This September City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong (CCOHK) is proud to hit a track record of two decades of high-level music-making and niche programming in Hong Kong. To celebrate the milestone and kick off the 20th anniversary season, CCOHK will present an extraordinary concert on 30 September 2019, inaugurating Chief Conductor Vahan Mardirossian and featuring French violin virtuoso Augustin Dumay as soloist in Beethoven’s violin concerto. The rest of the exciting line-up for 2019/2020 includes a series of stunning concerts at Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall with Grammy Award-winning American guitarist Sharon Isbin, Flamenco legend Nina Corti, French prodigy trumpeter Lucienne Renaudin Vary and the phenomenally talented American soprano Dawn Upshaw. Chief Conductor Vahan Mardirossian will flex his virtuoso piano skills in a rendition of Shostakovich’s Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings to end the season at the Le French May Arts Festival 2020.
To celebrate the orchestra’s creativity in its 20th anniversary year, CCOHK will rerun some of its popular signature programmes for young audiences including Magnificent Mozart presented in sumptuous 18th-century costumes and the award-winning musical Bug Symphony which features CCOHK’s musicians on stage in acting roles. Additionally, on the tail of the Hong Kong rerun at Sha Tin Town Hall Auditorium in April 2020, Bug Symphony will tour to festivals in China and London. Families will also enjoy CCOHK’s annual Christmas favourite The Snowman & The Bear (with film) to be staged at the Sha Tin Town Hall Auditorium with narration by Tania Martin and Forrest Morr.
Throughout the season CCOHK is delighted to present a Masterclass Series where Hong Kong talents have the opportunity to be inspired and influenced by the world’s greatest musical mentors and pedagogues. This season CCOHK presents a violin masterclass by Augustin Dumay, a guitar masterclass by Sharon Isbin, a vocal masterclass by Dawn Upshaw, and a trumpet masterclass by Lucienne Renaudin Vary.
At the helm of CCOHK’s artistic planning is CCOHK’s founder and principal oboist Leanne Nicholls who was awarded a commendation certificate from the Home Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2009. Leanne Nicholls comments, “I’m thrilled to look back on the musical achievements of the past twenty years - but also to look forward to a new musical era. I’m excited to work with Vahan Mardirossian as Chief Conductor and to present these wonderful programmes with spectacular artists. From Boccherini and Mozart to Strauss and Berio, the range of music reflects the diversity of our chamber orchestra. We also offer young audiences our most creative programmes brimming with musical knowledge, great music and sheer fun for all! In short there is something for everyone!”
For further information, click here to download the season brochure or here to watch the season trailer.
Subscriptions to enjoy priority seating and 20% off of all ticket bookings close on 31 October 2019. Subscription booking forms can be downloaded at www.ccohk.com.
For artist photos, interviews and further MEDIA ENQUIRIES please contact Leanne Nicholls at 2864 2158 or via email: [email protected] / [email protected].
City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong
City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong (CCOHK) holds a unique position as one of Asia’s leading chamber orchestras. Members are professional musicians experienced in playing diverse styles ranging from Baroque and classical to East-West crossover, tango, Bollywood and jazz. Since its establishment in 1999 CCOHK has performed with many world-class artists including Sir James Galway, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Dame Emma Kirkby, Sir Thomas Allen, Sir Neville Marriner, Christian Lindberg, Sarah Chang, Philippe Entremont, Julian Lloyd Webber, Edgar Meyer, Branford Marsalis, Richard Galliano and The King’s Singers. The orchestra has also collaborated with celebrities including Hayley Westenra, Richard Clayderman, Robin Gibb, Dame Edna Everage and Canto-pop stars Sandy Lam, Hins Cheung and Hacken Lee. Additional highlights include collaborations with the Vienna Boys Choir, The American Boychoir, the Warsaw Boys Choir, the Swedish Voices Chamber Choir and Choeur Britten. On tour CCOHK has been invited to perform in Italy, Taipei, Beijing, Chengdu and at the 20th China Shanghai International Arts Festival. At home CCOHK is in high demand with performing engagements for Hong Kong Ballet, Le French May Arts Festival, RTHK Radio 4, the World Harp Congress and The Hong Kong International Piano Competition. In support of contemporary music CCOHK has staged world premieres of works by Daniel Binelli, Dobrinka Tabakova, Detlev Glanert, Mao Yuan and Alexander Prior, and by Hong Kong’s top composers at Musicarama and the Hong Kong Contemporary Music Festival. CDs include an internationally acclaimed release on OUR Recordings featuring the world premiere of Richard Harvey’s Concerto Incantanto with Danish recorder virtuoso Michala Petri. CCOHK’s mission to cultivate young audiences for classical music in Hong Kong has led to the creation of several original fully-staged productions incorporating actors. These include Magnificent Mozart, The Star Bach, Vivaldi Unmasked and Bug Symphony which won the Public Choice Award at the YAMawards in Portugal 2017. At the helm of CCOHK’s artistic and executive planning is CCOHK’s founder Leanne Nicholls, herself a prize-winning performer who was awarded a commendation certificate from the Home Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2009. French conductor Jean Thorel served as chief conductor from 2008 to 2016. Armenian conductor and virtuoso pianist Vahan Mardirossian was appointed chief conductor in September 2019.
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