Pre-eminent violinist Gil Shaham performs Czech music with the HK Phil
Classics: Gil Shaham Plays Dvořák (21 & 22 June)
19 JUN 2019
Hong Kong
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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[19 June 2019, Hong Kong] The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) will present one of the foremost violinists of our time, Gil Shaham, in a concert of thrilling and melodic Czech music. Under the baton of Principal Guest Conductor Yu Long, this concert will showcase Shaham’s flawless technique and on-stage warmth in a Czech musical journey featuring works by Dvořák and Janáček. The concert will take place at the
Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall on 21 & 22 June.
Gil Shaham is considered a master of the concert world and is a sought-after artist on major international stages. He has won multiple Grammy Awards and in 2012 was named Musical America’s “Instrumentalist of the Year”.
The concert will open with the Othello Overture, the third in a triology of overtures entitled Příroda, Život a Láska (Nature, Life and Love). Composed in 1892, Dvořák uses the title of Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello to evoke how humans can destroy the great gift of love. This piece uses mysterious variations and melodic fluctuations to portray human tragedy.
The HK Phil will then perform Janáček’s rhapsody Taras Bulba, which is inspired by Russian novelist Nikolai Gogol and describes the war between the Cossacks and Poles. The piece weaves chant-like themes and epic brilliance, and reflects the strong patriotic feeling of the composer.
The centrepiece of this Czech musical journey is Dvořák’s Violin Concerto. The work combines strong melodic material, drama, colour and technical brilliance, with abundant Czech flavour. Shaham’s exquisite skill and unique interpretation are sure to dazzle in this rare concert treat for Hong Kong audiences.
Classics: Gil Shaham Plays Dvořák will be held on 21 & 22 June (Fri & Sat), 8PM in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Tickets priced: HK$480, $380, $280, $180 are available at URBTIX. For enquiries, please call +852 2721 2332 or visit hkphil.org.
Artists
Yu Long, conductor [full biography]
Hailed as the “most powerful figure in China’s classical music scene” by The New York Times, Chinese conductor Long Yu holds positions as Chairman of the Artistic Committee of the Beijing Music Festival (BMF), Artist Director of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, Music Director of the Shanghai and Guangzhou Symphony orchestras, Co-director of MISA Shanghai Summer Festival, and Principal Guest Conductor of the HK Phil.In the mainland, he has received the 2013 China Arts Award. He is currently Vice President of the Chinese Musicians Association.
Gil Shaham, violin [full biography]
Gil Shaham is one of the foremost violinists of our time: his flawless technique combined with his inimitable warmth and generosity of spirit has solidified his renown as an American master. He is sought after throughout the world for concerto appearances with leading orchestras and conductors, and regularly gives recitals and appears with ensembles on the world’s great concert stages and at the most prestigious festivals.He regularly appears with the Berlin, the Israel, Los Angeles and New York philharmonics; Boston, Chicago and San Francisco symphonies.
Classics: Gil Shaham Plays Dvořák (21 & 22 June)
21 & 22 | 6 | 2019
FRI & SAT 8PM
Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall
HK$480 $380 $280 $180
Tickets are now available at URBTIX.
For ages 6 and above
Artists
| Yu Long | conductor |
| Gil Shaham | violin |
Click the thumbnails to download press photos
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Yu Long | Gil Shaham Photo Credit: Luke Ratray | Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra Photo Credit: Cheung Chi-wai/HK Phil |
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Programme
| DVOŘÁK | Othello Overture |
| JANÁČEK | Taras Bulba |
| DVOŘÁK | Violin Concerto |
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Music Director: Jaap van Zweden
Principal Guest Conductor: Yu Long
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is recognised as Asia’s foremost classical orchestra. Presenting more than 150 concerts over a 44-week season, the HK Phil attracts more than 200,000 music lovers annually.
Jaap van Zweden, one of today’s most sought-after conductors, has been the orchestra’s Music Director since the 2012/13 concert season, a position he will continue to hold until at least 2022. Maestro van Zweden is the 26th Music Director of the New York Philharmonic from the 2018/19 season.
Yu Long has been Principal Guest Conductor since the 2015/16 season.
Under the dynamic leadership of Music Director Jaap van Zweden, the HK Phil has attained new heights of artistic excellence, garnering international critical acclaim.
Following on from the success of the European tour which included a filmed concert from Vienna’s Musikverein, the HK Phil has toured extensively within the mainland China. In 2017, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, and with support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices, the orchestra performed in Seoul, Osaka, Singapore, Melbourne and at the Sydney Opera House.
Jaap, the HK Phil, a superb cast of soloists and a chorus successfully completed an epic four-year journey through Wagner’s “Ring Cycle” in January 2018. The concert performances and live Naxos recordings have been enthusiastically received by audiences and praised by critics at home and abroad. The recording of Götterdämmerung was released in November 2018.
Conductors and soloists who have recently performed with the orchestra include Vladimir Ashkenazy, Joshua Bell, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Matthias Goerne, Stephen Hough, Evgeny Kissin, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Ning Feng and Yuja Wang.
The HK Phil promotes the work of Hong Kong and Chinese composers through an active commissioning programme, and has released recordings on the Naxos label featuring Tan Dun and Bright Sheng, each conducting their own compositions. Its acclaimed education and community engagement programmes in schools, hospital and outdoor space, bring music into the hearts of tens of thousands of children and families every year.
The Swire Group has been the Principal Patron of the HK Phil since 2006. Through this sponsorship, which is the largest in the orchestra’s history, Swire endeavours to promote artistic excellence, foster access to classical music and stimulate cultural participation in Hong Kong, and to enhance Hong Kong’s reputation as one of the great cities in the world.
Thanks to a significant subsidy from the Hong Kong Government and long-term funding from Principal Patron Swire, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and other supporters, the HK Phil now boasts a full-time annual schedule of core classical repertoire and innovative popular programming, extensive education and community programmes, and collaborations with, among others, Opera Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Arts Festival and the Hong Kong Ballet.
Originally called the Sino-British Orchestra, it was renamed the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 1957 and became fully professional in 1974. The HK Phil is a charitable organisation.
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and is Venue Partner of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
SWIRE is the Principal Patron of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.