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Talented young musicians from the Birmingham Symphonic Winds (BSW) of the United Kingdom and the Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band (HKYSB) will perform together for a concert titled "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" at 3pm on April 20 (Sunday) at the Kwai Tsing Theatre Auditorium.
The groups will perform under the batons of the Musical Director of the BSW, Keith Allen, and the Senior Music Officer of the Wind Section of the Music Office, Pak Wing-heng. Hannah Marcinowicz, hailed by the Times as "a superb young saxophonist", will perform as saxophone soloist in the concert.
Organised by the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the concert will feature Tan Dun's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", the theme music of the movie of the same title that won Best Original Score in the 2001 Academy Awards; Martin Ellerby's dynamic swing piece "Cinnamon Concerto"; selections from Puccini's opera "Turandot"; and Philip Sparke's "Second City Ceremony", which was commissioned by the BSW in 2010.
Other pieces to be performed will include the suite of dances "Illyrian Dances" by Guy Woolfenden; "New York", a work about New York City by Nigel Hess; Paul Hart's "Cartoon", which pays tribute to the world of animated films; and "Henry V Suite" by Patrick Doyle.
The BSW was established by Keith Allen in 1992 and gained a reputation as one of the leading wind ensembles in the United Kingdom. The group has received numerous accolades for its performances including a Gold Award in the Finals of the National Concert Band Festival. The ensemble is devoted to promoting British music and has performed more than 250 pieces of music in Europe and the United States.
The HKYSB has successfully nurtured several generations of young musicians since its establishment in 1978. The Band has performed with a number of distinguished guest musicians and bands both in Hong Kong and overseas. It has been on many successful concert tours and music exchanges in Japan, Korea, the United States and Australia.
Tickets priced at $80, $60 and $40 are now available at all URBTIX outlets. Half-price concessions are available for full-time students, people with disabilities and their minders, senior citizens aged 60 and above and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients.
Credit card telephone booking can be made at 2111 5999 and Internet booking at www.urbtix.hk. For programme enquiries, please call 2598 8335 or visit the website www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/MusicOffice/en/events_2014_02_20.php.
Ends/Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:45
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