************************************************************
The Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra will once again combine music, painting and animation for two upcoming concerts titled "The Carnival of the Animals" in January.
The concerts will take place at 8pm on January 26 (Saturday) at the Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall, and at 3.30pm on January 27 (Sunday) at the Auditorium, Tuen Mun Town Hall. Under the baton of its music director, Dr Yip Wai-hong, the orchestra will perform Rachmaninov's "Vocalise" with saxophonist Charlie Cho. National class one conductor Fan Tao will lead the orchestra in performing "Movie Music Medley", "Under the Hawthorn Tree" and "In the Mood for Love". The orchestra will also perform Saint-Saens' "The Carnival of the Animals" with the aid of oil paintings by Kenneth Tsang and motion graphics designed by Chih Leung.
Fan Tao graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and studied composition and conducting under the famous conductor and pedagogue, Huang Xiaotong. He is praised for performances characterised by insight, conviction, powerful sound and expansive phrasing. Orchestras and ensembles conducted by Fan include the Finnish National Broadcasting Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the Avanti Chamber Orchestra of Finland, the Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra in Finland, the Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra in Columbia, and many leading orchestras in Hong Kong and on the Mainland.
At the International Sibelius Conductors' Competition held in Helsinki in May 2000, Fan was awarded a special prize, donated by the Sibelius Estate, which enabled him to take a master class with Finnish composer and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. Leading music professionals at the competition noted that "Fan's ability to control the orchestra is superb, and he is an outstanding professional conductor."
The Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra aims to bring music to a wider audience in Hong Kong, especially the younger generation, and has performed frequently with a number of internationally famous conductors and soloists in Hong Kong for over 30 years. By performing popular music and organising concert talks, the orchestra has been successful in introducing classical music and Chinese orchestral music to the public.
"The Carnival of the Animals" is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Tickets priced at $80, $110 and $140 are now available at URBTIX outlets, on the Internet and by credit card telephone booking. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for CSSA recipients available on a first-come, first-served basis). A maximum discount of 20 per cent is offered for group booking.
For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/program_128.html. Ticketing enquiries can be made on 2734 9009 and credit card telephone bookings on 2111 5999. Tickets can also be booked online at www.urbtix.hk.
Ends/Saturday, December 15, 2012
Issued at HKT 11:01
NNNN
