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Under the burning sun, with the outside temperature soaring high, one of the best ways to feel cool is to dive into the sea. Have you ever thought of the alternative of sitting in a concert hall and listening to great music? Throughout the past decade, the "Midsummer Classics" has been well received by music lovers. Stepping into the 21st century, the first "Midsummer Classics" will present to you the Hong Kong born conductor Mak Ka-lok and the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra.

Among the six concerts in this August, you will find music by the well-known Russian composer Tchaikovsky in "The Romance of Tchaikovsky". "A Taste of the Orient" comprises music from Chinese as well as from Russia composers. For concerto lovers, the "Classical Hits" is a must. There you can enjoy two important concertos by Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, plus waltzes by Johann Strauss. The "Kids' Music and Ballet" is a special concert for audience of all ages. This programme combines classical and ballet music, and is suitable for the whole family. The "Aria and Folk Music" concert features folk songs from China to Europe and lastly, "Forever Movie Themes" contain music from classic movies.

Mak Ka-lok is an Austrian conductor born in Hong Kong and has won many prizes in the Hong Kong School Music Festival and under his direction, first prize for his high school band. He obtained his Diploma of Arts in 1980 from the Vienna Music Conservatory, won the International Conductor Competition of Modern Music in Austria and obtained a diploma from the Toscannini Conducting Competition in Italy in 1986. Mak is now the principal conductor of the Voronezh Philharmonic Orchestra and has made over 50 recordings in Russia. He has worked with various orchestras in Europe and has toured in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1951 by Sammel Samousud, a distinguished conductor from the Bolshoi Opera. Under the director of Kiril Kondrashin, the orchestra has established itself as one of the major orchestras in Russia and toured extensively all over the world, as well as appearing in many famous world music festivals. During the past 50 years, the orchestra, with its high performing standard, has given 4,000 concerts in Russia and worldwide, and has recorded more than 500 CDs.

Details of the concerts are as follows:

"A Taste of the Orient"      August 7 (Monday)     8pm

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Concert Hall


"Aria and Folk Music"        August 8 (Tuesday)    8pm

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Concert Hall


"The Romance of

Tchaikovsky"                 August 9 (Wednesday)  8pm

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Concert Hall


"Classical Hits"             August 11 (Friday)    8pm

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Concert Hall


"Kids' Music and Ballet"     August 12 (Saturday)  8pm

Tsuen Wan Town Hall

Auditorium


"Forever Movie Themes"       August 13 (Sunday)    8pm

Tuen Mun Town Hall

Auditorium

Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), tickets priced at HK$ 240, $180, $120 and $80 for the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and HK$220, $160, $100 and $70 for the Tsuen Wan Town Hall and the Tuen Mun Town Hall are now available at all URBTIX outlets with half-price concessions for senior citizens, people with disabilities and full-time students. Please check out programme booklet available at URBTIX outlets for details of other discount schemes.

Apart from the concerts, there will be a series of pre-concerts talks to be held in Cantonese by the LCSD. The first talk of the series was held early this week. The details of the coming talks are as follows:

"Aria and Folk Music"              July 7 (Friday)  8pm

AC1, L4, Administration Building,

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Speaker: Joseph Lee


"Classical Hits"                   July 10 (Monday) 8pm

AC2, L4, Administration Building,

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Speaker: Joseph Lee


"A Taste of the Orient"            July 14 (Friday) 8pm

AC1, L4, Administration Building,

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Speaker: Joseph Lee


"Kids' Music and Ballet"           July 28 (Friday) 8pm

AC1, L4, Administration Building,

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Speaker: Nancy Loo

Programme enquiries can be made on 2734 2935 while ticketing enquiries and reservations on 2734 9009.

End/Wednesday, June 28, 2000

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