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Acclaimed Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter will make her long-awaited Hong Kong debut on December 8.
The title of the concert comes from one of von Otter's albums, "Home for Christmas". Von Otter, pianist partner Bengt Forsberg and her Swedish band will perform a series of well-loved traditional and Scandinavian Christmas songs including "Silent Night", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "Nigh Bethlehem" (Swedish song), and "Santa Lucia" (traditional song).
Regarded as one of the finest singers of her generation with an international career spanning nearly 30 years, von Otter has enchanted audiences throughout the world with her consummate artistry, in concert halls, opera houses and in a wide range of recordings. In opera houses, she is famed for her interpretations of the trouser roles in Mozart's and Richard Strauss's operas, but she is equally at home in almost all styles and kinds of opera, from Baroque to modern, in French, Italian and German.
A field in which von Otter has made a special contribution is that of Scandinavian songs. Her three recordings of this repertoire, including a famous release wholly devoted to the songs of Grieg, have earned her prestigious Gramophone Awards.
Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the concert, "Home for Christmas - Anne Sofie von Otter and Her Merry Swedish Gentlemen", part of the Encore Series 2008, will be staged at 8pm, on December 8 (Monday) at the Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Tickets priced at $420, $320, $220 and $120 are now available at all URBTIX outlets. Half-price concessions will be granted to senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients. (Limited tickets for CSSA recipients available on a first-come,first-served basis.)
For each purchase of standard tickets for this concert and another Encore Series concert, "Piano Recital by Leif Ove Andsnes" (November 5, Hong Kong Cultural Centre), patrons can enjoy a 10% discount.
For programme enquiries, call 2268 7321; for ticketing enquiries and reservations call 2734 9009. Internet bookings are available at www.urbtix.hk. For credit card telephone bookings, call 2111 5999. Visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/cp for more information on the programme.
A pre-concert talk (in Cantonese) hosted by local soprano Chan Siu-kwan will be held at 3pm on December 6 at Room AC1, 4/F, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis.
Ends/Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Issued at HKT 11:27
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