The Asian Youth Orchestra (AYO) played a concert in Tokyo, Japan, today (August 24) as part of its concert tour across Asia.
 
     Comprising about 100 young musicians from various parts of Asia, the AYO had earlier performed in Hong Kong, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Xiamen, Xian, Beijing, Manila, Chiayi, Taipei and Ayase. The concerts in Tokyo today and tomorrow (August 25) will conclude this season’s tour.
 
     The performances by the AYO in Tokyo are supported by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Tokyo.
 
     Based in Hong Kong, the AYO attracts many bright young musicians from all over Asia to Hong Kong every year, and takes them to different parts of the world for performances and cultural exchange.
 
     The AYO has been playing a significant role in promoting arts and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and Japan. The AYO’s first public concert in 1990 was held in Kumamoto, Japan. Since then, Japan has been one of the destinations for the AYO tour almost every year. The AYO was awarded Japan’s Praemium Imperiale Grant for Young Artists in 2010 in recognition of its outstanding contributions to the development of young artistic talent. It was also awarded the Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture and Community in 2015 for promoting friendship and understanding of young people across Asia through the common language of music.
 
     To tie in with the official visit to Japan by the Chief Executive, the AYO will present a special concert in Tokyo later this year with around 30 musicians from Hong Kong and Japan who have performed in the AYO previously.

Ends/Friday, August 24, 2018
Issued at HKT 19:05

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