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The Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra will perform two concerts in January next year aimed especially at young music lovers. The highlight of the programme is an animated version of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition", in which a cartoon lookalike of the orchestra's Music Director, Dr Yip Wai-hong, will give a guided tour of an exhibition of some paintings accompanied by a live orchestral performance.
Other pieces (without animation) include Tchaikovsky's "Miniature Overture", "Marche" (from "The Nutcracker Suite", Op. 71a) and theme songs from popular animation films including "Ice Age", "Monsters, Inc.", "Despicable Me", "Shrek", "Madagascar" and more.
Fan Tao, the concert's guest conductor, is a National Class One Conductor in China. He is a graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he studied composition and conducting under renowned conductor and pedagogue Huang Xiaotong. Fan has been praised for performances characterising insight, conviction, powerful sound and expansive phrasing. Orchestras and ensembles conducted by Fan include the Finnish National Broadcasting Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Finland's Avanti Chamber Orchestra and Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra, Colombia's Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra, the Oberlin Symphony Orchestra, the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra and Hopkins Symphony Orchestra in the United States, Australia's Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and many leading orchestras in the Mainland and around the world. He also often collaborates with internationally recognised soloists.
Founded by Dr Yip Wai-hong, the Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra is a highly organised orchestra aimed at promoting music among the general public, and especially the young generation in Hong Kong. For more than 30 years, the orchestra has given several hundred performances at Hong Kong City Hall and in town halls and civic centres around the territory. Many acclaimed conductors and soloists have been invited to perform with the orchestra. By regularly performing popular music and organising concert talks, the orchestra has successfully introduced serious music and Chinese orchestral music to the public, and at the same time, brought about an awareness of the indigenous culture of the people.
Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, "Pictures at an Exhibition" – Concert by Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra will be staged at 8pm on January 30 (Friday) at the Auditorium, Tuen Mun Town Hall; and at 8pm on January 31 (Saturday) at the Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall. Tickets priced at $100, $120 and $140 are now available at URBTIX. 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 are available on a first-come, first-served basis). Group booking discount is also available, please refer to programme leaflet for details.
For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/program_709.html. For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For internet bookings, please visit www.urbtix.hk.
Ends/Friday, December 19, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:53
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