Two orchestral performances, cycling and running races and a Shanxi festival will be held in the coming days as part of the celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

     The two orchestral performances will take place in Tsim Sha Tsui and Central to celebrate the 20th anniversary.

     The Berliner Philharmoniker will perform in the Concert Hall of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on November 10 and 11 (Friday and Saturday) at 8pm and 5pm respectively. The concerts have been organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

     Acclaimed as one of the best orchestras in the world, the illustrious Berliner Philharmoniker will be led by Artistic Director Sir Simon Rattle and will feature a piano performance by Seong-Jin Cho in one of the concerts. The orchestra will perform monumental symphonic works by Richard Strauss, Brahms, Stravinsky and Rachmaninov. Cho will perform Ravel's "Piano Concerto in G Major" as part of the first evening's programme. In the second evening, the orchestra will include in the programme a work composed by eminent Korean composer Unsuk Chin.

     Limited tickets for the concerts are available. Those without tickets can still enjoy the performances, and for free, through live relays at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, at Sha Tin Park and in the Auditorium of the Yuen Long Theatre. Free seating will be offered at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza and Sha Tin Park. Online registration at www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_362.html is required for the relays at the Yuen Long Theatre Auditorium. All seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

     For details, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/cp. For enquiries, please call 2268 7321.

     Another orchestral music performance, "Symphony Under the Stars", the free annual outdoor mega-concert of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil), will be held on November 11 (Saturday) at 7.30pm at the Central Harbourfront Event Space.

     The winning piece of the HK Phil's Hong Kong Composers Showcase 2017, Chan Kai-young's "Climbing to the Light", will be given its premiere under the baton of the HK Phil's Principal Guest Conductor, Yu Long. The piece, voted the audience's favourite at the Showcase in January this year, explores the different varieties of hope, truth and love that guide people out of darkness and into the light.

     Many other great works will be performed by the HK Phil under Yu, including Chopin's "Grande Polonaise brillante" with Johnson Li on piano and Waxman's "Carmen Fantasy" featuring Paloma So on violin. With the ever-lively Harry Wong (better known as Harry Gor Gor) as emcee, the evening promises to be very entertaining. 

     All tickets have been registered for. Members of the public can still enjoy the show for free through a live relay at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza in Tsim Sha Tsui at 7.30pm.

     For details, please visit www.hkphil.org. For enquiries, please call 2721 2332.

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     To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the HKSAR, the Sha Tin Cycling and Distance Running Races cum Carnival 2017 - Sha Tin in Motion 2017, organised by the Organizing Committee for Sha Tin Cycling and Run Races cum Carnival 2017 with the Sha Tin District Office and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will be held on November 12 (Sunday). The event will be divided into five parts: 15km Professional Road Cycling Race, 10km and 2.5km Distance Run, Smart Rider, a cycling parade and a carnival.

     The 15km Professional Road Cycling Race will start at 5am at Chong San Road and follow a section of the Tate's Cairn Highway to the turning point at Ma On Shan Road. The finishing point will be at Sha Tin Jockey Club Swimming Pool. Smart Rider, for primary and secondary students, will begin at 8.15am at Yuen Wo Road and then cross Fo Tan Road before returning to the starting point.

     In addition, the 10km and 2.5km Distance Run will begin at Yuen Wo Road and set off for Sha Tin Sports Ground at 7am. Athletes in the 10km event will run along the Ma On Shan Promenade.

     Aside from the cycling and running races, the cycling parade will commence at Yuen Wo Road at 9.30am and head to Fo Tan Road. The free-admission carnival, with game booths, stage performances and a prize presentation ceremony, will be held from 9.30am to 4pm at Sha Tin Sports Ground.
 
     Registration is required to join the races. For details and registration, please visit the following websites or call the hotlines:
15km Professional Road Cycling Race: www.cycling.org.hk; 6775 2650
Smart Rider: www.facebook.com/projectsmartrider
10km and 2.5km Distance Run: www.stsa.org.hk; 2691 5657
Cycling parade: 2158 5349
Carnival: www.staa.com.hk; 2606 6552
 
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     The Hong Kong Shanxi Festival, organised by the Hong Kong Shanxi Chamber of Commerce, will be held from November 10 to 12 (Friday to Sunday) at Chater Garden in Central.
 
     The event will be open to the public for free. Visitors will learn more about Shanxi culture in areas such as business, ancestral roots and intangible cultural heritage. The programme will include a virtual reality tour to the Hanging Temple, an augmented reality shadow puppetry show and Shanxi cuisine. The ambassador of the Hong Kong Shanxi Festival, Niao Zun, will make its debut appearance.  
 
     The opening hours of the festival will be from noon to 6pm on November 10 and 10am to 6pm on November 11 and 12. For details, please visit the Facebook page www.facebook.com/hkshanxifestival/ or call 2701 8777.
 
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     To share the joy of the 20th anniversary, the HKSAR Government is joining hands with different sectors to organise a wide variety of activities and events under the theme "Together • Progress • Opportunity".

     Altogether, more than 900 events and activities are being staged by the Government and different sectors until the end of 2017.
     
     For details and updates on the 20th anniversary celebrations and events, please visit www.hksar20.gov.hk.

Ends/Sunday, November 5, 2017
Issued at HKT 11:00

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