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Enchanting a full-house audience, the Windpipe Chinese Ensemble of Hong Kong made its debut in Atlanta yesterday (March 1, Atlanta time) in a concert organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York (HKETO) to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
The "Hong Kong Celebrates the Year of the Tiger" concert was held at Fernbank Auditorium in the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta, following the HKETO's annual spring reception. In the best embodiment of the "East meets West" tradition, the concert featured a programme of traditional and contemporary music played on Chinese instruments, including a piece specifically composed for the new year, "Tiger Sketch".
"Tiger Sketch" was a multi-media presentation that featured the traditional Chinese instruments of sheng, sanxian and percussion. It was accompanied by a video of award-winning Chinese manga comic artist Lee Chi-ching creating a unique tiger-themed painting with montage of Hong Kong scenery. Its blend of traditional Chinese music with a cutting-edge video presentation drew the concert to a festive conclusion and marked the end of the Windpipe ensemble's successful US debut tour, which was organised by the HKETO.
Addressing the audience at the spring reception before the concert, Hong Kong Commissioner for Economic and Trade Affairs, USA, Mr Donald Tong, said, "Over the past two years, we have seen governments around the world taking unprecedented steps to lessen the impact of the global economic crisis.
"Hong Kong spent over US$11 billion on economic stimulus measures, an amount equivalent to 5.2% of GDP. We also took steps to guarantee bank deposits, provide additional capital to the banking sector if required, and support small- and medium-sized enterprises.
"These measures, coupled with healthy economic growth in the Mainland of China and the gradual recovery of the global economy, cushioned the severity of the crisis. And since the second quarter of last year, green shoots have emerged. We witnessed notable growth in our exports and retail sales in the last quarter of 2009 which reflects a degree of optimism.
In other developments, Hong Kong continues to bolster its soft infrastructure by enhancing its arts, culture and creative industries, as well as spurring urban revitalisation. Among the major programmes under planning is the development of the 40-hectare West Kowloon Cultural District which will comprise concert halls, theatres and a contemporary art museum. Upon completion, Hong Kong will become Asia's regional arts and cultural hub."
Mr Tong said the concert is a representation of Hong Kong's artistic treasure. He said Windpipe is "one of our best home-grown Chinese music ensembles. The concert offered a new look into traditional and contemporary Chinese music, which is a fruition of the tireless exploration by Hong Kong musicians of new frontiers in the world of unlimited creativity."
Earlier in the day, Mr Tong called on Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and updated him on Hong Kong's economy. He also had a luncheon with members of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.
On February 26, Director of the HKETO, Ms Monica Chen, attended a Lunar New Year banquet at Emory University where a "This is Hong Kong" mobile exhibition, produced by the HKETO, was held.
Ends/Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Issued at HKT 12:37
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