France's Ensemble intercontemporain to make Hong Kong début in October
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In a long overdue Hong Kong début, the ensemble will perform pieces by maestro composers including Arnold Schoenberg's revolutionary "Chamber Symphony No. 1", the ensemble's founder Pierre Boulez's "Mémoriale", György Ligeti's "Chamber Concerto", Franco Donatoni's "Tema", Bruno Mantovani's "Les Danses interrompues", Pintscher's "Whirling Tissue of Light", as well as a piece by Hong Kong composer Charles Kwong, "Lachrymae", which was selected by Pintscher along with the ensemble members following a "call-for-scores" activity.
Founded in 1976 by well-known French composer Pierre Boulez, Ensemble intercontemporain is a pre-eminent group of virtuoso soloists capable of giving impeccable performances of the most challenging scores. Under the artistic direction of Pintscher, the musicians work in close collaboration with composers, exploring instrumental techniques and developing projects that interweave music, dance, theatre, film, video and visual arts. New pieces are commissioned and performed on a regular basis.
Equally accomplished as conductor and composer, Pintscher sees his two main spheres of activity as entirely complementary - he has created significant works for some of the world's leading orchestras while his intrinsic understanding of the score from the composer's perspective also allows him to communicate to great effect on the conductor's podium. Pintscher may justly be called the most sought-after German composer of his generation, and his music is championed by some of today's finest performing artists, orchestras and conductors.
The concert by Ensemble intercontemporain is one of the "Great Music 2016" and "New Vision Arts Festival" programmes presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. It will be held at 8pm on October 23 (Sunday) at the Concert Hall of the Hong Kong City Hall. Tickets priced at $200, $260, $340 and $420 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_1075.html or www.newvisionfestival.gov.hk.
A lecture demonstration by a few members of Ensemble intercontemporain (to be conducted in English) will be held at 5.30pm on October 22 (Saturday) at the Convocation Room, Room 218, Main Building, University of Hong Kong. A pre-performance talk (to be conducted by Professor Chan Hing-yan in Cantonese) will be held at 6.45pm on October 23 (Sunday) at the North Committee Room, Hong Kong City Hall. Online registration is required for free admission to the lecture demonstration (www.muse.hku.hk). Admission is free for the pre-performance talk with limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Ends/Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Issued at HKT 12:10
Issued at HKT 12:10
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