The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present two concerts entitled "Classical and Romantic Journey" by the Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra in September. The concerts will feature two talented young musicians, guest conductor Lio Kuokman and violinist Dami Kim.

     The programme will include Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue", Bizet's "Carmen, Suite No. 1", Beethoven's "Romance in F", Sarasate's "Zigeunerweisen" and "Carmen Fantasy" and Bernstein's "Overture to Candide".

     Praised by the Philadelphia Inquirer as "a startling conducting talent", guest conductor Lio Kuokman has worked extensively as conductor in both the symphonic and operatic genres. His past appearances have included concerts with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the Hong Kong Virtuosi, the Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra and the Macao Orchestra.

     Lio's opera repertoire has flourished throughout Asia and the United States, where he has conducted productions of "Don Giovanni", "Le nozze di Figaro" and "Carmen", as well as performances of Musica Viva Hong Kong including "L'elisir d'amore", "La fille du régiment", "Lucia di Lammermoor", "Cavalleria Rusticana", "I Pagliacci" and "Rigoletto". A proponent of contemporary works, he has also premiered Chan Hing-yan's chamber operas "Heart of Coral" and "Datong".
    
     Violinist Dami Kim, born in Korea in 1988, began playing the violin at the age of 5. In 2002, she was admitted to Aaron Rosand's class at the Curtis Institute of Music. She subsequently studied with Miriam Fried at the New England Conservatory in Boston, where she graduated with a Master's degree in 2012. In the same year, she was not only a laureate at the international Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels but also won first prize in the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition in Hanover.

     "Classical and Romantic Journey" by the Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra will be staged at 8pm on September 23 (Friday) at the Auditorium of Sha Tin Town Hall and at 8pm on September 24 (Saturday) at the Auditorium of the Yuen Long Theatre. Tickets priced from $100 to $180 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/program_1215.html.

Ends/Friday, August 12, 2016
Issued at HKT 10:00

NNNN