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On 22 July 2021, Thursday, at the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall, 8:00pm, City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong will conclude its 2020/2021 season with Hooked on Harmonica, a concert featuring world champion harmonica virtuoso Gordon Lee and guest conductor/composer Colin Touchin. Gordon Lee will perform Spivakovsky’s Harmonica Concerto, a work originally dedicated to the legendary Tommy Reilly and the first concerto ever written for the harmonica. Known for its virtuosic demands on the harmonica player, Spivakovsky’s Harmonica Concerto is also an infectious work, brimming with appealing tunes. The concert will also include the exciting world premiere of Colin Touchin’s Sinfonietta No.4 conducted by the composer himself. To round off the evening CCOHK will perform Carl Maria von Weber’s Symphony No.2, a beautifully orchestrated and rarely heard symphonic gem in romantic style by one of Beethoven’s most significant contemporaries.
Praised by Ta Kung Pao for his “impressive virtuosity”, Gordon Lee was the winner of the prestigious 8th World Harmonica Festival in Germany in 2017. His performing credits include appearances at Carnegie Hall in New York, MuTh Concert Hall in Vienna, the Esplanade in Sigapore and at the International Harmonica Festival in Seoul. At home he has appeared as soloist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, and in concerts with pop icons Chet Lam, Hins Cheung, Alan Tam, Hacken Lee, Leon Lai, Teresa Carpio and Kay Tse. In 2018 he released a CD with his Encore Trio to international acclaim.
Tickets priced at $420, $300, $220, with half-price concessions for full-time students, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients, are available from all URBTIX outlets. For ticketing enquiries, call 3761 6661; for credit card telephone booking, call 2111 5999; for internet booking, visit www.urbtix.hk; for programme or other enquiries, call 2864 2151 or email [email protected].
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For photos, artist interviews and further MEDIA ENQUIRIES please contact Ms. Grace Wong (Tel: 9766 7826/ Email: [email protected]) or Ms. Mandy Law (Tel: 9611 5027/ Email: [email protected]).
Further information:www.ccohk.com/ www.facebook.com/ccohk
Programme
Colin Touchin | Sinfonietta No.4
Michael Spivakovsky | Concerto for Harmonica
Carl Maria von Weber | Symphony No. 2 in C Major
Guest Artists: Gordon Lee Harmonica & Colin Touchin guest conductor
Gordon Lee
Harmonica player Gordon Lee garnered international attention when he won the champion prize at the prestigious 8th World Harmonica Festival in Germany in 2017. A Hong Kong native, he has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, MuTh Concert Hall in Vienna, the Esplanade in Singapore and at the International Harmonica Festival in Seoul. He has appeared as soloist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and the Asian Youth Orchestra. He has performed on stage with the renowned classical music comedy duo Igudesman & Joo and pop singers Alfred Hui, Chet Lam, Hins Cheung, Alan Tam, Phil Lam, Ng Yip-kwan, Hacken Lee, Leon Lai, Lowell Lo, Teresa Carpio and Kay Tse. He has also appeared on television in both Hong Kong and China numerous times, including an appearance on Hunan Television’s 2016 reality show 'I Am aSinger' as a harmonica artist. Gordon Lee's mentors include Franz Chmel, Sigmund Groven and the two-time Grammy Award Winner Howard Levy. He also studied under Sheng master Cheng Tak-wai. His CD recordings include the 2018 release of Gordon Lee and his Encore Trio to international acclaim. Gordon Lee is the founder of the Hong Kong Harmonica Academy and teaches at the University of Hong Kong and The Education University of Hong Kong. He is often sought after to host talks and workshops on modern harmonica techniques. He currently serves on the jury for the Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival, the Seoul International Harmonica Festival and the World Harmonica Festival.
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, Michala Petri, 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, Mao Yuan and Richard Harvey, and by Hong Kong’s top composers at Musicarama and the Hong Kong Contemporary Music Festival. Recordings include four internationally acclaimed releases on the NAXOS, Orchid Classics, Forgotten Records and OUR Recordings labels. CCOHK’s mission to cultivate young audiences for music in Hong Kong has led to the creation of several original and 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 and was succeeded by the Armenian conductor and pianist Vahan Mardirossian in 2019.
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