Sylvia Chang Masters All 14 Roles in A Midsummer Night's Dream
Together with Lio Kuokman and the HK Phil

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[6 October 2023, Hong Kong] The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is excited to present one of Shakespeare's greatest comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream, on 3 and 4 November. Celebrated actress, screenwriter, and director Sylvia Chang will showcase her remarkable talent by portraying all 14 characters. This special adaptation by Taiwanese writer Chiao Yuan-pu incorporates Mendelssohn's incidental music into the play, with the HK Phil performing live under the baton of the HK Phil Resident Conductor Lio Kuokman, alongside sopranos Vivian Yau and Dani Zhang Jingdan, and the ladies of the HK Phil Chorus to accompany Chang’s narration.

With its unique blends of comedy, pathos, spectacle and enchanting characters, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of the most beloved plays written by Shakespeare. The plot revolves around the wedding of Duke Theseus and his betrothed Hippolyta at their court in Athens, along with two more pairs of lovers: Hermia and Lysander, as well as Demetrius and Helena, each facing their own romantic obstacles. However, the intervention of the fairies causes a love confusion and comedic chaos among the lovers. Eventually, all romantic pairs find their way to a joyful and satisfying conclusion.

German composer Mendelssohn constantly re-enacted this play with his sister during their childhood. His love for Shakespeare’s works motivated him to craft a score for the play. The Overture, which he composed at the age of 17, was hailed as “one of the most perfect pieces of music ever written” after its first performance. Years later, he was commissioned to compose incidental music for the play, particularly featuring the world-famous and regal Wedding March.

Sylvia Chang's multifaceted career as an actress, screenwriter, director, and producer has garnered her extensive acclaim and numerous awards. Chang has appeared in over a hundred films since 1970s. Her talent has been recognised with esteemed honours, including the Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Asian Film Awards 2018 and the Malaysia International Film Festival 2023. In recent years, Chang has expanded her artistic horizons to explore theatrical productions, taking on dual roles as a playwright and a lead actress. She performed Chiao Yuan-pu’s adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream alongside the Taiwan Philharmonic in 2015, and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in 2023.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Sylvia Chang” will be held on 3 & 4 November (Fri & Sat) at 8:00PM in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Tickets priced at HK$780, $620, $480 and $300 are available at URBTIX. For enquiries, please call +852 2721 2332 or visit hkphil.org.

Artists

Lio Kuokman, conductor [full description]

Currently Resident Conductor of the HK Phil, Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Macao Orchestra, and Programme Director of the Macao International Music Festival, Lio Kuokman was praised by the Philadelphia Inquirer as “a startling conducting talent”. He won the second prize, Audience Prize and Orchestra Prize at the third Svetlanov International Conducting Competition in Paris, and served as the first Chinese Assistant Conductor at the Philadelphia Orchestra. He has successfully collaborated with many leading orchestras across the globe.

Sylvia Chang, narrator [full description]

Born in 1953 in Chiayi, Taiwan, Sylvia Chang is a renowned actress, screenwriter, director, and producer in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Chang embarked on an acting career in the 1970s and has since appeared in over a hundred films. She earned the Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actress (1976), and the Golden Horse Awards for Best Leading Actress (1981, 1986 and 2022), and the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress (1986). As screenwriter, she won the Best Screenplay awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards (1999, 2017). She was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Asian Film Awards 2018 and the Malaysia International Film Festival 2023. Since 2008, Chang has collaborated with Edward Lam Dance Theatre, taking on the roles as playwright and lead actress in Design for Living. In 2015, she performed with the Taiwan Philharmonic in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a symphonic drama that she restaged with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in April 2023. 

Vivian Yau, soprano [full description]

Hailed as “a light, silvery, bright soprano with impressive coloratura” (The Aspen Times), Hong Kong soprano Vivian Yau’s collaborations include the HK Phil, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Macao Orchestra, and West Edge Opera. Highlights include performing the role of Rosina in The Barber of Seville with both Aspen Opera Center and Mediterranean Opera Festival, title role of Silent Opera UK’s immersive production Vixen at the 2023 Hong Kong Arts Festival, title role in the world premiere of Pierangelo Valtinoni’s Alice in Wonderland at the 2021 Hong Kong Arts Festival, and her Carnegie Hall debut in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio featuring The Cecilia Chorus of New York.

Dani Zhang Jingdan, soprano [full description]

Soprano Dani Zhang Jingdan received her master’s degree at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts under the tutelage of soprano Nancy Yuen. She has attended masterclasses with world-renowned singers, such as Diana Damrau, Sumi Jo, Barbara Bonney, Nelly Miricioiu, Shen Yang, Warren Mok and Darryl Edwards. Zhang is one of the winners of the RTHK Young Music Makers 2019, and has recorded a series of TV productions and radio broadcasts for RTHK. In 2022, she made her HK Phil debut singing the soprano solo in Fauré Requiem, a programme in collaboration with HKU MUSE, under the baton of Yu Long. Recently, she debuted at the Opera Hong Kong as Norina in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, and appeared as Musetta in Puccini’s La bohème.

Chiao Yuan-pu, lyrics translation and dramatic adaptation [full description]

Chiao Yuan-pu received a PhD degree in Music from King's College London, the Edison Fellowship from the British Library, a Master's degree in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School, and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from National Taiwan University. He penned over ten books, including Listening to Chopin, A Road to Classical Music, and The Colors between Black and White (available in Chinese and Japanese versions). Chiao took home the Golden Bell Award for Best Non-Popular Music Broadcast Programme in 2013, and the Golden Melody Award for Best Album Producer under the Traditional Arts category for Pushkin in Music in 2022.

Ladies of The Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus [full description]

Established in 1980, the HK Phil Chorus has collaborated with the HK Phil to perform a range of different works over the years. In 2013, the Chorus undertook a new recruitment drive, and over 450 singers were attracted to attend the auditions. The first performance by the newly reformed Chorus was Handel’s Messiah. Since then, the Chorus has performed with the HK Phil in major works by composers including Britten, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Haydn and Mahler under renowned conductors Lorin Maazel, Jaap van Zweden and Nicholas McGegan. The Chorus’ Fellowship programme was inaugurated during the 2020/21 Season, setting the stage for aspiring professional singers to join this distinguished ensemble.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM WITH SYLVIA CHANG

3 & 4 | 11 | 2023

FRI & SAT 8PM

Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall

HK$780 $620 $480 $300

Tickets now available at URBTIX
For ages 6 and above

Artists

Programme

*Mandarin narration with Chinese and English surtitles