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Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Music Director and Conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform two concerts in Hong Kong to be held at 8pm on June 8 and 9 (Friday and Saturday) in the Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Programmes on June 8 (Friday) include The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Dukas, Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky and orchestrated by Ravel and Symphony No.4 in E Minor, Op.98 by Brahms. Programmes on June 9 (Saturday) include Scherzo Capriccioso, Op.66 by Dvorak, Firebird Suite (1919) by Stravinsky and Symphony No.4 in F Minor, Op.36 by Tchaikovsky.

Acclaimed as one of the greatest living exponents of the Germanic musical tradition, Wolfgang Sawallisch has continued to enrich and expand The Philadelphia Orchestra's century-old tradition of excellence. Born in Munich and graduated from that city's Academy of Music, he began his conducting career as vocal coach, chorus master and conductor of ballet, opera and concert music. Sawallisch was the youngest conductor ever to lead the Berlin Philharmonic. He has also served as the music director for the Hamburg Philharmonic and Vienna Symphony, the artistic director of the Orchestra de la Suisse Romande, as well as the guest conductor for Vienna, Isreal and Czech Philharmonic, Tokyo's NHK Orchestra, Orchestra de Paris and London's Philharmonia. Prestigious awards go along with Sawallisch's conducting career. Among them was the Toscanini Gold Baton in recognition of his 35-year association with La Scala in Milan and honorary conducting engagements throughout the world.

Now celebrating its 100th anniversary season, The Philadelphia Orchestra continues to distinguish itself as one of the leading Orchestras in the world through a century of brilliant performances, historic international tours and best-selling recordings. The Philadelphia Orchestra also boasted an extraordinary record of firsts: It was the first symphonic orchestra to make electrical recordings (1925), to perform on the soundtrack of a feature film (1937), to appear on a national television broadcast (1948) and to give a live concert on the Internet (1997). The Orchestra also made film history in 1939 when it recorded the soundtrack for Walt Disney's 1940 Fantasia. It was also the first American orchestra to tour to the Mainland China (1973) and Vietnam (1999).

Tickets priced $680, $520, $360 and $200 are now available at all URBTIX outlets. Half priced concessions are available to senior citizens, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Recipients (Limited tickets for students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Recipients available on a first-come-first-served basis). A 10% discount is also available for Friends of LCSD performing venues.

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

End/Wednesday, May 16, 2001

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