Enjoy great music by acclaimed artists and groups in autumn and winter
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     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present an array of recitals and concerts by highly acclaimed musicians and ensembles under the Great Music 2015 series from September to December.

Piano Recital by Nelson Freire

     Noted for his vigour and ability to play a wide repertoire of classical and Brazilian piano music, Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire will make his Hong Kong debut with works by Mozart, Beethoven, Prokofiev, Granados and Chopin. Details are as follows:

Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
8pm, September 8 (Tuesday)
Tickets: $150 to $420

Hagen Quartet

     The Hagen Quartet, praised by the Independent in the UK as "breathtaking in its precision, dynamism and agility", will visit Hong Kong and perform Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131" and collaborate with renowned clarinettist JörgĄ@Widmann in Mozart's clarinet quintet. The Hagen Quartet comprises Lukas Hagen (violin), Rainer Schmidt (violin), Veronika Hagen (viola) and Clemens Hagen (cello). Details are as follows:

Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
8pm, October 6 (Tuesday)
Tickets: $150 to $380

Vienna Boys Choir

     Best known for its members' angelic voices and blue-and-white sailor suits, the Vienna Boys Choir is the world's best-loved choir and one of Austria's top cultural icons. With its unmistakable vibrancy and youthful energy, a concert of the Vienna Boys Choir is certainly not to be missed. Hong Kong-born conductor and pianist Jimmy Chiang, who was appointed as choirmaster of the Haydn Choir of the Vienna Boys Choir in 2013, will bring the popular choir to his hometown in two concerts featuring a diverse, energetic and stylish repertoire. Details are as follows:

Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
8pm, October 10 (Saturday)
Tickets: $180 to $380

Auditorium, Yuen Long Theatre
3pm, October 11 (Sunday)
Tickets: $150 to $300

Singapore Chinese Orchestra

     The Singapore Chinese Orchestra will demonstrate its artistic virtuosity under the baton of its music director Tsung Yeh in its coming concerts. In the first performance, the orchestra will perform alongside a screening of "The Goddess", a legendary silent movie featuring Ruan Lingyu, to bring both visual and aural enjoyment to audience. The second performance will include pieces of traditional Cantonese music rearranged for orchestra as well as music by Tan Dun, Eric Watson and Simon Kong and the large-scale symphonic poem "Marco Polo and Princess Blue" with tenor Warren Mok and soprano Wu Bixia as vocalists. Details are as follows:

Ruan Lingyu's "The Goddess" - A Silent Film Concert
Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall
8pm, October 17 (Saturday)
Tickets: $160 to $360

Concert by Singapore Chinese Orchestra
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
8pm, October 18 (Sunday)
Tickets: $200 to $450

Concert by Ian Bostridge (Tenor) and Xuefei Yang (Guitar)

     Acclaimed British tenor Ian Bostridge will team up with Beijing-born guitarist Xuefei Yang in a programme of art songs and guitar music from different periods. Bostridge is an Honorary Doctor of Music whose recordings have won major international record prizes and been nominated for 13 Grammys while Yang is acclaimed as one of the world's finest classical guitarists and was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Music. This is the duo's first Asia tour and the concert will be Bostridge's Hong Kong debut. Details are as follows:

Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
8pm, October 25 (Sunday)
Tickets: $150 to $320

Violin Recital by Itzhak Perlman

     Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to his irrepressible joy in making music. He will perform with his long-time collaborator, pianist Rohan De Silva. The programme includes Leclair's "Violin Sonata in D", Brahms' "Scherzo in C Minor", Franck's "Violin Sonata in A" and Stravinsky's "Suite Italienne". Other works will be announced by Perlman on the stage. Details are as follows:

Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
8pm, November 8 (Sunday)
Tickets: $250 to $1,080

Opera: Verdi's "Il Trovatore"

     A tale of rivalry, vengeance and fateful love, "Il Trovatore" has been immensely loved by audiences since Giuseppe Verdi premiered the opera in 1853. Set in medieval Spain, it is a story about the troubadour Manrico and his rival Count di Luna, who both loved the same woman, Leonora. Twisted fate brings these two opponents together in a duel and, eventually, unveils shared blood in tragedy. Directed by Lo Kingman and conducted by Lio Kuokman, this production of Musica Viva will see collaboration between world-renowned stars and home-grown talents, bringing the legendary troubadours, nobles and gypsies to life on a Hong Kong stage. Details are as follows:

Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
7.45pm, December 11 and 12 (Friday and Saturday)
2.45pm, December 12 to 13 (Saturday and Sunday)
Tickets: $150 to $630

     Tickets for the above performances are now available at URBTIX. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for full-time students and CSSA recipients are available on a first-come, first-served basis). A maximum discount of 20 per cent is offered for the Great Music 2015 series and group booking packages. Please visit the website and refer to the individual programme leaflet for details.

     For enquiries on programmes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/group_75.html. For telephone credit card booking, please call 2111 5999. Tickets can also be booked online at www.urbtix.hk.

Ends/Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Issued at HKT 11:01

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