Musicus Fest Unveils 11th-Season Festival Featuring 10 Concerts

Musicus Society will present Musicus Fest 2023, which will feature 10 concerts over four weekends - from Nov. 11 to Dec. 3 - in Hong Kong. Now in its 11th season, Musicus Fest is an international meeting point for world-class artists in classical music. The renowned festival brings together musicians from Australia, Austria, Canada, Italy, Germany, Korea and Hong Kong for an annual celebration of cross-cultural musicianship, also working with young talents to bring their artistry to new heights.

The festival returns stronger than ever, following its 10-year milestone in 2022, for which the Musicus Soloists Hong Kong (MSHK) made its celebratory debut. The acclaimed new ensemble, which returns this year, was founded and is directed by Musicus Fest Artistic Director Trey Lee, an internationally-renowned cellist hailed by the New York Times for his "enveloping richness and lyrical sensitivity."

Artistic Director Trey Lee said, "It's a pleasure to invite world-class artists to join Musicus Fest in Hong Kong, where musicians at various career stages and diverse backgrounds come to connect and give awe-inspiring performances. We aim to deepen cross-cultural collaborations between local and international performers. And through raising the bar artistically and in terms of audience experience, we look forward to shaping the festival, and the city, as one of the world's elite music-making destinations."

MSHK, which performs at Musicus Fest on Nov. 21, assembles some of Hong Kong's top next-generation artists - outstanding young soloists and chamber musicians studying in different parts of the world. The ensemble, which made its European debut earlier this year, aims to become a leading chamber group representing Hong Kong globally. MSHK is delighted to return to the Hong Kong stage this fall, performing with the French-Canadian pianist Louis Lortie - one of the world's most versatile and critically acclaimed pianists - as guest artistic director and piano soloist. Lortie's remarkable musical range has been witnessed in performances with famous ensembles and orchestras and in award-winning recordings. He will be joined by acclaimed musicians from overseas, including Canadian violinist Elissa Lee as guest concertmaster, South Korean violist Sang-jin Kim, and cellist Martin Smith from Germany.

Since its founding in 2010, Musicus Society has supported numerous young artists and launched their careers as professional musicians. On Nov. 24, the festival presents Next Generation Virtuosi, a chamber music program that this year spotlights violinist Aaron Chan. In his solo recital, the winner of the 2023 Musicus Society Young Artist Audition will perform a handpicked program to showcase his talent, musical skills and sensibility. He will be accompanied by Colleen Lee, a renowned pianist from Hong Kong and prizewinner at the 15th International Chopin Piano Competition.

Founded in Mozart's birthplace, Camerata Salzburg is one of the world's leading chamber orchestras, regularly invited to perform at prestigious venues from Paris to Beijing. It makes its Musicus Fest debut this year with two performances, on Nov. 25 and 26. The celebrated group was founded in 1952 and is today known for its "Salzburg sound," crafted over decades. It's one of the core ensembles at the Salzburg Festival and the Mozartwoche Festival. Their first concert at Musicus Fest 2023 features Trey Lee performing Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1, which will be a tour de force of the rhythmic power and relentless drive of his music, while marking the final stop in the Camerata and Trey's multi-city Greater China tour in 2023. The Nov. 26 concert - the festival's closing event - highlights two previous winners of the Young Artist Audition: violinists Fan Hiu-sing and Jeremy Hao, performing side-by-side in Mozart's Concertone for two Violins and Orchestra, K. 190. In the grand finale piece, by Leó Weiner, students from Musicus' Ensemble Training program will perform alongside Camerata Salzburg.

Under the sponsorship of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the popular Jockey Club Musicus Heritage Stories concert series continues its aim to celebrate Hong Kong's history with music and features composers and artists from other disciplines to create new works, bringing new perspectives to historical sites. Its predecessor, the Jockey Club Musicus Heritage Alive program, was recognized at the 2022 Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovative Cases by the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research APAC Region, under the auspices of UNESCO. This year, the concerts will take place at the Former North Kowloon Magistracy. Built in 1960, the Grade 2 historic building will become the venue for free concerts from Dec. 1 to 3, featuring guest violinist Martin Funda and other superb performers. The program will also incorporate guided tours and introduce the cheongsam, an iconic and charming Chinese fashion style dating back to the 1920s, via collaboration with the Hong Kong Cheongsam Association. More details coming soon.

On Nov. 11, Musicus Fest presents Marco Polo's Musical Encounter of East and West. The family-friendly concert features music by top-ranking local musicians and interactive theater elements. The performance introduces fun facts about Chinese and Western musical traditions, and instruments, geared toward children (aged 3+). The performance includes an imaginative story and educational interludes delivered in a light-hearted manner. Co-directors/writers and performers Ursula Volkmann (Germany) and Maddalena Recino (Italy) join a superb ensemble cast from Hong Kong.

