IAC programme brochures are available at URBTIX outlets or at the Carnival website www.hkiac.gov.hk .
For programme enquiries, please call 2370 1044. Internet bookings can be made at www.urbtix.hk . Credit card telephone bookings can be made on 2111 5999.
Ends/Saturday, July 2, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:00
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