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The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) has successfully finished its first tour to Europe in more than a decade. Under the baton of Music Director Jaap van Zweden who is one of today's most sought-after conductors, the orchestra staged a series of performances in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
One day before the concert in Vienna on February 26, the HK Phil was awarded the Arthur von Rosthorn Medal at a festive ceremony in the Austrian Parliament, in recognition of its special contribution to the bilateral relationship between Austria and China. The medal was sponsored by the Australia-China Association and the Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institute for China- and Southeast Asia Research. It was presented by the National Council's Second President Mr Karlheinz Kopf, and by former Chairman of Hong Kong-based BW Group, Dr Helmut Sohmen.
To welcome the HK Phil's performance in Berlin, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin) hosted a reception in its office premises close to the concert venue on March 5. Some 50 guests joined the reception, including leading representatives and musicians of the orchestra as well as representatives of the federal and local governments and the media.
The reception provided a good opportunity for guests to learn about Hong Kong's vibrant cultural scene, and to interact with individual musicians. The Director of HKETO Berlin, Ms Betty Ho, said in her welcoming remarks that the HK Phil is a vital part of Hong Kong's cultural life. It gives more than 150 performances a year, for an audience of 200 000. In addition, the Orchestra has been promoting music education and appreciation of classical music through a range of outreach activities. Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society, Mr YS Liu, then provided an introduction of the HK Phil, the Europe tour and the concert programme.
After the reception, the HK Phil delivered an outstanding performance in the renowned Konzerthaus (Concert House) at Berlin's famous Gendarmenmarkt, which housed an audience of over 1 000. The audience especially enjoyed the opening piece "Quintessence", composed by one of Hong Kong's most promising talents, Fung Lam, who was also present in Berlin. After that, the phenomenal Berlin-based Chinese violinist Ning Feng performed Beethoven's "Violin Concerto", followed by Dvořák's "Symphony No. 9". The HK Phil received tremendous applause for the performance, which perfectly reflected Hong Kong's unique fusion of Western and Chinese influences.
About HKETO Berlin
HKETO Berlin is the official Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government representative in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Germany as well as Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland.
Ends/Friday, March 6, 2015
Issued at HKT 23:20
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