To find out more about Musicus, please visit musicussociety.org.

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Musicus Fest 2023

Nov. 11

Family Concert: Marco Polo's Musical Encounter of East and West
7:30 p.m. │Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Scriptwriters/Co-Directors/Actors: Ursula Volkmann, Maddalena Recino
Assistant Director/Actor: Marc Ngan
Actor: Lam Ka-ting
Piano: Colleen Lee
Erhu: Wong Chi-chung
Pipa: Mavis Lam
Guzheng: Grammy Yeung
Harp: Natalie Lo
Accordion and Guitar: Nazar Tabachyshyn
Xylophone and Marimba: Rani Fung
Yangqin: Athena Kwong
Violin: Francis Chik
Duration: ~ 80 minutes with no intermission; program to be confirmed.

Nov. 21

Louis Lortie and Musicus Soloists Hong Kong
8 p.m.│Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Guest Artistic Director and Piano Solo: Louis Lortie
Orchestra: Musicus Soloists Hong Kong
Guest Concertmaster: Elissa Lee
Guest Leader (Viola): Sang-Jin Kim
Guest Leader (Cello): Martin Smith

Program

• Carl Nielsen: Little Suite for Strings, Op. 1

• Arvo Pärt: Fratres for Violin, Strings and Percussion (Violin Solo: Angela Chan)

• Jean Sibelius: Romance for String Orchestra, Op. 42

• Jean Sibelius: Impromptu for String Orchestra, Op. 5

• Edvard Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16

Duration: ~ 90 minutes, with a 20-minute intermission.

Nov. 24

Next Generation Virtuosi
8 p.m. │ Theatre, Hong Kong City Hall
Violin Solo: Aaron Chan
Piano: Colleen Lee

Program

• Edvard Grieg: Violin Sonata No.3 in C minor, Op. 45

• JenÅ‘ Hubay: Carmen fantaisie brillante

• Richard Dubugnon: Retour á Montfort l'Amaury (2010)

• Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 5 in F, Op.24 "Spring"

• Clara Schumann: Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22

Duration: ~ 90 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission.

Nov. 25

Trey Lee and Camerata Salzburg
8 p.m. │ Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Artistic Director/Cello Solo: Trey Lee
Orchestra: Camerata Salzburg

Program

• Mendelssohn: The Hebrides Overture, Op. 26

• Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat, Op. 107 (Cello Solo: Trey Lee)

• Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A, Op. 92

Duration: ~ 100 minutes, with a 20-minute intermission.

Nov. 26

Festival Finale: Camerata Salzburg
3 p.m. │ Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Orchestra: Camerata Salzburg
Violin Solo: Fan Hiu-sing, Jeremy Hao
Ensemble Training Students

Program

• Joachim Raff: Sinfonietta

• Mozart: Concertone for Two Violins and Orchestra in C, K190 (Violin Solo: Fan Hiu-sing and Jeremy Hao)

• Mozart: Symphony No. 41 in C, K551, "Jupiter"

• Leó Weiner: Divertimento No. 1 (TBC) (featuring Ensemble Training students)

Duration: ~ 90 minutes, with a 20-minute intermission.

Dec. 1-3

Jockey Club Musicus Heritage Stories concerts (details to be announced)
Times TBC | Former North Kowloon Magistracy

For the latest details, please visit www.musicussociety.org

Financially supported by the Art Development Matching Grants Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Musicus Society gratefully acknowledges its major sponsors Bank of China (Hong Kong) and The Tung Foundation, its donors and partners for Musicus Fest 2023. The Jockey Club Musicus Heritage Stories program is funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

About Musicus Society

Musicus Society was founded in 2010 by a group of music lovers as the vision of renowned cellist Trey Lee to become an international music organization with quality performances and world-class home-grown artists. Its mission is to promote cross-cultural collaboration of music internationally between top local and overseas artists through performances and by nurturing the next generation of talent. Apart from the annual Musicus Fest, the Musicus Heritage Community Concert Series enhances the public's knowledge of Hong Kong's culture and history through programs that reflect their heritage. The educational program Musicus Inspires! aims to cultivate talents from all social backgrounds, providing training and performance opportunities for young artists and students with great masters. Learn more at www.musicussociety.org

About Musicus Fest

Musicus Fest is a meeting point for artists from across the world. It helps them to inspire and interact with future generations. Great artists are not only born with great talent, they are also influenced by their peers and those who have come before them, through traditions and knowledge passed down from previous generations. The Musicus Fest will give Hong Kong artists and students what their counterparts elsewhere have long enjoyed: a chance to elevate themselves to a higher level of artistic excellence through meaningful interaction with distinguished artists from different parts of the world.

Since the launch of Musicus Fest in 2013, over 300 artists from Albania, Canada, Mainland China, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Russia, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the USA have appeared on stage in Hong Kong, presenting spectacular cross-cultural performances in conjunction with our local talents.

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